Category: Top Stories

Biobased polycarbonate breakthrough, seaweed diapers, bamboo toothbrushes, one cow’s manure can power Toyota’s new Mirai hydrogen car and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of October 31st

October 30, 2019 | Jim Lane

It’s Halloween and things are getting pretty scary out there with stinky, petroleum based, disposable, plastic diapers and plastic toothbrushes being discarded all over the world but have no fear, for a new seaweed-based reusable diaper and Colgate’s new bamboo toothbrush is here to save the day! But wait there’s other news that will calm […]

ABLC Preview – The Top 10 Industry Trends to Follow

October 29, 2019 | Jim Lane

In San Francisco, the industry is gathering for the 6th annual Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference on Next-Gen Technologies and Markets. Here are 10 themes and the news events that are propelling the industry to re-evaluate the pace and shape of development in key markets and R&D areas. AIR The news: This week we reported that […]

The Race to Zero Emissions, er, Zero Carbon, er, Negative Carbon, er, Circular Economy, and the whole wacky thing

October 27, 2019 | Jim Lane

These days, in the world of carbon policy, you call it the Climate Hoax if you don’t want to do anything, the Climate Crisis if you want to do something that no one could possibly afford. And if you would like to look to the Left you’re doing something, and to the Right as if […]

The White House Summit on America’s bioeconomy: the inside story

October 27, 2019 | Jim Lane

In Washington, the White House hosted the Summit on America’s Bioeconomy earlier this month, and the summary of the remarks is now available. The White House opined, “the Summit marked the first gathering at The White House of our Nation’s foremost bioeconomy experts, Federal officials, and industry leaders to discuss U.S. bioeconomy leadership, challenges, and […]

USDA, DOE sign major MOU to promote rural energy, advance rural communities, domestic manufacturing.

October 24, 2019 | Jim Lane

In Washington, U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Donald “DJ” LaVoy and U.S. Department of Energy Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes today announced a Memorandum of Understanding between the two departments to promote rural energy and the development of technologies that will support and advance rural and agricultural communities and domestic manufacturing. […]

Artificial leaf, renewable fabric, hydrogen truck, edible tray, plant bags, mushroom textiles: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of October 24th

October 23, 2019 | Jim Lane

This week we lead with an artificial leaf, which kinda sorta goes with plant-based shopping bags — seems as if we’re going one way, then the other, as The Pretenders once sang. Also in the news this week are renewable fabric, a hydrogen-based truck as Renault and Hyundai made big announces in the fuel cell […]

Green Shoots: After a sluggish decade, is the bioenergy tide turning?

October 22, 2019 | Jim Lane

By Gerard J. Ostheimer, Ph.D. (Managing Director, below50) and Douglas L. Faulkner (“the Clean Tech Conservative” & President, Leatherstocking LLC) Special to The Digest Is the tide starting to turn in favor once again of biofuels and biobased products? It can certainly still seem that the opposite is true, after a sluggish decade for these […]

Provivi raises a sizzling $85 million for the Loneliest Technology in the World

October 21, 2019 | Jim Lane

In California, Provivi has completed a monster $85 million Series C financing. If you know the company, you wouldn’t be all that surprised, the buzz is strong, but if you’re not acquainted, welcome to this late October online meeting of the “WHO THE **** ARE THESE GUYS (and how the *** did they raise this […]

Paper beer bottles, 3D printed boats, hydrogen-powered rescues; the new Mirai, plastics from potato, Hallowe’en biobased coffins, The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of October 18th

October 17, 2019 | Jim Lane

This week there’s Hallowe’en around the corner and we’ll point to the very latest in biobased DIY coffins, but leading this week is the unexpected ways to make the ordinary stuff we know — like, the paper beer bottle, a 3d printed boat, and pallets made from coconut husks. And, some more exotic inventions, too […]

Puget Sound unveils new regional Low Carbon Fuel Standard

October 16, 2019 | Jim Lane

From Washington state we have news that the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has issued its Low Carbon Fuel Standard rule for consideration. This is the first economic region to attempt a Low Carbon Fuel Standard, and follows on from the failure of the Washington State Legislature to complete passage of all the elements in […]

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