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191 results
Gasoline prices too high: use more biofuels
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute argues for the accelerated market entry of E15 ethanol blends to combat rising gasoline prices and address a domestic ethanol glut.
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Document type: Statement
Biofuels - At What Cost?
This report examines the potential economic impacts and fiscal burdens on the United Kingdom government and consumers if the national biofuel blending mandate were increased to 10 or 15 per cent to meet the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive (RED) target of 10 per cent renewable transport fuels by 2020.
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Document type: Report
Biomass in a Low-Carbon Economy: Resource Scarcity, Climate Change, and Business in a Finite World
This policy brief, produced by the Stockholm Environment Institute in partnership with the business leaders' initiative 3C, examines the role of biomass in transitioning to a low-carbon economy by 2035. It argues that while biomass is a promising renewable energy source, it is constrained by physical limits and competing needs for food and materials. The document evaluates four future scenarios, concluding that a 'Sustainability Transition'—which balances climate mitigation with sustainable agricultural productivity—offers the most viable path for economic growth and environmental stability.
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Document type: Policy brief
Making Investment Work for Africa: A parliamentarian response to “land grabs”
This report documents a July 2011 seminar organized by the Pan African Parliament, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), and the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS). It examines the surge of foreign direct investment in African agricultural land and water, often termed "land grabs," and provides recommendations for parliamentarians to ensure such investments benefit local communities and align with national development goals.
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Document type: Report
Logrando que las inversiones trabajen para África: Una Respuesta Parlamentaria al “Acaparamiento de Tierras”
This report documents a seminar held by the Pan-African Parliament in July 2011 regarding foreign investment in African agricultural land and water, often termed "land grabbing." It examines the drivers of these investments, their negative impacts on local communities and human rights, and the legal frameworks governing them. The document provides recommendations for parliamentarians to increase transparency, reform land tenure, and ensure that investments benefit local populations through inclusive business models and genuine community consultation.
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Document type: Report
Viabilização do Investimento em África: Uma Resposta parlamentar à desapropriação de terras
This report documents a seminar organized by the Pan-African Parliament in July 2011 to address the phenomenon of 'land grabbing' in Africa. It examines the drivers of foreign investment in arable land and water, the legal implications of such investments, and the resulting socio-economic impacts on local communities, particularly women. The document provides a set of recommendations for parliamentarians to improve transparency, reform land tenure, and ensure that investments align with national development strategies and human rights standards.
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Document type: Report
Subsidies to Liquid Transport Fuels: A comparative review of estimates
This review examines the available data and methodologies used to quantify subsidies for biofuels and conventional transport fuels, noting a significant lack of consistent information.
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Document type: Report
Making Investment Work for Africa: What role for parliamentarians?
This discussion note, prepared by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for the Pan African Parliament, examines the surge of foreign investment in African agricultural land and water. It highlights the risks to food security, land rights, and the environment, while outlining the legal frameworks governing these deals and the critical oversight role parliamentarians should play to ensure sustainable development.
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Document type: Briefing
Comment Investir Efficacement en Afrique?
This briefing note, prepared for a July 2011 seminar organized by the Pan-African Parliament and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), examines the surge of foreign investment in African agricultural land and water. It highlights the risks to local food security, gender equality, and environmental standards, while outlining the legal frameworks governing these deals and the critical oversight role that parliamentarians should play to ensure sustainable development.
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Document type: Briefing
Regional and Global Linkages in the Energy-Climate-Development Policy Nexus: The Case of Biofuels in the EU Renewable Energy Directive
This research paper evaluates the biofuels components and sustainability criteria of the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive, analyzing how they align regional energy-economic goals with global environment, climate, and development policies.
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Document type: Research paper
Microsoft Word - 11-07-27 AEC Final Ltr to Sen Approps - Energy Title Funding
A letter dated July 27, 2011, from a coalition of 21 organizations to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee urging the rejection of funding cuts to Farm Bill energy programs proposed in H.R. 2112 (the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2012).
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Document type: Statement
DoD’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Initiatives
This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute describes the energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and its branches. It details strategic goals for the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force to reduce fossil fuel reliance, improve operational security, and meet federal mandates for greenhouse gas reductions and renewable energy procurement.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Applied Hope
Amory Lovins' 2011 commencement address at the University of California at Berkeley advocates for "applied hope," a pragmatic approach to solving global crises through systemic, scalable, and resource-efficient solutions. He envisions a future where fossil fuels and nuclear energy are replaced by distributed renewables and efficiency, leading to stabilized climates, reduced conflict, and a circular economy.
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Document type: Statement
pela terra que nos alimenta florestas e biodiversidade & soberania alimentar
This report by Friends of the Earth International documents various community-led struggles and successes in maintaining biodiversity and food sovereignty across different global territories. It highlights the conflict between industrial agricultural models—characterized by monocultures, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and land grabbing—and traditional, agroecological practices that respect natural cycles and ancestral knowledge.
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Document type: Report
jatropha: money doesn’t grow on trees
This report by Friends of the Earth International argues that Jatropha is neither a profitable nor a sustainable investment for biofuel production. It challenges the 'miracle crop' narrative, providing evidence that the plant requires significant inputs to be viable, often competes with food production, and leads to the displacement of local communities and the destruction of biodiversity.
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Document type: Report
jatropha: money doesn’t grow on trees
This executive summary by Friends of the Earth International argues that large-scale jatropha plantations are neither economically viable nor sustainable, contradicting claims by investment companies that the crop is a solution for the energy crisis, climate change, and poverty.
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Document type: Executive summary
la trampa de la jatrofa
This report by Friends of the Earth International evaluates the production of jatropha for biofuels in Mozambique, concluding that the industry is based on false premises regarding the crop's suitability for marginal lands and its impact on food security. The study finds that jatropha often displaces food crops, requires significant water and nutrients, and is highly susceptible to pests, posing risks to both small-scale farmers and the environment.
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Document type: Report
le piège du jatropha
This report by Friends of the Earth International examines the promotion and cultivation of jatropha for biofuels in Mozambique. It argues that the industry is built on myths regarding the plant's ability to grow on marginal lands and its resistance to pests, and warns that large-scale production threatens national food sovereignty and community land rights.
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Document type: Report
BIOFUELS - AT WHAT COST?
This document is an introductory text for a 2010 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) that aims to quantify government support for ethanol and biodiesel within the European Union since 2007.
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Document type: Report
Food Security: The Brazilian Case
This 2010 policy report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the relationship between international trade and food security in Brazil. It concludes that while Brazil has become a major global food exporter and maintains sufficient national food availability, chronic food insecurity persists due to income inequality and poverty rather than trade-driven shortages. The report details the role of government price supports, the impact of fertilizer costs, and the transition of the Brazilian diet due to urbanization.
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Document type: Report