Food & Energy

Organizations
Publications

The contents of this page are useful to those looking for EU and American websites and publications addressing topics like clean coal technology, renewable energy, and scientific development in these areas.

Illinois and the EU in Agriculture and Biotechnology News

Organizations

Atlantic Council of the United States

The Atlantic Council works with transatlantic community members to solve international issues that affect the world. Information about the environment and energy is featured, providing articles on current issues and publications, such as the 21st Century Marshall Plan for Energy, Water and Agriculture in Developing Countries.

Learn more: United States, agriculture, internships, energy policy, transatlantic partnership

The Center for Advanced BioEnergy Research (CABER)

The University of Illinois Center for Advanced BioEnergy Research combines nine university divisions and promotes outreach, teaching and research in fields relating to bioenergy systems. New on CABER's blog:

Energy Biosciences Institute

The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign belongs to this American organization, which is addressing issues of bioenergy that affect the U.S. and subsequently the EU.

Learn more: renewable energy, biofuels, biotechnology, feedstock, biomass, coal

U.S. Energy Information Administration

The Energy Information Administration website includes the official energy statistics from the U.S. government on everything from petroleum to nuclear power. International production and consumption information is also available.

Learn more: coal, renewable energy, biofuels, energy, United States

FutureGen Alliance

The homepage of the FutureGen Alliance offers announcements about the construction of the first coal-fueled, near-zero emissions power plant, slotted to be constructed in Mattoon, IL. The European Union will be watching as new clean coal technologies are developed for this powerplant.

Learn more: clean coal technology, clean coal power plant, coal, Mattoon, Illinois

PlanetWatch

This website offers information about alternative energy, energy independence, and global warming issues, hoping to inform its readership about these crucial concerns of the U.S. and the world.

Learn more: renewable energy, alternative energy, biofuel, biomass, GHG

Renewable Energy World

This website offers up-to-date information about renewable energy, collected and presented by leaders in the field. This website is also a good source for recent bioenergy news.

Learn more: biofuel, bioenergy, coal

The United States Mission to the European Union

This website addresses issues that concern both regions, including agriculture, energy, terrorism, and many more.

Learn more: Transatlantic relations, economics, energy, technology, trade

Publications

University of North Carolina EU-US Briefs

The European Union Center at the University of North Carolina has produced these helpful summaries of the current issues involving GMOs, biotechnology, and climate change in the European Union. Begin here for an introductory look as these issues continue to attract attention in Illinois and the EU.

Choices: The magazine of food, farm, and resource issues

A publication of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA)

Choices is a peer-reviewed magazine concerning the policy and management of agriculture, the food industry, natural resources, rural communities, and the environment. Online subscription is free, and many different themes have been covered that relate to Illinois and EU agriculture. The third quarter issue for 2008 (pdf) addresses the rising cost of agricultural products as linked to the production of biofuels in the EU and the United States, specifically in Illinois.

Additionally, the following articles specifically address food security and sustainability:

Learn more: biofuels, commodity, European Union, United States, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol

Economic Impacts of Genetically Modified Crops on the Agri-food Sector

Considering the attention given to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in European and Illinois news, this report from the Commission of the European Communities provides extensive information on the impact different genetically modified plants have on different parts of the world. The paper addresses costs and benefits for consumers and producers and gives information about where and when GMOs have been planted, from soybeans to corn, potatoes to tobacco. For 2000, the paper also provides information about sufficiency, imports, and exports from different crops affected by GMOs.

Learn more: GMOs and the European Union, European Commission, corn, soybeans

"From farm to fork: Safe food for Europe's consumers"

This pamphlet (pdf) outlines EU policy on food safety and standards, including information on genetically modified crops and their acceptance or rejection in EU nations.

Learn more: "food safety", GMOs

Comment Visions

This website is sponsored by the European News Channel, Euronews, the Brussels-based European Voice and Shell Oil. It explores the issues of energy and sustainability through the perspective of innovators and scientists -- regarding "global warming, overpopulation, and dwindling resources" from a European perspective.

Learn more: Illinois and the European Union, bioenergy, sustainability

Responsible Energy for European Regions

This website, part of the blogactiv platform on European affairs, is a joint project between the Assembly of European Regions and GE Energy

Learn more: European Union, bioenergy, sustainability

BeAware

BeAware is a research project co-funded by the European Union in the FP7/ICT program whose goal is to promote energy awareness. It aims to disseminate information on how consumers can become a part of the energy innovation and sustainability process.

Learn more: Illinois and the European Union, bioenergy, sustainability

Export Markets for Illinois Coal

While this document is from 1996, it provides export information about Illinois coal to EU Member States. Of particular interest are assessments made about the marketability of Illinois coal and different factors that reduce its competitiveness, including the size of vessels able to carry coal, which is directly limited by lower Mississippi basin ports, and limitations of the high sulfur content of Illinois coal. Illinois coal competes with other coal centers in the United States and with coal from other countries.

Learn more: Illinois coal exports, coal market

Illinois Dept of Agriculture: Facts About Illinois Agriculture

This is a user-friendly fact list about Agriculture in Illinois, including information about Illinois' role as the number two exporter of agricultural commodities, among which the EU is a major recipient.

Learn more: Illinois and the European Union, sustainability, corn, soybeans

Blogs: Energy and Sustainability

USDA Blog

The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Blog contains many posts related to food security.

UIUC Center for Advanced BioEnergy Research Blog

As listed above, UIUC's CABER (Center for Advanced BioEnergy Research) combines nine university divisions and promotes outreach, teaching and research in fields relating to bioenergy systems. This blog focuses on "research news and related topics dealing with biofuels".

EU Energy Policy Blog

This independent project of scholars, "mostly economists, from all over Europe" as well as American economists, focuses on energy and Europe from a policy perspective.

Search posts related to topics such as coal, energy policy and security.

UIUC Resources

UIUC Center for Global Studies: Food Security Resources

The Center for Global studies features resources related to global food security and its connection with increased use of biofuels.

Search also by European Union-based criteria.

"A Realistic Technology and Engineering Assessment of Algae Biofuel Production"

This study exploring the use of algae as biofuel was done by the Energy Biosciences Institute (a collaboration among UIUC, University of California, Berkeley; the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and BP) in collaboration with the European Algae Biomass Association.

Additionally, here is a biofuel/bioenergy production brochure to accompany the study.

"Producing and Utilizing Miscanthus: Learning from a European Model"

This study regarding the growth of miscanthus in Illinois as a future biofuel was accomplished by UIUC's CABER (Center for Advanced BioEnergy Research) based on research done by both German and Austrian miscanthus producers.

Learn more: miscanthus, Illinois and the European Union, biofuel, bioenergy, University of Illinois experiments

"Biomass Crops as a Source of Renewable Energy: European Experience with Miscanthus and Projections for Illinois"

This study addresses the benefits of miscanthus, a perennial plant that is available as a combustible biomass energy resource. Miscanthus requires less energy and cultivation than other crops and has been seen as a beneficial resource for helping the EU meet energy goals. The authors outline the EU’s experience with the crop and its potential in Illinois.