From Feedstock to Fuels: An Information Perspective

Mike Terborg, Librarian

National Agricultural Library

Introduction (45 seconds)

Good morning, I just wanted to let you know that I am not a chemist, nor
do I play one on TV.

As a research librarian at the National Agricultural Library, I am
excited to have the opportunity to provide for you highlights of
information about USDA research on biofuels. Before we get started, I
want to let you know that I am providing a resource list with key web
addresses, as well as the address of this presentation. Please sit back
and relax as we explore the path to renewable energy.

\[Slide\]

The President has set the United States on a course for energy
independence; in order to be more energy secure, you may be aware of the
Advanced Energy Initiatives as well as several challenges issued in the
2007 and 2008 State of the Union Addresses.

One of the challenges is to reduce the prices of gas at the pump.

Others are environmental concerns and national security.

*USDA's Role and Activities in Biofuels Research*

Pause 10 seconds

First, I will give you a glance of the big picture, then I will talk
about the USDA and its commitment to bioenergy research. Next, I will
explore the importance of the National Agricultural Library as a key
resource for bioenergy and biofuel information. I will explore the path
of foundational and cutting edge research through the National
Agricultural Library which has many materials on biofuels dating back
prior to 1862 and therefore is an essential resource to research.

*\[Slide Advance\]*

*"With regard to coal and oil, the world's annual consumption has become
so enormous that we are now actually within measurable distance of the
end of the supply. What shall we do when we have no more coal or oil?"
...*

What year do you think this quote was said? \[Wait for Audience
Response\] Hold that thought for a moment.

\[Slide Advance\]

Here is a graph of the U.S. energy use projected for the years
2010-2030. You can see that the projected energy [use]{.underline} of
petroleum continues to increase. You can also see a steady increase in
the use of renewable energy as indicated by the green bars.

\[Slide Advance\]

As you can see, we are well on the way to meeting our ethanol production
goals. USDA's long term projections predict that biofuel production is
expected to increase for the next several years before leveling off.

\[Slide Advance\]

*\"Alcohol can be manufactured from corn stalks, and in fact from almost
any vegetable matter capable of fermentation. ...*

*We need never fear the exhaustion of our present fuel supplies so long
as we can produce an annual crop of alcohol to any extent desired."*

Well, when did you think the quote earlier was said?

Alexander Graham Bell, uttered both of these quotes back in 1917.
*National Geographic,* February, 1917

\[Slide Advance\]

So, where does the USDA fit into the energy sector? In a nutshell, it's
plants and animals. We have over 100 years of experience researching the
energy of the future. As agriculture is the foundation of the
bio-economy, it is critical that the Department play a leadership role
throughout this transition period and into the future. Using
agricultural, marginal, or degraded lands to produce alternative energy
feedstocks, we have the capacity to replace significant amounts of our
petroleum usage.

REE (30 -- 45 seconds)

> \[Slide Advance\]

USDA is taking bioenergy very seriously. I will be focusing on the
research areas including: the Agricultural Research Service, Cooperative
State Research Education and Extension Service, National Agricultural
Statistics Service, the Economic Research Service, and the Forest
Service.

> \[Slide Advance\]

Working together with partners from around the world to ensure balance
in production of Food, Feed, Fiber, and Fuels from America's farms,
ranches, and forest lands.

> \[Slide Advance\]

1.  What is happening at ARS?

> *3-5 mins*

Research from labs in Nebraska and Minnesota are focusing on the
genetics of cell wall and crop production. As many of you may know, it
is important to break cell wall down in order to convert the biomass
into a usable format. In the pretreatment stage, the cell wall
disintegrates so the materials can be processed into simple sugars
which, in turn, are made into ethanol.

Another area of USDA research is on the feedstock itself. Having quality
feedstock improves the quality of the ethanol. While there are many USDA
scientists pursuing crop improvements. I want to highlight just a few of
these excellent researchers. Ken Vogel, and Joanne Lamb are
investigating varieties of alfalfa and switchgrass. Alfalfa is a good
potential feedstock as both a bioenergy crop and dairy forage crop. One
key benefit of alfalfa is that it fixes atmospheric nitrogen. This can
build up soil reserves and soil quality. A benefit to switchgrass is
that it is a native U.S. grass. Native grasses used to spread across the
prairies. Overtime they diminished with changes in the U.S. agricultural
markets and sprawl of cities. Numerous federal, state and private
conservation efforts are examining how best to revive our prairies,
which may provide us with a viable non-food based feedstock source.

Kevin Hicks is researching barley as a possible winter cover- and energy
crop.  Notable characteristica are that it prevents leaching of soil
nutrients into streams during the winter and can be harvested in late
spring, allowing "double cropping" the same year with soybeans.  This
produces two crops, sustainably, on the same land. Switchgrass and other
biofuel crops, such as alfalfa and barley, will require less energy and
fertilizer to grow and will improve soil and water quality.  

 

*\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--*

*\"The fuel of the future is going to come from fruit like that sumach
out by the road, or from apples, weeds, sawdust \-- almost anything.
There is fuel in every bit of vegetable matter that can be fermented.
There's enough alcohol in an acre of potatoes to drive the machinery
necessary to cultivate the field for a hundred years.\"*

\-- Henry Ford, New York Times, 1925

\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--

Crops are not the only raw material useable for ethanol production. Have
you ever smelled that wonderful dairy air from a nearby farm? The manure
present on every farm in the country is a potential energy source. USDA
scientists at our Renewable Energy & Manure Management Research Unit in
Texas are researching exactly this type of material*.*

If you can imagine using animal waste matter for running your home, you
may wonder if humans can also power our vehicles or even our laptops. It
turns out that we can! No, not using human waste.

\[Slide Change\]

I am talking about municipal solid waste (MSW). The paper that you send
to a landfill or even this orange \[lemon\] can be used as raw material
for energy production. In fact, in 1992, Karel Grohmann, then research
leader of the ARS Subtropical Products Laboratory in Florida started
working on citrus waste conversion.

*\
ARS scientists also completed pilot scale testing for pretreatment of
straws for biofuel production in a co-mingled waste facility. Engineers
in Albany CA office are designing the flexible or "athletic" biorefinery
to convert local crops and waste into ethanol and other bioproducts.
This will allow biomass from a wide array of feedstocks to be converted
to ethanol within the same plant throughout all seasons. The ability for
a biorefinery to utilize multiple feedstocks will significantly impact
the economics of biomass processing by eliminating the need to build
single feedstock specific biomass processing plant.*

> \[Slide Change\]

2.  What is happening at CSREES?

> 3-5 mins

While ARS represents our in-house research capability, the Cooperative
State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), is the USDA's
primary external research, education and extension funding agency.

CSREES provides Federal extramural research and extension funding
primarily to the land-grant institutions in each state. A land-grant
college or university is an institution that has been designated by its
state legislature or Congress to receive unique federal support.

CSREES provides funds for research and extension in 11 emphasis areas
which includes biobased and bioenergy research.

\[Slide Advance\]

CSREES supports R&D in biobased products primarily through the National
Research Initiative (NRI), Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and
the Agricultural Materials Program.

The NRI is a competitive grant program utilizing a peer review process.
The topic area Biobased Products Bioenergy Production Research focuses
on technology development for biomass conversion, development of
biocatalysts and co-product development.

New research will improve biomass conversion; determine the impact of a
renewable fuels industry on the economic and social dynamics of rural
communities; and reduce the overall cost of converting agricultural
feedstocks to biofuels through the development of valuable co-products.
CSREES will continue to leverage its bioenergy effort through
coordination with partners such as the Department of Energy, National
Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Institutes of Health.
(*Find coproducts)*

\[Slide Advance\]

CSREES works cooperatively with 104 Land Grant Universities located in
all 50 states, the U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. Many,
if not all of these Universities and Colleges have research programs in
bioenergy and biobased products.

Many of these universities are collocated with many ARS laboratories and
work closely with our in-house researchers, further leveraging our
research resources.

CSREES also provides funding for about 45 energy projects, or projects
that include an energy-related objective. Some key examples of energy
projects funded by CSREES include:

Genetic Engineering of Yeast for Co-Fermenting all Five Cellulosic
Sugars to Ethanol, at Purdue University which will improve the
conversion of biomass to ethanol.

Genetic Engineering of Cellulose Biosynthesis in Trees, at North
Carolina State University.

CSREES is funding the Iowa Biotechnology Consortium which brings
together faculty, scientific staff and industry R&D specialists to
develop technologies to recover and recycle energy, chemicals, and
materials from agriculture- and biotechnology-related wastes.

Additionally, the National Alternative Fuels Laboratory, at the
University of North Dakota, is developing an aviation-grade ethanol that
has been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration.

3.  What is happening at NASS? (45 -- 60 seconds)

In order to analyze data, it first needs to be collected. The National
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is the agency that collects and
provides production data on more than 160 different crop and livestock
commodities. This includes data for \$200 billion in agricultural
products; environmental data related to 938 million acres; and
demographics. With the large shift occurring in agriculture, it is
important to understand the impacts on our rural and urban communities.

\[Slide change\]

What is happening at ERS? (60 -- 75 seconds) (R/W)

Another very important part of our research mission is carried out by
the Economic Research Service (ERS). ERS is the principal social science
agency within the USDA. ERS conducts a research program to inform public
and private decision making on economic and policy issues involving
food, farming, natural resources, and rural development.

A recent example of their work applicable to bioenergy includes a study
on how expanding ethanol use may affect corn markets and how rising
energy costs may affect agriculture and rural communities. Over the next
year, they plan to look at the Effects of Higher Corn Prices on Retail
Food, Bioenergy Policies: A Global Perspective, and more.

4.  FS (60 seconds)

Another division within the department that is researching biofuels is
the Forest Service. The Forest Service plays an important role in the
management and utilization of the nation's woody biomass resources for
bioenergy production.

The overall goal is to ensure sustainable systems while providing goods
and services in collaboration with science partners in universities,
industry and other federal agencies, as well as forest landowners and
managers to accomplish this work in an economically feasible way.

In the conversion area, the Forest Service, in conjunction with several
partners, are working on a method to remove hemicellulose prior to
pulping paper -- convert this matter into sugars and finally, ethanol.
This process will result in the ability to produce 2bill gallons of
ethanol from paper pulp waste.

*\[Slide Change\]*

*"I believe that the great Creator has put ores and oil on this earth to
give us a breathing spell. As we exhaust them, we must be prepared to
fall back on our farms, which is God's true storehouse and can never be
exhausted. We can learn to synthesize material for every human need from
things that grow."*

*George Washington Carver*

*\[Slide Change\]*

*...So, what is the tallest mountain on the planet -- from base to
summit? How many of you think it is Mount Everest? Sorry, that is
incorrect.*

*\[Slide Change\]*

*Mauna Kia rising up from the ocean floor is the tallest from base to
summit. But this is up for debate as... rises up from the bottom of the
marianas trench.*

*Just like most of this mountain is hidden underwater, much of the
information today is not freely accessible or not on the Internet at
all.*

*Providing access to the hidden resources and key to research at the
USDA is the National Agricultural Library.*

*\[Slide Change\]*

*Meeting the Challenge at The National Agricultural Library*

*The Present*

The National Agricultural Library is the world's largest and most
accessible research library focused on agriculture. NAL has been
providing services and products to customers since 1862 when it was
created along with the USDA as the primary agricultural information
resource of the United States.

\[Slide Change\]

The research related to alternative energy sources is dependent on a
common ingredient: information. In today's society, like other research
libraries, we provide information assistance primarily through the
Internet. Our website provides access to information on: sustainable
agriculture, alternative farming, rural development, food safety, human
nutrition, water quality, and, of course, biofuels and alternative
energy. Another publicly available resource includes our digital
repository: AgSpace.

\[Slide Change\]

*AgSpace*

AgSpace will be the primary way of accessing literature and other
materials from the USDA. This information may or may not be available in
other databases, such as Chem Abstracts. Currently, *AgSpace* contains
over 10,000 full-text USDA authored peer-reviewed articles and
publications and more than 300,000 pages of historical agricultural
material.

*AgSpace* ensures perpetual storage of and access to agriculture and its
related scientific literature, thus helping to fulfill the library\'s
commitment to advancing global access to information. As it develops it
will include materials on biofuels and other topics from a wide range of
sources, including non-USDA authored documents.

\[Change Slide\]

AGRICOLA

AGRICOLA, not Agri- Cola (That's what farmers drink) NAL's online
catalog is the primary access point to *AgSpace*, however, AgSpace can
also be searched or browsed independently.

The AGRICOLA database also provides access to much of the library's
physical collection and indexed articles. Some of these articles are
also fully available in a digital format.

\[Change Slide\]

NALT

The best way of searching AGRICOLA/AgSpace is the NAL Thesaurus. It is
the controlled vocabulary used for describing the scientific articles in
AGRICOLA. So, if you have an article about "biobased products", the term
"biobased products" is assigned to the article so you can later retrieve
it in the database when you search.

\[Change Slide\]

This image may give some of you flashbacks of those nasty chemical
equations you had to equalize in chemistry class. I just wanted to give
you a quick glimpse into the library world.

Please don't fret if you are having difficulty finding information on
biofuels or other agricultural topics. If you have spent more than about
30 minutes on a problem, I highly recommend you contact your
institutional librarian! Also, you are welcome to contact the staff at
the National Agricultural Library if we can be of assistance.

\[Change Slide\]

Partnerships

(2-3 mins)

Now I want to take a quick look at partnerships. NAL has the capacity to
develop new relationships and partnerships for networking to provide
information about biofuels as well as the data needed to progress in the
research. For example, we may find new partners in our AGNIC Alliance.
AGNIC, The Agriculture Network Information Center -- is a voluntary
alliance and partnership of nearly 60 national and international
institutions and organizations working together to offer quick and
reliable access to quality information and sources. Among its partners
are the Land Grant Universities, it is also supported, in part, by the
National Agricultural Library. AGNIC provides a topical approach to
quality, peer reviewed information on a variety of subjects including
chemistry delivered through web based centers of excellence. One service
in particular, that all of you may be interested in is their event
calendar. This calendar has conference and meeting information on a
variety of topics, including biofuels. If you are interested in having
your event added, in supporting or providing information to AGNIC or the
Library, please get in touch with me.

\[Change Slide\]

*Conclusion*

*(3-5 mins)*

The USDA is working diligently at finding solutions to the challenges
and the mandates that the president issued over the last several years.
We are looking for ways to create, identify, and develop an
environmentally friendly, sustainable feedstock. We are trying to find
ways to convert this feedstock quickly and efficiently. Finally, we are
looking at ways of collaborating with industry and the research
community.

The National Agricultural Library is committed to supporting the
research that is needed to get the answers to this dilemma. We have the
resources necessary to serve the USDA and public.

*The Invitation*

If you happen to be traveling to D.C., I want to extend an invitation to
you to visit us in Beltsville, Md. If you cannot stop by and visit, I
heartily encourage you to stop by our virtual library. Our web sites
offer a great deal of information with much of it aggregated and
organized to make it easy for you to find. If you cannot find what you
are looking for, it might be in our physical collection. Our materials
date back to 1507, so please do not hesitate to contact our experienced
and expert staff for assistance if you have difficulty finding what you
need.

Finally, I appreciate any ideas on how our website or the Library can
better serve you.

Thank you again. What questions may I answer for you?