The Evolution of Biofuels Policy From 2005 to the Present and What the Next 20 Years May Bring

Jeremy Martin is Director of Fuels Policy in the Union of Concerned Scientists Clean Transportation Program. Dr. Martin works on state and federal fuels policies and has testified before Congress and state legislatures and briefed legislators and regulators on key fuel policies.  Dr. Martin is the author of more than 15 technical publications and 13 patents on topics including biofuels, ride hailing and automated vehicles, semiconductors and polymer physics. Recent publications cover topics ranging from transportation fuels, lifecycle analysis, decarbonization, ride hailing and automated vehicles.

Before coming to UCS, Dr. Martin worked in research and development and manufacturing of computer chips at Advanced Micro Devices. Dr. Martin has a Ph.D. in chemistry and a minor in chemical engineering from the California Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and English literature from Haverford College.

Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production through anaerobic digestion and efficient separation techniques are crucial for sustainable bioenergy and chemical production. Conventional anaerobic digestion systems typically prioritize methane production, resulting in operational inefficiencies, elevated costs, and limited effectiveness specifically in optimizing VFAs production and recovery. This seminar introduces an integrated modeling approach combining modified Anaerobic Digestion Model No.1 (ADM1) with an optimized electrodialysis process model, specifically designed to enhance VFAs production and recovery. Dynamic simulations were conducted to evaluate the influence of critical operational conditions, notably pH control, on microbial activity and VFAs yields. An integrated biorefinery model was further developed to optimize membrane area, current density, and operational costs, achieving a competitive minimum product selling price (MPSP) of 1.02 USD/kg and notably low specific energy consumption (SEC ~2.2 kWh/kg). Sensitivity analyses highlight the trade-offs between key design parameters and operational efficiency, providing valuable insights into optimizing sustainable and cost-effective biorefinery systems. Future research will focus on validating the developed models experimentally at pilot-scale and integrating comprehensive life cycle assessments (LCA) to evaluate broader environmental impacts.

Speaker: Junhyung Park, Graduate Student (advisor Ro Cusick)

Polyvinyl ferrocene (PVF) is a polymer known for its high selectivity for pollutant oxyanions (e.g. arsenate and phosphate) and valuable metals (e.g., gold and rhenium). Capacitive deionization (CDI) systems constructed with PVF coated have shown excellent performance in terms of metal selectivity and energy storage capacity. However, achieving high performance in CDI systems requires optimizing three key factors: selectivity, capacitance, and electrode durability. Among these, improving the long-term stability of PVF-coated electrodes remains a significant challenge. In this study, we developed an equivalent circuit model to understand the contributions of electric double layer (EDL) and ferrocene charge transfer to capacitance loss over repeated charge-discharge cycles. The model combines Faradaic current components and the resistance and capacitive elements of carbon based EDL systems. Using principles from the Nernst equation and charge balance, the model was calibrated with experimental data obtained from electrodes with different ratios of PVF and activated carbon (AC) coatings. Electrodes were prepared by applying PVF:AC slurries (ratios of 1:2 and 1:20) onto carbon paper substrates. To improve electrode durability, chitosan (CS) was added to the coatings to reduce PVF detachment. The developed model effectively distinguished between Faradaic and capacitive contributions during charge-discharge cycles and provided insights into how PVF surface coating activity changes over time. 

Speaker: Yurui Li, PhD Candidate (Advisor Ro Cusick)

The next talk in our series Women Environmental Defenders and Climate Change in the Amazon is "Peruvian Women Defenders of the Amazon." 

Panelists include:

Ruth Buendía: is a renowned Asháninka Indigenous leader and an environmental activist from the Peruvian Amazon. As former president of the Central Asháninka del Río Ene (CARE), she led a successful opposition to two hydroelectric projects that threatened to flood and displace her people. For her efforts, she was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2014. At the age of 12, she was displaced by the internal armed conflict in Peru, an experience that shaped her lifelong fight for the territorial and cultural rights of Indigenous peoples.

Jane Shirley Mori: is an Agroforestry and Aquaculture Engineer from the Shipibo - Konibo people. She works with Indigenous communities in her region of Ucayali, on projects led by NGOs and Indigenous organizations that align with her professional training. She serves as a facilitator on topics such as empowerment, sexual education, traditional crafts, soft skills, communal governance, strategic planning, life plans, productive activities, and territorial monitoring committees. She currently works as an extension agent at the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation.  

Don't miss this opportunity to engage with these inspiring leaders and learn about their vital work in the region. 

We are excited to launch The SDOH & Place Data Discovery App—made to help researchers, policymakers, and community advocates access key place-based Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) data. With built in archive links—protecting data even if the original source goes offline—User-Friendly Exploration, and Comprehensive Data Summaries, this tool makes finding free SDOH datasets accessible to everyone in need of critical datasets. Try out the new Data Discovery App on the SDOH & Place website: https://sdohplace.org/