Toronto company plans $1.35 billion biofuel facility in Louisiana

Toronto company plans $1.35 billion biofuel facility in Louisiana

A Toronto-based energy company announced plans to build a biofuel plant in Louisiana using wood and garbage, but critics question its sustainability.

Wesley Muller reports for Louisiana Illuminator.


In short:

  • Woodland Biofuels plans to use industrial wood scraps and waste to produce biofuels at a $1.35 billion facility in St. John the Baptist Parish.
  • The project could create 110 jobs with an average salary of $90,000, supported by $10 million in state grants and tax incentives.
  • Critics argue burning biomass for energy worsens deforestation, emits pollutants, and slows the shift to cleaner energy sources.

Key quote:

"Carbon dioxide emissions from burning wood are actually higher than burning coal."

— 2018 Environmental Research Letters study

Why this matters:

While biofuels offer a potential renewable energy source, the environmental cost of burning biomass raises concerns about pollution, deforestation, and whether this approach truly moves society toward cleaner energy.

A tanker truck parked in a lot.

Truck drivers say fracking waste poses hidden health risks as oversight falls short

Fracking truck drivers across Appalachia report exposure to toxic and radioactive waste materials, raising alarm over lax federal enforcement of hazardous materials transport laws.

Kiley Bense reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
three filled Reuse Me cups on brown table.

Reusable cups take center stage as venues ditch single-use plastic

Music venues, arenas and festivals across the United States are swapping single-use plastic cups for washable, reusable ones in a growing shift away from recycling toward full-scale reuse.

Anna Phillips reports for The Washington Post.

Keep reading...Show less
Equipment pointing toward the sky to communicate with satellites.

Old satellites vital to hurricane tracking will soon stop transmitting data

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stopped receiving data from key weather satellites on June 30, limiting forecasters’ ability to detect dangerous hurricane intensification in real time.

Rebecca Dzombak reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
An ocean wave up close with the tip of a mountain visible on one side of the frame.

Climate scientist warns Earth is approaching tipping points that could reshape the planet

Human-driven warming has pushed multiple Earth systems dangerously close to irreversible tipping points, but social and technological momentum could still steer the planet toward recovery.

Jonathan Watts reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
Flood waters rising next to house boats.

Rising seas may erase land, but not national identity, legal experts say

Nations facing submersion from rising seas could retain their legal status and maritime rights under international law, according to a new report from the United Nations’ International Law Commission.

Isabella Kaminski reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
Man holding sign that says Not is not the time for business as usual; climate action now.

UN climate talks face growing backlash over corporate influence and stalled action

More than 200 civil society and Indigenous groups have issued a unified call for major reforms to the United Nations’ global climate negotiations, criticizing decades of slow progress and lack of accountability.

Ryan Krugman reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
A large wildfire burning on the hills above a lake flanked by trees.

Extreme heat and wildfires surge across southern Europe as temperatures break records

A punishing heat wave swept across southern Europe this weekend, forcing evacuations in Greece and pushing several countries into emergency wildfire alerts as temperatures soared past 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Giada Zampano reports for The Associated Press.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.