The Biofuel Boom

Natural Gas Fuels La. 'Gold Rush'

New York Times  |  Jul 29, 08 3:33 PM CDT

(Newser) - The energy crunch is a positive in at least one area, which lies above what may be the largest natural gas supply in the Lower 48. As energy companies buy up real estate, some residents of the south-central US find themselves suddenly flush with money, and some are even becoming millionaires, the New York Times reports from De Soto Parish, La. More »

Agricultural Economist Has Growing Concerns

New York Times  |  Jul 25, 08 1:45 PM CDT

(Newser) - Is there any way to justify US farm subsidies? Agricultural economist Daniel Sumner has a blunt answer: “No.” In an in-depth interview with the New York Times , Sumner takes on a broad range of agricultural topics, explaining the trouble with organic food (it’s too expensive), the problems with local food (it’s often inefficient) and, of course, the insanity of subsidies. More »

Gas From Garbage Finally Gets Momentum

New York Times  |  Jul 24, 08 9:18 AM CDT

(Newser) - After decades of dreaming, schemes to turn waste into fuel are finally getting traction in the US, with some 28 plants in the works and a handful even up and running, the New York Times reports. They consume everything from wood chips to garbage, as once-prohibitively expensive processes become competitive with $4-a-gallon gasoline. “American innovation is going to come up with the solution,” one researcher tells the Times. More »

Corn-Hungry Texas Calls for Cuts in Biofuel Mandates

New York Times  |  Jul 23, 08 2:32 AM CDT

(Newser) - The EPA is considering a proposal from the governor of Texas to slash the amount of ethanol that oil companies are required to blend into gasoline to meet quotas, the New York Times reports. Gov. Rick Perry is calling for the EPA to cut the ethanol mandate in half, from 9 billion to 4.5 billion gallons, arguing that billions of bushels of corn should be used to feed livestock instead. More »

Farmers Aim to Plow Over Conserved Land

Washington Post  |  Jul 11, 08 4:40 AM CDT

(Newser) - Millions of acres set aside as grasslands and wetlands could soon be plowed under if farmers and livestock producers have their way, reports the Washington Post.   As food prices soar, the Department of Agriculture is under pressure to release acreage from the Conservation Reserve Program that pays farmers not to grow crops on some land. The program was intended to hold down production and boost prices, but a major beneficiary has been the environment. More »

Biofuel Caused Food Crisis: Secret Report

Guardian (UK)  |  Jul 4, 08 3:45 PM CDT

(Newser) - Biofuel production has been the driving force behind the growing food crisis, pushing prices up 75%, according to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the Guardian . The most detailed research ever conducted on the issue emphatically contradicts the US position that biofuels are responsible for a mere 3% price bump. It hasn’t been published, sources say, for fear of embarrassing President Bush. More »

Algae: Lean, Green Biofuel?