Free Republic

Is it possible the environmentalists have been praying at the wrong altar? Is it possible that corn – as a fuel - is a worse pollutant than (gasp!) oil?  Well, yes, apparently: Despite their purported advantages, biofuels — created from crops such as corn or soybeans — cause more emissions of climate change-causing carbon dioxide than gasoline, according to the study from U-M Energy Institute research professor John DeCicco. The multi-billion-dollar U.S. biofuels industry — promoted and expanded for more than a decade by the federal government — [ed. read “subsidies”] may be built on a false assumption, according to...

FORTUNE -- President Obama may have a lot more to worry about than bombing the debate this week. Traders are starting to get particularly bullish over gasoline prices – and that is bad news for the average driver, who may also be looking to vent his spleen at the voting booth. Reports of gas shortages along the high-demand west and east coasts may be fleeting – although deeply concerning – but they highlight a problem that's expected to persist in the U.S.: our refineries are getting old. Given that a new refinery has not been built since 1976, commodities desks...

Luminant, the Dallas-based electricity generator that has protested federal regulators' timetable to curtail emissions from its coal-fired plants, said Monday it will idle two of those facilities and stop mining Texas lignite at some locations by the end of the year, costing about 500 jobs. Luminant said it took the actions to prepare to meet the Environmental Protection Agency's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, which requires electricity generators in 27 states to cut emissions by Jan. 1, a deadline CEO David Campbell called "unrealistic." The company said it will spend about $280 million through 2012 on emissions control equipment, but won't...

Earth Hour is taking place on Saturday, March 28 between 8:30 and 9:30pm (your local time). Sponsored by the World Wildlife Federation, it's a chance for people from around the world (1 BILLION people if they reach their goal) to vote for Earth over global warming. During the last two Earth Hours, entire cities went black, including Sydney, Australia and San Francisco, CA. This year, be a part of the momentous occasion and turn it into a little getaway in your own home. Not only does Earth Hour sound like an easy way to get involved in the fight against...

Soybean growers hold up University of Minnesota funds to protest biofuels paper Trade council unhappy with biofuels paper By Leslie Brooks Suzukamo lsuzukamo@pioneerpress.com Article Last Updated: 02/28/2008 09:41:51 PM CST Call it a soybean spat. The University of Minnesota isn't going to receive any research funding from the state's soybean growers council until the two parties have a heart-to-heart talk next week. The Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council voted to temporarily suspend its financial support after a study co-authored by U researchers in the journal Science said increased use of biofuel crops like corn and soybeans could worsen global...