Today, Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman released a statement in response to yesterday’s decision by the EPA to shoot down Texas’ RFS waiver request.  The Secretary said:

Clean, green, domestic, sustainable biofuels that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase our energy security are a crucial part of America’s energy policy. Advanced biofuels are just one part of a diverse portfolio of renewable energy and efficiency technologies that the Department of Energy is pursuing.

That’s right folks. Actively pursuing 2nd generation biofuels is the best (and maybe only) hope this country has of reducing our addiction to oil.

According to this Austrailian newspaper:

“The report provides an encouraging outlook for second generation biofuels that could reduce Australia’s reliance on oil, add value to agricultural industries without impacting on food crops and develop new opportunities for rural communities.”

More proof that second-generation biofuels offer a great deal of promise to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.  The report: “Future Biofuels for Australia,” was produced by CSIRO for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC)

Today in Boston, Gov. Deval Patrick will sign into law a bill promoting biofuels and reducing the state’s carbon footprint.  The state’s Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles told WBUR: 

“It’s largely an incentive to grow the advanced biofuels industry but it also gives consumers a clear roadmap going ahead for the next ten years that we’re going to be reducing greenhouse gases in all the fuels.”

This is great news for the environment and for the development of second-generation biofuels.

Here is an interesting story from the Smithsonian Magazine about researchers examining the enzymes which help termites digest their food.  This is important in the biofuels world, because these same enzymes could one day help scientists to transform woody products into fuel. Pretty cool for a story about bugs.

Yesterday, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed legislation to promote biofuels development in the state.  Here is a great quote from our very own Brooke Coleman:

“Oil dependence exacts a huge toll on the Massachusetts economy. Consumers spend more on petroleum every year than natural gas and electricity combined, and 80 cents of every dollar spent on gasoline exits the local economy,” said Brooke Coleman, executive director of the New Fuels Alliance. “This bill puts Massachusetts on the map as a national leader in the effort to commercialize advanced biofuels, and is good news for those interested in seeing something other than oil at the pump.”

Yesterday, General Motors Corp. and the National Governors Association struck a deal to raise the number of ethanol fuel pumps around the country to increase demand for biofuels from sources other than corn.

This is great news for biofuels and the American consumer struggling with high gas prices.

Today, the Boston Globe editorialized against biofuels, saying:

“Faced with the facts, the Europeans didn’t flinch…The European Parliament is considering new requirements that 20 percent of its biofuels come from algae or other non-farm sources.”

The Globe then calls on the American Congress to follow the Europeans lead, and reconsider the Renewable Fuel Standard.  The Globe adds:

 ”The farm bill that passed last month does make a nod to less damaging alternative feedstocks, such as switchgrass, but there is no legislative vehicle on the horizon to revisit the overall mandates.”

Wait a minute! Someone should alert the Globe that the RFS calls for 60% of the fuels to come from alternative sources like cellulosic ethanol made from switchgrasss.  Too bad the Globe has gotten it so wrong.

More news from yesterday’s Senate hearing: According to the article, the DuPont researcher testified:

By next year, Wilmington-based DuPont’s cellulosic technology that uses corn waste — cobs, stalks and leaves — will produce fuel on a pilot scale, Pierce said. By 2012, the company will begin commercial-scale production of cellulosics and biobutanol, which is produced from the same feedstocks, such as corn and wheat, as bioethanol.

Most credible agricultural researchers understand through science, the biofuels industry can feed and fuel the world.  Eliminating the RFS will do nothing to drive down food prices and only ensure food and gas prices continue to remain high for years.

Yesterday, PA Gov. Ed Rendell signed legislation to advance biofuels production in the Keystone State.  Here is what the Gov said:

“Pennsylvania can be to cellulosic ethanol what corn-based ethanol was to Iowa and the Midwest…Pennsylvania has an abundant supply of cellulosic ethanol feedstocks, including switchgrass, woodchips, municipal waste and agricultural waste. This alternative fuel law ensures that Pennsylvania farmers and businesses will fully realize the benefits of these resources.”

Here is the press release.

FoodPriceTruth.org Blogger picked this up at today’s hearing in the Senate debating the Renewable Fuel Standard.  Once again, NRDC hits the nail on the head.