Biofueling the future

This news is likely to be mostly unheard through the din of the daily gossip cycle. A breaktrough in biofuel development.

Today, the Department announced that a research team at our BioEnergy Science Center achieved yet another advance in the drive toward next generation biofuels: using a microbe to convert plant matter directly into isobutanol. Isobutanol can be burned in regular car engines with a heat value higher than ethanol and similar to gasoline. This is part of a broad portfolio of work the Department is doing to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil and create new economic opportunities for rural America.

This announcement is yet another sign of the rapid progress we are making in developing the next generation of biofuels that can help reduce our oil dependence. This is a perfect example of the promising opportunity we have to create a major new industry based on bio-material such as wheat and rice straw, corn stover, lumber wastes, and plants specifically developed for bio-fuel production that require far less fertilizer and other energy inputs. But we must continue with an aggressive research and development effort.

Sounds good to me. Disempowers the oil cartels, less pollution, creates jobs in America. So naturally, if it's not alread on their cut list, I expect the GOPers will be fighting like demons at an exorcism to defund the research.

Update: I love the occasional synchronicity of the internets. Ruth is talking about fuel on this Fat Tuesday.

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