President Bush says US must “Get off oil”, says rising corn costs should not prompt retreat from biofuels, but more R&D

Speaking at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC), President George W. Bush said that the United States needed to “get off oil” and backed cellulosic ethanol as the best path to reducing energy dependence in the face of rising oil prices.

The President acknowledged the effect of rising corn prices on the cattle and hog industries, but said “The best thing to do is not to retreat from our commitment to alternative fuels, but to spend research and development money on alternatives to ethanol made from other materials…What the government doesn’t need to do is send mixed signals. I understand private capital, understand how it flows. And so when people look at the United States to determine whether we’re committed to new technologies that will change how we live, they not only need to look at the federal investment, but they’ve got to understand there’s a lot of smart money heading into the private sector to help develop these new technologies.”

Complete text of President Bush’s remarks.

The New York Times ran an editorial praising the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act in light of recent articles in Science magazine regarding greenhouse gas emissions and biofuels. The bill was initially proposed in the 2007 State of the Union speech.
The Times said “The final bill correctly included environmental safeguards. The most important is a requirement that ethanol, regardless of its source, achieve at least a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gases compared with conventional gasoline….The calculations would have to account for both direct emissions — those associated with growing, harvesting and refining corn or other feedstocks — and indirect emissions, including those caused by changes in land use as acres devoted to producing food were converted to producing fuel. These safeguards now look very smart.”

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

100,000 farmers stage protest in Mexico City over end of corn tariff

In Mexico, as many as 100,000 farmers took to the streets in Mexico City to protest the end of corn tariffs, saying that the United States would put Mexican corn out of business. On January 1, tariffs...

Today in Biofuels: Bush says rising corn prices should prompt more R&D, not retreat from biofuels; DARPA says ahead of schedule on biomas jet fuel

Top Story:Speaking at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC), President George W. Bush said that the United States needed to "get off oil" and backed cellulosic ethanol as th...

President Bush signs historic Energy Bill into law

In Washington, President Bush signed the energy bill, calling it a "major step" towards energy independence and the reduction in global warming. The bill, which has become law, requires automakers to ...

Biofuels Digest Index revs up 2.30 percent to 125.71 as stock market advances, President Bush outlines new emissions cap

The Biofuels Digest Indexâ„¢ (BDI), a basket of public biofuels stocks, jumped 2.30 percent to close at 125.71 as all sectors gained in a rising stock market and in the wake of the revised Bush en...

New defense appropriation includes provisions for alternative energy in face of rising fuel prices

The Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 was signed by President Bush, and contained numerous provisions to increase energy efficiency and use of alternative energies ...

Mexican President vetoes biofuels bill, demands more focus on second-generation fuels

President Calderon vetoed the Mexican biofuels bill, saying that it places too much emphasis on corn and sugarcane feedstocks. Mexico has been the subject of protects over the rising price of sweet wh...