Today in Biofuels Opinion: “Termites are our friends”

Steve Chu, 1997 Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics and director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: “Termites are our friends,” referring to research on the termite’s ability to convert wood cellulose into sugars that can be fermented into fuel.

Sfgate.com: “Diverting one-fifth of the U.S. corn crop to corn-ethanol production… has driven up prices for corn and substitute crops...Demand for corn, soy and other livestock feeds already had been rising due to increased meat consumption by China and other emerging economies. Add some major weather, pest and disease shocks, and the market for staple agricultural commodities tightened dramatically in 2006 and 2007. Moreover, a surge in speculative activity has exacerbated market volatility. How should the three presidential candidates, in particular, address this crisis? For starters, the United States should retreat from its heavy promotion of corn-based ethanol and allow the markets to settle.”

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