Today in Biofuels Opinion: “The chronoptimist, someone who constantly underestimates the time it takes to complete a task…cellulosic biofuel makers.”

Nick Ellege, coha.org: “The U.S. ethanol tariff has largely been kept in place by fears that repealing it would undercut the domestic corn industry, subsequently increasing unemployment. However, an economic study released last month by the University of Missouri indicated that lifting the tariff…would lead to a mere 1.9 percent decrease in total corn production from 13.82 to 13.55 billion bushels. Additionally, the price of domestic corn, wheat, and soybean would drop between 1.4 and 2.8 percent, providing more food access to the estimated 963 million who go hungry every day.”

From Reuters: “The Urban Dictionary, the user-generated slang web site, recently had a word of the day which I thought was particularly fitting for cleantech companies and entrepreneurs: the chronoptimist, someone who constantly underestimates the time it takes to complete a task (chronically optimistic.)…Cellulosic Biofuel Makers: If you’re an exec at one of the companies racing to be the first in the U.S. to commercially produce cellulosic ethanol from non-crop plants and biowaste, then chances are, your firm has had to extend its commercial production deadline — maybe even a few times.”

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “It takes 21 cents of diesel per box to get it to the store, yet the value of corn in that box is less than seven cents. What do you think is the real driver of higher food prices?”

POET CEO Jeff Broin: "Just do the math. A semi can haul 4,200 boxes of corn flakes at a time, and with 10 ounces of corn in each box, that’s a total of 46.9 bushels of corn. At a $6 bushel, the corn...

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “I think you are likely to see some consolidation in the industry next year. It’s a difficult time.”

Brazilian presidential chief of staff Dilma Rousseff: "The [global economic] crisis may allow anti-cyclical policies that favor a a green agenda with biofuel as a priority." Renewable Fuels Associa...

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “Get your damn Corn out of my Gas”

From Energy Tribune: "I am not trying to come down either for or against ethanol tariffs, but rather to discuss what I see as the key issues surrounding them. By all accounts, ethanol from sugarcane i...

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “Ethanol: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly, the Beautiful.”

From Seeking Alpha: "Good: The 9 billion gallons of ethanol that Americans used last year helped drive down oil prices...Bad: Over one billion people are hungry or starving..Ugly: It’s a tough time ...

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “There are 21 farm states, and that’s 42 senators…They’re going to have ethanol.”

T Boone Pickens, reporting a conversation in 1996 with Bob Dole: "He said, "Ethanol is, you say it's a bad fuel." I said, "Come on Bob, you spend more money making it than importing it." And he said, ...

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “I’m not against ethanol. I just think that it’s time to let it stand on its own.”

Minnesota state representative Tina Liebling: "I'm not against ethanol. I just think that it's time to let it stand on its own. We really need to be watching every dime and making sure every dime is w...