Chemistry: The Future of Cellulose

I am not a big believer in a commercial future for the biochemical conversion of cellulose into fuels. There are many big hurdles in place that are going to have to be overcome before cellulose […]

With Oil Prices Poised to Jump as Much as 70%, Every Investor Needs an Energy Strategy

[RR note: This blog occasionally posts guest posts, and energy investing is a topic that is visited on a fairly regular basis. The website Money Morning recently noticed that I had linked to one of […]

Thoughts on New Fuel Efficiency Standards

After I wrote The Problem with CAFE a couple of years ago, a lot of people concluded that I am against higher CAFE standards. That’s not exactly the case. In a nutshell, my problem with […]

Pacific Ethanol Plants Declare Bankruptcy

I don’t actually enjoy posting “I told you so” stories, especially when the news is negative. This means someone has failed, and I don’t enjoy seeing people fail. But when I put a spotlight on […]

Misinformation from Jon Stewart

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M – Th 11p / 10c Ken Salazar thedailyshow.com Daily ShowFull Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor I watch very little TV, but one show I always make it a […]

Venezuela’s Slide Continues

At this point, you have to wonder who in their right mind will ever do business in Venezuela again as long as Chavez is in power. The risk that Chavez will steal your property is […]

GreenFuel Bites the Dust

I have written several articles over the past couple of years that argued that there is a low probability that any of the would-be algal biodiesel manufacturers are going to make it. These essays included: […]

Congress Kills a Biofuel Project

If we are to seriously encourage a move to biofuels, incentives are going to be required because the economics of biofuels just can’t compete with petroleum (regardless of what Vinod Khosla thinks). Eventually depletion will […]

I Never Cease to be Amazed

Thanks to a reader for sending me this story: Company trying to turn waste into biofuel Salem businessmen to turn dairy dung into butanol for vehicles Diesel Brewing would burn dairy waste and turn it […]

Raise Wages, Cut Carbon Bill

I don’t normally post press releases that are e-mailed to me (I get 4 or 5 every day), but this one is important to me. (See my essay The Case for Higher Gas Taxes for […]