Farm-state lawmakers on Wednesday asked the Obama administration to back a broader definition of biomass for use in renewable fuels, an issue entangled with congressional action on climate change.

The United States may soon take the mantle as the global leader on climate change in part because of its strong research and development on energy, said oil historian and analyst Daniel Yergin.

Hospitals and their emergency vehicles, which are major polluters, must join the fight against climate change, the World Health Organisation said on Friday.

Ajay Modi / New Delhi May 24, 2009, 0:22 IST
The petroleum ministry has proposed a reduction in the Customs duty on denatured alcohol and molasses to stabilise the 5 per cent ethanol-blending programme in petrol. The programme has been hit due to a dip in the sugarcane output in the current year.

The U.S. biofuels industry would be hamstrung if government regulators choose to use unfair and untested formulas that hold it responsible for greenhouse gases from crops overseas, ethanol groups said on Thursday.

President Barack Obama's tough fuel economy program for vehicles could put another damper on the struggling ethanol business, because the alternative fuel packs a lower energy content than gasoline.

President Obama will announce tough new nationwide rules for automobile emissions and mileage standards on Tuesday, embracing standards that California has sought to enact for years over the objections of the auto industry and the Bush administration.