From panacea to pariah, biofuels have come full circle. Not unlike other advances of modern sciences

US Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison on Monday proposed freezing the federal mandate for corn-based ethanol at this year's level, contending that using so much grain for fuel was pressuring the food supply. Hutchison introduced legislation that would freeze the federal mandate for corn-based ethanol at 9 billion gallons. The Texas Republican said this would allow for transition to a sustainable renewable fuel source that does not use food.

The global food crisis is inspiring a broad new coalition on Capitol Hill seeking to change US policies on ethanol production. Interests ranging from US food manufacturers and livestock producers to environmentalists, humanitarian aid agencies and consumer groups are calling for Congress to rethink so-called "food to fuel" mandates that would require the US to use 9bn gallons of ethanol this year. Critics say the mandates are driving up the price of corn, wheat and other grains, leading to record global food prices and political instability.

Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are talking more about "clean coal" and less about global warming as they woo voters in West Virginia and Kentucky -- two states that sit at the heart of the nation's coal economy. In a bid to draw voters ahead of Democratic primaries in West Virginia on Tuesday and Kentucky on May 20, both candidates are playing up the ascendant role of commercially untested and so far economically nonviable ways of converting America's plentiful coal supplies into electricity without spewing massive quantities of heat-trapping greenhouse gases.

Ethanol is taking a tumble. Once hyped as a magic brew for reducing both oil addiction and global warming, alcohol made from corn kernels is now being accused both of triggering a global food crisis and doing more ecological harm than good.

The issue of increasing ethanol blend in petrol to 10%, from the current level of 5%, has once again fuelled protests from oil marketing Companies. While Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) says that ethanol quantity in domestic market would be insufficient, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is of the view that branded fuel shouldn't be supplied without ethanol blending.

A senior World Bank official said on Thursday that countries should not greatly increase biofuels production until there is more clarity about how much they have contributed to the global food price crisis. Juergen Voegele, director for agriculture and rural development department at the World Bank, cautioned against shifting a lot of the blame to biofuels but also said massive subsidies for the biofuel industry was not helping the crisis.

A new company hopes drivers will kick the oil habit by brewing ethanol at home that won't spike food prices. E-Fuel Corp unveiled on Thursday the "MicroFueler" touting it as the world's first machine that allows homeowners to make their own ethanol and pump the brew directly into their cars. The portable unit that sells for $10,000 resembles a gasoline station pump and nozzle -- minus the slot for a credit card, or the digital "SALE" numbers that whir ever faster at retail pumps as global demand pushes fuel prices to record levels.

The US favours higher standards of living in developing countries, the White House said on Monday, while sticking to its proposition that increased demand for food in these countries is the principle driver of higher prices across the world.

As food prices surge on grocery store shelves, Republican lawmakers on Tuesday said Congress should reverse course and slow a fivefold boost in biofuel use by 2022, or even drop entirely mandates to use ethanol blended from corn. Ethanol, once the darling of the United States' plan to wean itself from foreign energy, has come under attack in recent months as prices for commodities including corn and soybeans have risen to record highs, boosting retail prices for meats, vegetables and bread.