Biofuels are being touted as the new panacea for climate problems. But because this fuel from plants is being introduced without much thought about wider implications, it's becoming a good idea

FOR as long as most people can remember, food has been getting cheaper and farming has been in decline. In 1974-2005 food prices on world markets fell by three-quarters in real terms. Food today is so cheap that the West is battling gluttony even as it scrapes piles of half-eaten leftovers into the bin.

a bill seeking to expand renewable

the growing demand for biofuels could lead to a shortage of food. Studies show biofuel plantations will eat up cropland, and trigger food and water crisis in many parts of the globe, especially

The dismal situation and poor quality of life in rural India is because of unavailability of energy. It is shown that sophisticated technology can help solve this and other problems of rural areas. A call is made to the global technological community to help provide such technologies. Finally issues of how much energy is needed for sustainable development are discussed.

Sweet sorghum is a special type of sorghum which accumulates sugars in its stalks. The unique high carbon assimilation capability of sorghum crop coupled with another desirable trait of accumulating high levels of extractable sugars in the stalk can be exploited for extensive use of sorghum as raw material for manufacturing ethanol, jaggery, syrup and paper.However, with the ever increasing demand for industrial and fuel-grade ethanol, the scope of using sweet sorghum in ethanol industry as a supplementary raw material to sugarcane molasses is catching up.

Fertile herbs A cocktail of herbal drugs can cure male infertility caused by diabetes, claims a research team from West Bengal. The team from Vidyasagar University has found that the cocktail

Climate

On April 12, 2007, the us government decided to relax emission norms for ethanol plants that are based on corn and other carbohydrate feedstock. The new rule is expected to boost ethanol production

Now that the reality of climate change has been accepted even by its strongest sceptics, there is a rush to find answers. The latest buzz is to substitute the use of greenhouse gas emitting fossil

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