Monday, 04 Dec 2006

You probably think of diesel as a heavy-duty gasoline. But do you know what Rudolf Diesel wanted to use in the engine he invented? Peanut oil. And guess what Henry Ford imagined would power his Model T: ethanol made from corn or hemp. These visions evaporated when crude oil bubbled to the surface of the world's consciousness, ushering in an era of cheap, available fuel. But a century later, oil's sheen has dulled, and fuels made from plant and animal matter look promising once more. They're called biofuels, and they may be in your tank soon. If you don't know much about this newfangled, old-fashioned fuel source, you're not alone. As biofuels rush in, Grist kicks off a two-week series to explore what's coming down the pike.

There'll Always Be an England ... in Brazil

Vast new rainforest reserve unveiled in Brazilian Amazon

The Brazilian Amazon will soon be home to the world's largest tropical-rainforest reserve, in news that's making conservationists beam -- and making us feel better about all those pints of Ben & Jerry's Rainforest Crunch we ate to help the cause. The vast tract -- which, at 63,320 square miles, is larger than England -- joins a corridor of protected land in neighboring nations. Combining an area of total conservation with one that allows strictly regulated logging and farming, Brazil's addition will also continue to provide a home for indigenous people, as well as endangered species like the northern bearded saki monkey. (Can we get one? Pleeease? We'll walk it and feed it and everything!) The goal is to encourage sustainable growth, says Simao Jatene, governor of the state of Para, where the reserve will lie. "This announcement allows a change in the perspective of those who look at Para and the Amazon as either a storehouse or a sanctuary," says Jatene. "We are none of these things."


Oh, how this world loves oil. We fill our tanks with it, fight our wars over it, coat our wrestlers in it -- we can't get enough. But experts say there will come a day in the not-so-distant future when the earth stops giving the stuff up. As Grist's two-week series on biofuels launches, a worried reader asks advice maven Umbra Fisk whether he should make preparations for an oil-free future.

Till There Was You

Researchers hope new crops, methods will help farmers fight climate effects

Agricultural researchers are joining the legions who are working to help the world respond to climate change. A coalition called the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (which goes by the just-shy-of-delicious acronym CGIAR) is launching an initiative today that will pour money into developing crops that can withstand floods, droughts, and other extreme events. The group is also looking at farming methods, like no-till or low-till, that can minimize the release of greenhouse gases. "We're talking about a major challenge here," says Louis Verchot of Kenya's World Agroforestry Center, a CGIAR member group. "We're talking about challenges that have to be dealt with at every level, from ideas about social justice to the technology of food production." And we're also talking about genetic engineering, a practice whose critics Verlot upbraids: "In developing countries we're dealing with a crisis situation, and whatever tool is available, we need to apply it."


Know how governments funnel large amounts of moolah into certain endeavors, purportedly for the public good, but often for the industrial good? Ron Steenblik of the Global Subsidies Initiative knows, and he fights the good fight to move subsidies in a sustainable direction. As InterActivist this week, Steenblik chats about the global nature of his work, reading up on societies on the brink, and the most infuriating environmental offense he can think of (hint: it's a subsidy). Send Steenblik a question by noon PST on Wednesday; we'll publish his answers to selected questions on Friday.

Kick It into Underdrive

Americans driving less, SUV fervor cooling

Who woulda thunk it: For the first time in 25 years, Americans are driving less. A study by Cambridge Energy Research Associates finds that the average American drove 13,657 miles in 2005, down from 13,711 in 2004. So that's, let's see ... um, carry the one ... a whopping 54 miles. We'll take it! Last year also saw SUVs comprise a smaller chunk of new-vehicle sales; even though gas-guzzlers still account for more than half of such sales, "the passion has cooled," says the report. Data on the actual gas being guzzled was good and bad: While consumption continues to rise, demand grew at a rate of only 0.3 percent last year and 1 percent for the first 11 months of 2006, compared to 1.6 percent per year from 1990 to 2004. High prices were a critical factor in this change to stubborn Yank behavior; gas sucks up about 3.8 percent of average household spending. The graying of the population has also contributed, as older drivers tend to drive less -- at least until Dennis Hopper gets ahold of them.