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Another good source found for cellulosic

While I don't have NYT Select access and haven't read Friedman's recent column, I did see the Discover Channel special earlier this summer ("Addicted To Oil") in which he similarly pumped Brazilian ethanol.

We could argue until we're blue, green, or yellow in the face about the long-term viability of biofuels in the U.S. But the best and most thoroughly researched rundown I've seen is here. This article -- which is essentially a synopsis of the 2005 NRDC report "Growing Energy" embellished with other expert opinions -- says that even cellulosic ethanol stands a chance to meet our transportation energy needs only if the U.S. cuts fuel consumption by 50%.

Prius makes an appearance in Last Kiss

So I've just returned home from a showing of Last Kiss, the new Zach Braff flick -- which, PS, pales next to Garden State -- and I'm excited to report that not only does Braff's character drive a Prius throughout the movie, but the car actually gets mentioned in the first two lines.

As the film begins, the lens is focused knee-height at a number of women (with very nice legs) walking at a crosswalk. The camera then pans up very slowly to focus on the front of a black Prius -- Toyota logo very much visible. As the shot continues to move up, two main characters -- Michael (Braff) and Jenna (Jacinda Barrett) -- are seen seated in the car.

Jenna says something to Michael to the effect of "What are you thinking about?" And Michael replies, "I was just thinking how convenient it is for me that it's considered hip to drive a $20,000 hybrid car." Or something like that. I only managed to scribble parts of that second line on my napkin -- I didn't know I would be taking notes for a blog post! (Though I suppose now I can write the ticket price off on my taxes ... right?)

A short review

Last night I finally got around to watching The End of Suburbia.

Sic transit beach front real estate

Last month was the first time in history that China reported higher total exports than the U.S.

China's State Statistical Bureau reported total exports in July of US$80.34 billion, nudging ahead of the U.S. ($80.31 billion) as the world's biggest exporter of goods and services. Of course, China's gross national income (US$7.6 trillion in 2005) is still only 65% of the US (US$11.7 trillion), but China's economy has been growing three times faster over the past five years (9.4% annually versus 3.2%).

As China's export-led economy grows, so does its environmental footprint. Total carbon dioxide emissions in China in 2003 were 3.5 billion tonnes, 60% of the U.S. total in the same year. But between 1990 and 2002, China's emissions jumped 46% -- an average growth rate of 3.2% -- while U.S. total emissions grew at a more modest (but still horrifying) rate of 1.5% per year over the same period.

Protecting the base of the Southern ocean marine food web

Krill are the basis of life for hundreds of different species of fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Vast krill banks in the icy Southern Ocean are now targets of a new generation of factory trawlers that can vacuum up as much as 120,000 tonnes of krill in a season, most of it intended for use as food for industrially-farmed salmon.

Decline or collapse of the antarctic krill banks could have immense effects on dependent predators such as whales, penguins, and seals.

In October, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) will meet in Australia to consider stronger measures to protect the Southern Ocean krill. Read Clifton Curtis' op-ed in the IHT. (Curtis directs the Pew Charitable Trust's Antarctic Krill Conservation Project.)

E. Coli news is bad news, any way you cut it

Grim headlines for organics, as the feds are linking Natural Selection Foods (Earthbound Farm) and its prepackaged fresh organic spinach to an outbreak of E. coli in many states.

If the linkage is confirmed, I bet we'll be hearing a lot from organics skeptics (including chief skeptic Dennis Avery), who'll do their darnedest to say that organic food on the whole is a scary thing (inputs like cow manure may contain contaminants and dirt is, you know, dirty!). And we'll probably be hearing too from smaller farmers, local-is-best-ers, and back-to-the-landers, who'll say, see!: organics doesn't work well on an industrial, Earthbound-size level. And what's up with packaged spinach in the first place?

Stay tuned.

The former draws the wrong lessons from the latter

The Mustache of Understanding brings us another variant of the Brazil is awesome! story, and commits the standard two errors:

1. He conflates corn-based and cellulosic ethanol, failing to note that Brazil uses the latter and we the former.
2. He makes no mention of the fact that Brazil's per-capita energy use is about an eighth of ours (1,064 vs. 7,921 kgoe per-person-per-year, as of 2001).

These facts are relevant to an assessment of Brazil's success with biofuels, no?

A way to stamp out SUVs

John asked yesterday why we hadn't managed to get rid of the SUV.

Why? Because we haven't yet organized anything like this.

Montana and Nevada ‘regulatory-takings’ initiatives die

"Regulatory-takings" initiatives -- like the dread Measure 37 in Oregon -- have died in Montana and Nevada. A significant victory for the forces of good and light.

Check it out

This video is from an incredibly clever ad campaign by Solon AG Fuer Solartechnik, a solar-cell and -panel manufacturer: