Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer and Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman revealed the National Biofuels Action Plan today, an ambitious blueprint that would that would increase the level of biofuel production four times by the year 2022.

The plan would research how to integrate ethanol into the national economy, including the introduction of E-10, E-15 and E-20 gas (gasoline which is ten percent, 15 percent, and 20 percent ethanol, respectively) into the consumer market. The plan would also invest $1 billion into sustainable next generation biofuels.

We can’t rely on ethanol, said Secretary Boden, we need to accelerate the deployment of next generation biofuels. This included cellulosic fuel, in which non-feed crops were broken down and the sugars from the cellulose cell walls are converted into biofuel. A wide range of plants can be used to create cellulosic biofuel, including Switchgrass, Hybrid Poplars and Eucalyptus.

Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman discusses the current level of biofuel production in the US and the goals for biofuel production in the future.

 

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Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman talks about what the purpose is of the National Biofuels Action Plan. (0:36)

 

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At a Brookings Institution discussion on energy challenges for the next president, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) says that energy independence doesn’t mean that the U.S. “would never buy oil from Mexico, or Canada, or Saudi Arabia” but that it would never be “held hostage” for oil supplies. (0:43)

 

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The Brookings Institution held a discussion on energy challenges for the next president of the United States, where Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) spoke about his Seven “Grand Challenges” for the next five years. The 5-year proposal, which he calls “A New Manhattan Project,” includes integration of plug-in electric cars and trucks, carbon capture for coal-burning power plants, cost-competitive solar power, nuclear waste management, advanced biofuels made from inedible crops, green building construction, and fusion energy.
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Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barack Obama (D-IL) spoke to a crowd of largely CWA members to thunderous applause and multiple standing ovations about their plans as potential presidents of the United States on issues that ranged from labor unions and health care to broadband internet and green energy, from the mortgage crisis and the looming recession to NAFTA and the pending Colombia trade agreement.

Both democratic nominees expressed solidarity with union members and criticized the current Bush administration for their lack of support for the labor movement. Clinton allied herself with union workers as the “underdogs,” who kept persevering despite being told to back down. Clinton said she planned to make the Employee Free Trade Act “the law of the land.” Both candidates called for an end to privatization and outsourcing of American jobs, and Clinton promised to end tax breaks and subsidies to oil companies if elected. Obama pledged to invest $150 billion over ten years in green technology and new jobs that cannot be outsourced.

Both candidates advocated making high-speed internet available to all Americans to enable them to compete within the global economy. They also opposed Pres. Bush’s attempt to secure a trade agreement for Colombia, urging Congress to oppose the deal and call for an end to Colombian violence before negotiations are made. Clinton called herself the only candidate with a specific plan about how to fix NAFTA, and also said that Obama has no plan for universal health care. Obama said he opposes NAFTA, that he is the only candidate who will help middle-class families, and acknowledged that although he and Clinton have run a “fierce campaign,” no one can afford another four years of Bush policy. He called for an end to fighting in Iraq, and a new fight for American infrastructure.

Both candidates also compared Sen. McCain to Bush and said that McCain would worsen the damage caused by the Bush administration. Clinton said that if McCain received a 3 a.m. phone call with an economic crisis at hand, he would let it continue to ring. Obama criticized excessive war spending as wasteful, negated a 100 year occupation in Iraq alluding to a comment made by McCain, and urged America to say no to a metaphorical Bush third term.