As crude oil jumped to new record highs on the New York mercantile exchange due to falling oil inventories, trading over $104 a barrel, President Bush renewed his support for ethanol as a means toward energy independence.
Speaking at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference 2008 (WIREC) Wednesday, Bush said, “America has got to change its habits. We’ve got to get off oil.”
To do that, he mentioned just about every alternative, domestic energy source possible – from ethanol and biodiesel to wind and solar, hydrogen and nuclear. He discussed the need for vehicles that run on alternative fuels, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and he visited with manufacturers of those types of vehicles at the WIREC trade show.
He also stressed the administration’s commitment to research and development of cellulosic ethanol.
“I look forward to the day when Texas ranchers can grow switchgrass on their country, and then have that switchgrass be converted to fuel,” he said. “I look forward to the day when people in the parts of our country that have got a lot of forests are able to convert wood chips into fuel. And those days are coming.”
The president called biodiesel “the most promising” of the renewable fuels. “Biodiesel refineries can produce fuel from soybeans, and vegetable oils, and recycled cooking grease, from waste materials,” Bush noted. “All you out there with waste, you may be in business before you know it as this new technology kicks in. Most Americans — or, more Americans are beginning to realize the benefits of biodiesel every year.”
Using 40 pairs of vehicles commonly found on American roads, a year-long research effort found that increasing ethanol blends from 10 percent (E10) to 20 percent (E20) in a gallon of gasoline provided an effective fuel across a range of tests focusing on drivability and materials compatibility. 
Legendary British carmaker Bentley says it is it will look to ethanol, lighter construction and more efficient gasoline engines… instead of diesel and hybrid motors… to meet the green demands of the future:
A group is trying to combine their faith with its desire to live a life that will allow everyone to enjoy the Earth before they have to head off to Heaven.
A French carmaker is introducing a truly unique vehicle to the North American market… one that runs on air!
Developed by Formula One race car engineer Guy Negre, the Air Car is equipped with a revolutionary dual-energy compressed air engine, achieving a fuel efficiency of 106 miles to the gallon. At low speeds, this vehicle emits only air from its tailpipe making it a good option for ‘green’ inter-city traveling. The Air Car is built with Compressed Air Technology (C.a.t.) and is designed to be relatively affordable, as it is estimated to cost approximately $18,000 and to consume only small quantities of fuel.
One of the most well attended learning sessions at the 
According to their calculations, Hickman says the United States could produce a 15.6 billion bushel corn crop seven years from now. “If we grow as much corn as we did in 2007 and the yield increases go from where they have in the last ten years, that would be possible in 2015,” he said. “That could then produce 19 billion gallons of ethanol and still provide exports and other uses for corn.”
Richard K. Wilson, Ph.D., director of Washington University’s Genome Sequencing Center, says this is the first comprehensive glimpse at the blueprint for the corn plant. “Scientists now will be able to accurately and efficiently probe the corn genome to find ways to improve breeding and subsequently increase crop yields and resistance to drought and disease,” he said. 
According to 
The federal government will invest a total of $18.4 million over three years for 21 new biomass research and development and demonstration projects. 
The Sioux Falls location is the newest Enterprise branch to receive the E85/FlexFuel designation as part of a nationwide effort to promote the expanded availability and use of E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Enterprise will commit to fueling its Sioux Falls FlexFuel vehicles with VeraSun’s branded E85, VE85™.
The 
Nuernberg says when she decided to make a career move she was looking for an exciting new industry with lots of potential.