By Roger Cohen, April 24, 2008, nytimes.com
Fads come fast and furious in our viral age, and the reactions to them can be equally ferocious. That’s what we’re seeing right now with biofuels, which everyone loved until everyone decided they were the worst thing since the Black Death.
Where fuel distilled from plant matter was once hailed […]

By Eli Kintisch, April 25, 2008, sciencemag.org

New crops and improved genetics could be key to successful biofuel agriculture
Once, plant breeders dreamed of plumper tomatoes, heartier soybeans, and juicier corn kernels. These days, visions of squat poplars and earless corn stalks are dancing in their heads. They are hoping these new-fangled crops will make cost-effective biofuels. […]