New findings from Rice University suggest a possible answer in the form of a bacterium that ferments glycerin and produces ethanol, another popular biofuel. This oxygen-free process -- known as anaerobic fermentation -- is the most economical and widely used process for biological conversion. While some are looking at traditional chemical processing -- finding a way to catalyze reactions that break glycerin into other chemicals -- others, including Gonzalez, are focused on biological...

And according to our calculations, the exchange value of farmers in rural areas this year grew at a faster rate than inflation," he said. The kinds of food that had profoundly affected the poverty line in March 2007 were rice, refined sugar, frying oil, and instant eggs while the non-food commodity that had the greatest effect on the poverty line was the cost of housing. Especially in urban areas, the cost of electricity, transportation and kerosene had had a quite great effect on the...

In order to find a lasting solution to intra-Palestinian violence, not to mention the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the United States and Israel must accept that Hamas is a significant force in Palestinian politics, one which cannot be left out of the political process. In order to find a lasting solution to intra-Palestinian violence, not to mention the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the United States and Israel must accept that Hamas is a significant force in Palestinian politics, one...

apple growers are bracing for competition from China Farmers have been growing apples here since before the Civil War, and as times have changed, they have changed with them, planting smaller trees to speed up harvests and growing popular new varieties to satisfy changing tastes. apple growers are bracing for competition from China Farmers have been growing apples here since before the Civil War, and as times have changed, they have changed with them, planting smaller trees to speed up...

According to researchers, poison ivy is between 50 and 75 percent stronger than it was in the 1950s, producing more leaves and more of its itch-producing oil -- urushiol. That figure may even be higher in large metropolitan areas, including our Chicago area, which is of little comfort to me, but it enriches allergy doctors. Poison ivy -- the weed that is the bane of children at summer camp and grown-up columnists who garden -- is even more potent these days, causing much more intense...

Depleting the BDF would mean having to tap exporters for resources to fund key activities at a time when the global scenario is marked by high prices and low returns. The priority mandate of the fund, formed in 1995 in consultation with rice exporters and the APEDA, includes contesting trademark infringement cases, implementation of geographic indication (GI) and satellite imagery survey on crop production. Queries then cropped up within the commerce ministry over the guidelines, or the...