NEWS ROUNDUP

Environmentally minded ingenuity drives the latest business wave to plant its roots in the Bay Area The algae beneath Harrison Dillon's microscope could one day fuel your car. Dillon's Menlo Park company, Solazyme, has tweaked the algae's genes, turning the microscopic plant into an oil-producing machine. If everything works the way Dillon wants, vats of algae could create substitutes for diesel and crude oil. It's no accident he and his college friend Jonathan Wolfson founded their startup in Silicon Valley. In the last few years, the region has become the world's premier locale for "green tech," an industry where engineers and entrepreneurs literally want to save the world. Green tech is not about the digital ones and zeroes on which Silicon Valley was built. It's a major departure into the world of energy, largely foreign to the valley until now. Green tech companies develop new energy sources, devise ways to use existing resources more efficiently, or design products that help the environment. High oil prices and concern over global warming have fueled their rise. Many green technologies so far exist only in the lab. But investors are betting that green companies will one day make serious money. Venture capitalists pumped an estimated $3 billion into the industry nationwide last year....
Ethanol: Feed a Person for a Year or Fill Up an SUV? The ethanol scam just keeps getting more and more absurd. In January, three U.S. senators -- two Democrats, Tom Harkin of Iowa and Barack Obama of Illinois, along with Indiana Republican Richard Lugar -- introduced a bill that would promote the use of ethanol. It also mandates the use of more biodiesel and creates tax credits for the production of cellulosic ethanol. They called their bill the "American Fuels Act of 2007." The most amazing part of the press release trumpeting the legislation is its fourth paragraph, in which Lugar declares that "U.S. policies should be targeted to replace hydrocarbons with carbohydrates." Thus while Lugar and his ilk promote ethanol, they are ignoring a pivotal question: should our farms produce food or fuel? Last September, Lester Brown, the president of the Earth Policy Institute (a group that promotes "an environmentally sustainable economy") wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece that the amount of grain needed to make enough ethanol to fill a 25-gallon SUV tank "would feed one person for a full year. If the United States converted its entire grain harvest into ethanol, it would satisfy less than 16 percent of its automotive needs."....
Idaho lawmakers forge ahead on wilderness bills Two Idaho wilderness bills that failed to make it through the last Congress are back on track, but will they have a better chance of passage now that Democrats control both chambers? Not necessarily, say the Republican sponsors from Idaho. The bills would create four new wilderness areas in central and southwest Idaho, increasing the number of wilderness areas in the state to 10. If passed, they would also increase the amount of designated wilderness in the state by about 20 percent, adding 1,295 square miles to the 6,250 square miles that already exist. Idaho's total land area is about 83,000 square miles. House leaders killed one bill in the final hours of the session last year. The other received a hearing but the session ended before it advanced any further....
Forest won't appeal dam decision U.S. Department of Justice attorneys representing the Forest Service have decided not to appeal a federal judge's decision calling for the removal of 18 small dams in the Emigrant Wilderness. The court ruling issued in June says the check dams must decay naturally over time and that the Stanislaus National Forest can't rebuild, repair or maintain any of them. It had been unclear for many months whether or not the Forest Service would appeal the decision, but forest spokesman Jerry Snyder said the Stanislaus received official word last month that the case has been dropped. "The case is over and the dams cannot be maintained — they must deteriorate naturally. In other words, nothing happens from this point on," he said, adding that attorneys didn't say why they chose not to appeal. The fate of the check dams appears to be final, bringing a close to a nearly two-decade-old debate over how the forest should manage the dams — man-made structures in a federally-designated wilderness area....
High-altitude helicopter training restricted The Colorado Army National Guard will maintain its annual high-altitude helicopter training on Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service lands in Eagle and Garfield counties at 3,000 hours. The Guard also has agreed to additional stipulations in order to protect wilderness areas, wildlife and livestock, the White River National Forest and BLM announced today. The military believes high-altitude combat training is vital for the protection of pilots and aircrews. In combat, aircrews trained in high-altitude aviation have a higher mission success rate as well as fewer accidents. As such, the Army had asked for 6,000 hours that could spend training in the High-Altitude Army Aviation Training Site area around Gypsum. "We all understand and respect the need for this training, and the three agencies sat down to work through potential issues while keeping in mind the important goals of the Colorado National Guard," said White River National Forest Planner Wendy Haskins. "What we found is that the current 3,000 training hours meets the needs of the pilots without providing an undue burden on public lands resources."....
Pushing the boundaries Disguised by an antiquated exterior, Herbert Lumber’s high-tech mills produce wood products for the home-building and commercial-construction trades, including “clear lumber,” a wood product absent of knots that is used in the door- and window-building trades. Between the cutting mill — where logs are categorically cut into boards — and the planer mill — where boards are shaped and refined — Herbert Lumber produces up to 800 different wood products on any given day. “You can pick a country or a state and we’ve got a customer there,” said Paul Beck, timber manager for Herbert Lumber. One of the few family-owned mills that survived the timber-industry collapse of the 1990s, Herbert Lumber evolved into a high-tech mill that now produces nearly four times its capacity level of the 1970s....
Tiny shrimp blocking builder Fairy shrimp, the tiny critters that derailed UC Merced's original building plans, are now forcing developers to rethink the future of Bellevue Ranch, the largest development planned within Merced city limits. Crosswinds Communities, Bellevue Ranch's master developer, announced publicly last week that 260 acres of the 1,365-acre master-planned community could be home to the shrimp and other endangered species protected by federal law. If the vernal pool-dwelling animals are found on the land, their presence will likely mean a costly and lengthy struggle for Crosswinds as it negotiates with federal regulators about how, when and where it can build north of Bellevue Road....
Governor - Idaho is Ready for Wolf Delisting U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials are gathering public comments on delisting wolves under the Endangered Species Act. Jim Caswell, director of the state Office of Species Conservation, is delivering Idaho’s official position to the agency, but I want to share it with all of you as well. Whether the standard is biological, social or political, it is time to remove the gray wolf from federal protection in the Northern Rocky Mountains. The federal government has stated repeatedly over the past decade that 300 wolves in the region would be a recovered, viable population. Today we have a wolf population more than four times that size. There is no reason to delay delisting. The government should declare victory and move on. Idahoans are proud stewards of the land and species of our state. Idaho is going to manage wolves as we do black bears and mountain lions. With estimated black bear and cougar populations of 20,000 and 3,000 respectively, Idaho has a proven record of responsible large carnivore management. We will continue this great record with wolves....
Global warming threatens polar bears, congressman says Calling the polar bear a victim of global warming, a Democratic congressman called on the U.S. government to protect "the beloved American icon" from the effects of the melting Arctic. "We cannot talk about this species without talking about global warming and its effect on the Arctic," Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., said in remarks prepared for a public hearing Monday night. "Today, polar bears, a beloved American icon, are at risk," said Inslee, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee and a leading advocate of aggressive action on global warming. A marine mammal, the polar bear is dependent on sea ice for survival. Yet as a result of climate change, "these magnificent creatures - which can swim at least 50 miles - have drowned and starved to death," Inslee said....
Rulings may force biotech impact studies A series of court decisions is calling into question the U.S. Agriculture Department's regulation of genetically engineered crops. Three rulings challenge the USDA's handling of field trials and its process to approve the widespread cultivation of biotech crops. Depending on the government's response, the cases could lead to a slowdown in commercialization of new transgenic varieties, experts say. One possible outcome: USDA could be required to conduct environmental-impact studies before approving some crops. Studies can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and take years to complete. Biotech companies such as Pioneer Hi-Bred International and Monsanto Co. are using genetic engineering to make crops such as corn, soybeans and cotton resistant to insects and herbicides and better able to survive droughts. Companies also alter the genes of crops such as switchgrass that someday may be used to make ethanol....
Wild Boars Going Hog Wild In Oklahoma A Sallisaw man is in serious condition after his motorcycle collided with a wild boar on the Muskogee Turnpike Sunday night. Sixty-six year-old Curtis McGlothlin has head, arm and internal injuries. The News on 6’s Chris Wright reports those who trap wild boars say the hogs are running wild in Green Country. Only a decade ago, there were no wild hogs in our part of the state. But boar trappers say the animals have migrated from Southern Oklahoma, and they continue to multiply. Mark Palmatary arrived back at his ranch Monday afternoon with another trailer full of wild boars. He spent his day picking them up from ranchers and farmers who trapped them, and wanted to get rid of the animals. Palmatary runs the PH Farm Boar Hunting ranch in Pawnee. He releases the boars onto his property, and hunters pay $75 a day to hunt them. He says it is an effort to control the ever-growing wild hog population in the area. "Wild hogs have become a problem throughout all Oklahoma,” Palmatary said. “One of the things we try to do, this is one sufficient way to control the population."....
Cloned beef: It's what's for dinner Inside the unusually hushed atrium of Campanile, the guests lifted slices of beef onto their plates. Executive chef Mark Peel had prepared the porterhouse with fleur de sel and cracked black pepper before pan-searing it with a little canola oil — a simple preparation to highlight the meat's natural flavor. It was the centerpiece of a dinner party convened to taste the future of food. After years of research, meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring are moving toward supermarkets, restaurants and backyard barbecues. The Food and Drug Administration recently declared the fare safe to eat, although it took scientists 678 pages to make their case. They said the meat was so much like regular beef that special labeling would be unnecessary. The cloned meat, provided by the Collins Cattle ranch in Frederick, Okla., was accompanied by corresponding cuts of conventional beef. All were prepared in identical fashion. Peel's idea was to conduct a double-blind taste test — a 21st century version of the Pepsi Challenge....
Giltedge rancher tells story of unusual hide marking on heifer calf Becky, my wife, came in from night calving at 6:30 a.m. to have me go outside to see what was going on with a calf that had just been born. Becky wasn't sure about what she was seeing and wanted to be sure there wasn't a problem with the new calf. So, out the door we went to see the calf, camera in hand. When I first saw it, I thought it was frosted and so I went out of the truck with a towel to wipe the calf down, but on closer inspection I noticed the white spot in fact was just white hair. Becky and I then tagged the new little heifer with the name Comet, and I took a picture. At that time, Comet looked like her hide had been hit by a comet, so the name stuck. Two years later, I was out feeding cows and have my camera with me, as I do most of the time....
It’s The Pitts: United States Of Canada Somebody messed up. When the politicians and the mapmakers divided up North America longitudinally it was one of the worst mistakes of all time. Instead of a border running from East to West it should run from the North to the South. The Western United States would then be joined with British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Yukon and the Northwest Territory forming a new country which would then be called The United States of Canada. The eastern provinces and states would be united as a new country too... French North America. I am not suggesting this because I just want Canada's wealth... we already have quite a few of their best hockey players. It’s just that we westerners have much more in common. And I realize that this would create hardships for those good folks in the deep South who’d have to be forever linked to those damn Yankees. I’m terribly sorry that all my friends in the South would have to learn the metric system and how to speak French but, darn it, someone has to be willing to make such a sacrifice. The dividing line would be the Mississippi River and the Manitoba line. Iowa, Missouri, Louisiana and Arkansas would be sort of a demilitarized zone between the two new countries. Such a division would make it possible for Alaska to feel like it was more connected to the rest of us. And it would also mean that Canadian honkers could fly South for the winter without flying over foreign air space....