Biofuel Funding Continues to Impress...IF...You Don't Pay Attention to the News

I have about 10 blog/news searches automated in my blog reader covering renewable fuels (especially ethanol).  Daily, I'm deluged with articles from around the U.S. concerning the future of the food supply, the lack of available land, the high price of corn, kids starving in Mexico, and the scientific reasons why ethanol and bio diesel are totally inefficient. 

Yet, the industry keeps forging ahead and innovating buoyed by $1.28 billion (with a b) in venture capital investment in 2006 alone.  Cellulosic technology, (making ethanol from anything organic vs. just corn by using enzymes to break down the really tough stuff) is getting funded with BIG dollars now and it's happening right here in Iowa.

In fact the Department of Energy just dump a few hundred million around the US into the technology.  It's also obvious now that some of our friends in other states have figured out that cellulosic ethanol production is good business too.

This is a BIG ISSUE that has BIG IMPLICATIONS for a BIG SEGMENT of the population that costs BIG DOLLAR$ and involves BIG BUSINESS and BIG GOVERNMENT.  However, this big issue's  power is that it transcends the news!  Can you feel that?  No matter what the cadre of news pundits keep spewing,  the cash keeps arriving  as if a John Deere wheel loader kept filling a CAT dump truck scheduling drop offs by the hour.  "$34 million today, where do you want it?" says the operator.  "Just dump it on top of the pile of pundits that got it wrong."

Ethanol and renewable fuels in general have become a reality and it's up to Iowa to maintain leadership in the segment.  Pay no mind to the nay saying punditry (they probably live in LA or NY anyway).  If we do not seize this opportunity, it shall be recorded in history as a FOLD by the state at the world poker table that was holding FOUR ACES.