World needs alternatives to biofuels from food crops »

Time Magazine takes on ethanol in this week’s cover story: The Clean Energy Scam. The article opens with a bird’s eye view over the Amazon rain forest as ranchers and farmers are doubling deforestation this year because biofuels have jacked up global crop prices. But, the Amazon is a storehouse for carbon and deforestation [...]

Great article on guayule as an alternative for hospitals going latex-free »

Check out the full article on Wall Street Journal online.
Recent hospitals such as Johns Hopkins Hospital are getting rid of all latex gloves and almost all latex products. The article talks about hospitals going ‘latex-safe’ and the pros and cons associated with it. Here’s an excerpt:
“Johns Hopkins is also working with Maricopa, Ariz.-based Yulex Inc., [...]

Leaf blight possible for natural rubber: public turns to guayule »

Anecdotal evidence of rumored leaf blight outbreaks in India and Thailand have spread recently. An article published by Rubber and Plastic News in October 2007 confirms specific details about an outbreak of leaf blight “throughout the continents where 93% of the world’s supply of natural rubber is produces.”
Industry experts are concerned about the increasing price [...]