[Max Main]

US-Brazil deal to boost bio-fuels
Laura and George Bush arrive in Sao Paulo
Brazil is Mr Bush's first stop on his Latin American tour
The United States and Brazil have signed an agreement to develop alternative fuel sources.

US President George W Bush said that by reducing oil dependence the two countries would be helping security, their economies and the environment.

His host, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, said the deal was a new moment for the car industry, fuel production and humanity in general.

On Thursday at least 20 people were hurt in protests at Mr Bush's visit.

More demonstrations are expected.


We see the bright and real potential for our citizens being able to use alternative sources of energy that will promote the common good
President Bush

Brazilian bio-fuels' power
Chavez attacks Bush

Mr Bush will also go to Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico during his six-day tour of Latin America.

Coinciding with Mr Bush's visit to Uruguay, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is visiting Argentina.

He is expected to hurl insults at Mr Bush at a rally in a football stadium in Buenos Aires.

Ahead of the rally, the Venezuelan leader described Mr Bush's tour as an "imperialist offensive" aimed at dividing left-wing movements in the region.

The BBC's Daniel Schweimler, in Buenos Aires, says Mr Chavez will find an enthusiastic reception to his fiery brand of anti-US rhetoric.

'Strategic partnership'

Mr Bush and Mr Lula met at a fuel distribution plant in Sao Paulo.

The meeting came as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim signed a deal making ethanol an internationally traded commodity and promoting its production in Central America and the Caribbean.


Sao Paulo protest march

Fighting region's suspicions
In pictures: Brazil clashes

It will pool the experience and technology of the two countries, who are the world's biggest producers of ethanol.

"We come to celebrate a strategic partnership between the United States and Brazil," Mr Lula said as the two men toured the plant.

They said that increasing bio-fuel use would lead to more jobs, a cleaner environment and less dependence on oil.

"We see the bright and real potential for our citizens being able to use alternative sources of energy that will promote the common good," Mr Bush said.

Together with the US, Brazil produces about 70% of the world's ethanol, a bio-fuel made from sugar cane or corn.

But activists say sugar cane cultivation is water intensive and responsible for stripping the Amazon rainforest.

They also say the ethanol production process is concentrated in the hands of a few powerful families or corporations.

Many of the demonstrators are also angry at the war in Iraq.

On Thursday, about 10,000 people spilled out along one of San Paulo's broadest avenues, in the heart of the financial district, banging drums, waving red flags and carrying banners reading "Bush Go Home".

Although largely peaceful, clashes flared between some of the protesters and police.


It is time we stopped stereotyping the US as a ghastly empire and started negotiating with them... Move on!
Sandra Sena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Regional views

Demonstrators threw rocks and sticks at some of the 4,000 riot police , who responded by firing tear gas and lashing out with their batons. Sixteen police were reported to be among the injured.

But the BBC's Lourdes Heredia in Sao Paulo says that while the majority of people in the city are suspicious of the visit they seem ready to give President Bush a chance.

"Bush is not a close friend, but he is not our enemy either... I think we should have good relationships with everyone," shopkeeper Anne Helene told the BBC.





The above is from the www.bbc.co.uk/news site.




Aside from the anti-Bush stuff, what do you think of alt. fuels? Brazil has a pretty extensive program of AF development; what is going on in the US? Is ethanol the best answer? Let's talk!

[Southsider2k12]

Ethanol seems to be an alm tossed to the farmers. It doesn't save any energy in the long run, in fact some studies say it actually takes more energy to produce it, than it does regular refining of gasoline. I guess the only positive is that it isn't forgein oil.

As for the biofuels, I don't really don't know a whole lot about them.

[Ang]

A friend of mine bought a "green" car. She really likes it. She says she gets about 40 mpg in town and 60 on the highway. It's the Toyota version. It's also a nice looking car. This is one of those hybrid cars that uses a combination of gas and electricity. It's self-charging so she doesn't have to plug it in.

[Southsider2k12]

A friend of mine bought a "green" car. She really likes it. She says she gets about 40 mpg in town and 60 on the highway. It's the Toyota version. It's also a nice looking car. This is one of those hybrid cars that uses a combination of gas and electricity. It's self-charging so she doesn't have to plug it in.

I want to look at a hybrid as a second car in the future, but I do want to buy American when it comes to automobiles. Maybe in the next few years the US auto companies offerings will catch up to Toyota in that respect.

[Max Main]

Here is one thing to consider with the alcohol cars:

We were looking at a Ford or Merc product, and noticed that the range with a tank of the 85 alc fuel was roughly two-thirds that with gasoline. Since the price is very close, the user is essentially paying a large premium for the alt fuel use. Who would do that? What you need to figure is the cost per mile for the fuel.

With the batteries in the electric cars, they have to be replaced at some point, and I think I heard that they cost thousands of dollars. Again, is the reduced gas use worth the extra costs involved with that?

What has anyone heard about the use of cooking oil, etc.?

[RexKickass]

Depends. Car batteries will need to be replaced over time, yes - but is it any different than any other major repair that you're going to have to replace? The Toyota Prius is not currently made in the US but there are plenty of other Toyota cars that are a lot more American than say the average GM vehicle.

[Ang]

Yesterday I saw the first news report concerning bio-fuel as an alternative to gasoline. According to the report car manufacturers have improved engine parts and performance to accomodate this new type of fuel, but they didn't comment on the fact that altough bio-fuel burns cleaner, gas burns more efficiently. Nor did they talk about the price. Anyway, that stuff has reached Wyoming, but only certain gas retailers are going to sell it. My guess is they will be the national chains. We have a lot of retail chains that are specific to Wyoming and only sell fuel refined in Wyoming--that makes them anywhere from 3 to 5 cents cheaper per gallon. Today (as I type this) the most expensive I saw was at a Shell station for 2.68/gal and the cheapest was at a Sinclair station (from the Sinclair refinery in Rawlins WY) for 2.63/gal. What are gas prices like in MC?

[Southsider2k12]

When I left for work this morning regular unleaded was $2.82 at most places. I know people aren't going to like this, but seeing what the futures have been doing lately, we will see $3 at the pump in a couple of weeks, I would bet money on it.

[Max Main]

The problem is that ordinary ppl have no way of protesting. I can only suggest driving slowly, say, 10 under the speed limit. this signals the protest and saves gas.

[RexKickass]

You can always drive less.

[Max Main]

Yeah--drive less car and fewer miles.

[Max Main]

Lula tour pushes Brazil biofuels
Ethanol tanks in Brazil
Brazil has been developing its biofuel technology for years
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is in Mexico at the start of a tour to secure biofuel agreements in Latin America and the Caribbean.

He was due to sign an accord with his Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderon, to provide Mexico with technical assistance in ethanol production.

Brazil is the world's leading producer of ethanol from sugar cane.

President Lula has been actively promoting ethanol as an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels.

This has put him at odds with Venezuela, where President Hugo Chavez has argued biofuels use up valuable agricultural land and increase food prices.

Venezuela has been using its large oil and gas reserves as a foreign policy tool.

While President Lula embarks on his tour, Mr Chavez has gone to Argentina, Ecuador and Bolivia to discuss energy issues.

Political ties

The talks between President Lula and President Calderon bring together the leaders of Latin America's two biggest economies.

Energy and trade were set to dominate their talks.

BBC Brasil's Denize Bacoccina reports from Mexico City that the visit is also likely to strengthen political relations which have improved substantially since Mr Calderon took office in Mexico last December.

Ahead of his trip, the Brazilian president said there were ample opportunities for co-operation with Mexico "in technological development for deep-water oil and gas exploration and production".

He said he also believed that Mexico would join "a campaign to create a market for clean, cheap and renewable fuels".

Mexico has expressed interest in learning more about Brazilian technology to produce ethanol from sugar cane.

Fossil fuels

From Mexico, President Lula travels on to Honduras, Nicaragua, Jamaica and Panama, where talks are also set to focus on biofuel development.

They all, except Mexico, import oil and President Lula has said they could save a lot of money by switching to biofuels.

But convincing them to forget about fossil fuels will not be easy, says the BBC's Latin America analyst, Martin Murphy.

Ethanol production requires large-scale plantations of sugarcane or, as is the case in the United States, corn.

Many environmental groups claim that the growing production of sugar cane is exacerbating deforestation.





http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6933608.stm