Biofuels

Toronto Zoo resident Vishnu eats his breakfast. The zoo is hoping what happens next will be a big boost for them.

Toronto’s Zoo plans to turn its animal waste into electricity

Technology

From African lions to Grevy’s Zebras, animals at the Toronto Zoo generate 3,000 tons of dung a year. Now the zoo will soon be turning all that poop into energy, thanks to a new biogas plant that uses manure to create electricity.

The World

Global food prices on the rise

Power From Food Scraps

Firm plans to turn table scraps into power in Massachusetts

Environment
The World

Science Note: A Plant With Oily Leaves

France considers big tax hike on key ingredient in Nutella

Health & Medicine

France is wild about Nutella, the hazelnut-flavored chocolate sauce that’s perfect at any meal. But to make it requires palm oil, and French legislators have an eye on palm oil with a new tax. It’s just the latest in the fat tax movement by governments around the world.

Researcher says rising corn prices could spark global food riots

The United States is the largest producer of one of the most world’s important crops: corn. We use it to feed people, livestock and, when it’s turned into ethanol, cars. But as the country faces the worst drought in more than 50 years, some experts say the U.S. can no longer afford to turn that food into fuel.

Experts say effects of U.S. drought likely to ripple across the globe

Environment

The effect of this summer’s drought in the United States may well be felt around the world soon. That’s because the U.S. is the world’s biggest corn exporter. As harvests fall and prices rise, many of world’s poor will feel the squeeze.

Ethanol: Off the radar, but bigger than ever

Environment

Ethanol isn’t in the news much anymore, But in recent years the corn-based fuel industry has grown beyond expectations. With gas prices on the rise, ethanol may be ready for a come back.

Why Libya can scare the economy

The fighting in Libya has many in the financial markets scared. Further unrest could threaten the US economic recovery.