Biodiesel boom scares seed growers

Seattle Post Intelligencer - by Colin McDonald - Feb. 21, 2007 (News Report)
MOUNT VERNON -- With Washington poised to become a national leader in "green" fuel, fields of bright-yellow canola flowers soon may be as common a sight as golden wheat in parts of the Palouse and other farm-rich areas east of the Cascades.

For struggling farmers, burgeoning demand for oil-rich canola could make it a cash crop for the long haul. For the rest of us, it's supposed to be a feel-good embrace of biodiesel, proudly stamped "Made in ... More »
Review | Like | Submitted by Paul Stambaugh
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3.9
by Aldon Hynes - Feb. 21, 2007 - See Full Review (11 answers)
Notes: The story fairly presents a balanced view of aspects of the rush to biodiesel that doesn't haven't been covered elsewhere.

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3.8
by Fabrice Florin - Feb. 21, 2007 - See Full Review (11 answers)
Notes: Interesting and well-reported article. I was not aware of the cross-pollination problems associated with growing canol. As bio-fuels become more important to our economy, this kind of information becomes that much more worthwhile.

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4.6
by Joel Kulenkamp - Feb. 21, 2007 - See Full Review (7 answers)
Notes: This article tries to expose both sides of the proverbial coin in the biodiesel debate. While showing much promise, there remain lots of bugs to be work out, as this article aptly illustrates.

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3.8
by Kaizar Campwala - Feb. 21, 2007 - See Full Review (11 answers)

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4.1
by Bob McInnis - Feb. 21, 2007 - See Full Review (12 answers)

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3.0
by Nick Pollitt - Feb. 25, 2007 - See Full Review (1 answer)

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4.0
by Paul Stambaugh - Feb. 21, 2007 - See Full Review (2 answers)
Notes: An good right up about what is happening to the local farmers due to the rapid change in how things are done. This piece shows the postive effects of Biomass techonolgy and the downsides, which will have a major effect on the farmers. ...(I have to cheer for the farmers who for once can make some money, and could bring about a return to large numbers of people working the earth.)
Paul submitted this story.

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2.9
by Lewis Shadoff, Ph.D. - Feb. 21, 2007 - See Full Review (7 answers)
Notes: This article discusses some the advantages and disadvantages of a farming area converting to an energy crop. It points out the economic and environmental advantages of growing canola oil in Washington state. It points out the possible deleterious effects on farmers who grow seed crops. It does not discuss how a single biodiesel manufacturer is dictating what crop is required to manufacture biodiesel. It does not discuss the possibility of alternative crops which are being used to ... More »

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5.0
by Ed Good - Feb. 21, 2007 - See Full Review (1 answer)

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Submitted by Submitted by Paul Stambaugh - Feb 21, 2007 - 8:37 AM PST
Reviewed by Paul Stambaugh (review), Kaizar Campwala (review), Aldon Hynes (review), Fabrice Florin (review), Bob McInnis (review), Lewis Shadoff, Ph.D. (review), Ed Good (review), Joel Kulenkamp (review), Nick Pollitt (review)
Edited by Fabrice Florin - Feb 21, 2007 - 9:35 AM PST
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