Triple biofuels dispenser at Baca Street Biofuels Stations Credit: Charles Bensinger / Renewable Energy Partners of New Mexico

Advocates of biofuel technology, which includes such fuels as ethanol, butanol, and biodiesel, say energy derived from biomass is a cleaner energy source than gasoline. Many current sources of these fuels, however, involve using plant material that could be used for food -- such as the corn or sugarcane involved in some ethanol production. Last week, six companies got grants from the federal government to work on developing motor fuels from nonfood crops. In this hour, Ira and guests talk about the future of biofuels, and the economic -- and environmental -- viability of switching to biomass-derived fuels as a major component of our energy economy.

Plus, looking at diets. There are a lot of popular diets out there -- some more helpful than others. This week, researchers at Stanford University published a paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association looking at four popular diets. Over 300 premenopausal overweight or obese women were randomly assigned to follow either the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, or LEARN Diets for a year. "Premenopausal overweight and obese women assigned to follow the Atkins diet, which had the lowest carbohydrate intake, lost more weight and experienced more favorable overall metabolic effects at 12 months than women assigned to follow the Zone, Ornish, or LEARN diets," the researchers concluded. "While questions remain about long-term effects and mechanisms, a low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diet may be considered a feasible alternative recommendation for weight loss." We'll talk with one of the authors of the study about the findings, and whether he recommends that we all cut out the carbs. Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (2-3 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
Dan Kammen
Co-director, Berkeley Institute of the Environment
Professor, Energy and Resources Group
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California

Mitch Mandich
CEO
Range Fuels
Broomfield, Colorado

Jim McMillan
Manager, Biorefining Process R&D Group
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Golden, Colorado

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Christopher Gardner
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Stanford Prevention Research Center
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford, California

Books/Articles Discussed:

"Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN Diets for Change in Weight and Related Risk Factors Among Overweight Premenopausal Women: The A TO Z Weight Loss Study: A Randomized Trial." JAMA. 2007;297:969-977.

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This segment produced by Karin Vergoth