Bush promotes renewable energy proposals

‘Photo-ops driven by polls’
“This is a series of photo-ops entirely driven by polls that tell the president that he isn’t doing enough on energy,” said Philip Clapp, president of the National Environmental Trust. “The president is talking a good game, but his budget doesn’t back it up.”

Before holding a panel discussion with lab, business and other officials, Bush toured a “mini brewery” where the lab makes ethanol — a replacement for gasoline — from the stalks and other nonfood parts of corn, said George Douglas, media relations manager at the lab.

Ethanol already is made from corn. In the late 1980s and 1990s, research was done to see if it was worthwhile to remove sugar, used in making ethanol, from the non-kernel parts of the corn, which farmers typically plow under.

During a panel discussion, Dan Arvizu, director of the lab, explained in scientific terms how the process is done. Bush interrupted to translate for the layman: “I think what he’s saying is that one of these days we’re going to take wood chips, put them through a factory, and there’s going to be fuel you can put in your car.”

On Monday, Bush stopped in Milwaukee at Johnson Controls, which is developing advanced batteries for hybrid-electric autos. Outside Detroit, Bush toured United Solar Ovonic, a maker of flexible film products that convert sunlight into energy.

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