Sad news for alternative fuels

It appears that the prospects for cellulosistic ethanol--made from straw, sawdust, and other materials ordinarily left to rot--are more or less dismal. Yes, it appears that the government has started to fund research into this not-yet-ready-for-prime-time technology, and thus for the forseeable future, it's a pretty good bet that it'll join oil shale, solar, wind, hybrid vehicles, and corn ethanol as technologies that can only be sustained by massive subsidies.

Thankfully, there are cost-effective ways to reduce fossil fuel consumption. However, you generally won't find them getting funding from the government because they don't need it. If only Congress and bureaucrats would take a hint.