Dick Lugar: “I rise to recommend that the Senate pass S. 935. At a time when American farmers and rural communities are having a…”

“I rise to recommend that the Senate pass S. 935. At a time when American farmers and rural communities are having a difficult time making ends meet, it is appropriate for the Senate to support this initiative that holds great promise for agriculture, strengthens America's energy security and helps clean America's air and water while dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Early civilizations relied on plants and trees for all their energy and food needs. With the passage of time and technological advancement, however, an increasing share of the world's energy demands shifted from plants and trees toward fossil fuels. Time and technology march on, and today we witness the beginning of a revolution from non-renewable fossil fuels toward renewable resources that can help meet the energy demands of a world now numbering six billion people. Ironically, plants and trees are once again being valued as raw material for energy production because they contain an enormous store of energy freely delivered by the sun. Using nature's renewable raw material for production of needed fuels, chemicals and energy is not a new idea. What is new, however, is a better understanding of chemistry and molecular biology which has led to the development of advanced biotechnologies and processing techniques for efficiently converting plants to energy.”