Rep. Rosa DeLauro voted Yes on H.R. 7321: To authorize financial assistance to eligible automobile manufacturers, throwing a handout to GM and Chrysler, two of the ailing Big Three of the ailing U.S. automotive industry. Ford opted out; though they came to Congress begging last week, they stated this week they had enough cash to stay afloat. Perhaps they read the fine print of what H.R. 7321 would do to their business.

Although the Big Three are the last giants of U.S. heavy industry and their success (and survival) are important to the job sector, critics of H.R. 7321 suggest its nothing less than a stock swap, putting the Federal Government into the car business, without demanding a business plan to bring the giants back into profitability. As Rep. Barney Frank said, “If we are lucky, we will come out with a bill next week that nobody likes,” furthering the theory that our 110th Congress is incapable of formulating legislation that can meet the needs and expectations of the nation.

Rep. DeLauro herself has insisted that “doing nothing [on the economy] is not an option,” opening the door to the “bad legislation is better than no legislation” attitude that nearly all long-serving veterans of Congress hold. It is a dangerous point of view in terms of our civil liberties, as Representatives who hold this view must feel themselves infallible in the long term, and that history will judge even their worst actions to be just in the light of their good intentions.

Aerospace companies and airlines are betting that algae — simple organisms that come in some 30,000 species, many of which can be genetically modified — will prove to be a green fuel that can power jet planes. Algae also could be blended into diesel and gasoline, and perhaps could even replace petroleum-based diesel and gasoline one day.

First-generation biofuels made from corn, soybeans, sunflower seeds and rapeseed were rejected because they use valuable agriculture land and water, can result in deforestation in developing countries and the demand for them has driven up food prices and caused scattered food shortages.

As the infant industry organizes, algae must make their case for the kinds of tax breaks, market incentives, loans, and research and development backing that other biofuel sectors have. Though corn and soybean growers long have lobbied in Washington, the Algal Biomass Organization is a new kid on the block.

In addition to algae, biofuel researchers have looked at jatropha — a bush that grows in arid environments, needs little water and yields more oil than corn — and halophytes, salt-tolerant plants such as seashore mallow.