Fears over what many experts suggest is an inevitable food crisis as a result of the nation's worst drought in half a century has the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization looking at making biofuel policies more flexible.

Making its largest purchase of biofuel in history, the United States military's Defense Logistics Agency bought 450,000 gallons of fuel made from chicken fat and algae for use in Navy war games, according to officials.

New warnings in a report published by the European Commission's Joint Research Center caution against the proliferation of biofuels, citing major habitat loss as a result of converting pastures, savannas and forests into cropland for the gasoline alternative.

Washington D.C. area neighborhoods considered "food deserts" will soon have access to fresh fruits and vegetables via a converted school bus "Mobile Market" courtesy of a local non-profit group comprised of nine restaurants. The Neighborhood Restaurant Group's market on wheels will bring healthy food options to communities where a majority of the people living there are at or below the poverty line.

Cars that run on only one type of fuel? That's so pre-millennium. How about a car that runs on wine? Or cheese? Or both? Seriously.

The next generation of organic farmers are hitting the road on an Organic Valley sponsored 3-week tour of the Pacific Northwest in the Generation Organic 2011 "Who's Your Farmer" campaign aimed at connecting people with their food, their local growers and to discuss how personal diet choices affect not just our own health, but the health of the planet and of future generations.

Scientists at the Rochester Institute of Technology are working to use microalgae to clean wastewater and produce biodiesel simultaneously; the school announced in a press release last week.

Purifying wastewater before sending it back into the ecosystem would reduce or eliminate pollutants, such as nitrates, phosphates, bacteria, and toxins. Microalgae consume these materials and then the algae - which are less expensive and grow quicker than corn and soybeans - can be converted into biofuel.

So, to capitalize on the power of poop, the Norwegian capital of Oslo will convert sewage from a local treatment plant, processing the waste of 250,000 people, into fuel for its 80 city buses, which travel 62,000 miles each.

Compared to normal gas, costing more that 1.0 euro per liter, poop fuel goes for only 7.2 euros. City officials are excited about it:

"We've been waiting for this for a long time. It's extremely good for the climate and also for the quality of urban life," beams Olaf Brastad of the Bellona environmental organisation.

"I see absolutely no downsides. On the contrary, it is an optimal way of using a renewable energy that has always been there, just waiting to be exploited," he adds.

The initiative, if extended to Oslo's second waste treatment plant and complemented with biofuels made from food waste, could provide enough fuel for all of Oslo's 350 to 400 buses.

"If our entire fleet switched to biomethane, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by around 30,000 tonnes per year," Anne-Merete Andersen of Ruter, the operator of Oslo's public transport system.

And despite what you might think. The crappy fuel doesn’t stink. Other countries have gone poop gas too. Kalmar, Sweden is making fuel out of animal poop and so is the Toronto Zoo.

Biofuel is a great move for all three countries, because in right now, the cost of regular gas in Canada is $4.58 per gallon and $7.52 in Sweden and Norway.

Via Cosmo and Discoblog.

City officials insist they’re not eco-freaks, just giving people the tools to make a change, saying the technological part is easy. Changing the culture is hard!

The community will rely on all sorts of eco-friendly power, such as ethanol, biogas and hydropower.

Desperate to get off oil entirely, Kalmar has wanted to kick oil since the 1970s, when oil prices shot up, average price of gas in Sweden is still over $7.50 per gallon, but the city’s new energy aspirations will put Kalmar very close to its goal of being fossil fuel free by 2030.

Kalmar’s revamped energy systems include biogas made from chicken poop and wood waste, as well as an 85% ethanol blend from Brazil, windmills, hydropower, nuclear energy and old school steam power. The switch is also expected to save the town money; The Chicago Tribune reports.

Kuzumaki, Japan is another eco-marvel. The town of 8,000 residents generates 161% of its power from clean energy, using solar panels, wind turbines, cow dung and more!

After its test drive/flight in England, the Skycar’s next trip will be a 3,700 mile journey from England to the African Sahara. The car’s designers hope the expedition will raise $100,000 for charity. It's sticker price is 35 to 40 thousand British pounds.

Great, now we can get car sick and air sick. At the same time!

Via TreeHugger.