Ethanol Requirements: No tanks (Heritage Foundation) It seems like an easy fix. Oil prices have hit record highs. Ethanol, a gasoline additive, can both stretch our supplies of oil and ease air pollution. And best of all, it’s a corn-based product. Although America imports nearly two-thirds of its oil, it grows all the corn it needs and more. [News Source]

Lawmakers criticize lack of permanent air monitoring station in Rockland. New York State Assemblyman Ryan Karben and County Legislature Chairwoman Harriet Cornell Wednesday criticized the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the hat agency that has not placed a permanent air quality monitor in Rockland despite their constant calls for one. [News Source]

Alexander hopes new clean air bill could serve as compromise. Sen. Lamar Alexander introduced legislation Wednesday that would limit pollution from power plants and which the Tennessee Republican said could serve as a compromise bill in Congress. [News Source]

Carper pushing for tougher pollution curbs. Sen. Tom Carper and a bipartisan coalition hope to overhaul the nation's pollution laws to reduce the amount of smog, ozone, mercury and carbon dioxide pumping out of power plants. [News Source]

Group hopes to overhaul nation’s laws on pollution. A bipartisan coalition hopes to overhaul the nation's pollution laws to reduce the amount of smog, ozone, mercury and carbon dioxide pumping out of power plants. [News Source]

Sen. Alexander introduces legislation to improve air quality. U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE), Judd Gregg (R-NH), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) on Wednesday introduced a new version of their "Clean Air Planning Act" which Sen. Alexander says goes "farther and faster than new Bush Clean Air proposals in controlling health-damaging pollution from coal-fired power plants." [News Source]

Tories seek clean slate on fresh air policies. Canada's Conservative government has identified the transportation and electricity sectors for deep emissions cuts under a plan to tackle climate change, as it quietly lays the groundwork to make the environment a top priority this fall. [News Source]

WHO says traditional kitchen fuel is responsible for 1.5 million deaths. In 2002, cooking with solid fuels was responsible for nearly 800,000 deaths among children and more than 500 000 deaths among women. [News Source]

Damage at Freeport site worse than claimed: NGO. The Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) alleged Wednesday that the subsidiary of the U.S. based Freeport McMoran mining company had committed more violations than the government was holding to account for. [News Source]

Air quality data called into question. Contrary to popular opinion, a study of the quality of Jakarta's air in the first three months of 2006 suggests it is getting better. [News Source]

Environment issues addressed more urgently. China's top environment watchdog vowed recently to tackle the serious environmental problems that may trigger mass protests over pollution. [News Source]