TECHNICIAN
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Ethanol production in the U.S. 1985
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N.C. State NAACP returns after semester of rebuilding
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Federal grant aims to benefit manufacturing, improve existing technologies Katherine Kehoe Staff Writer
Estefania Castro-Vazquez Staff Writer 2000
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Historic U.S. fuel Ethanol Production GRAPH BY AUSTIN BRYAN
Biofuels debate rages on as demand continues to rise Vishwas Rao Correspondent
Biofuels have been a controversial topic since its creation, especially when it comes to how they are produced. Despite this debate, there’s a growing advocacy toward this alternative fuel source due to concerns about increasing carbon emissions from traditional energy sources. The main biofuel currently produced is bioethanol, which is made from corn. A major criticism of producing biofuels is the energy balance question: Does it take more fossil fuel energy to make a gallon of ethanol fuel than the energy in that gallon of ethanol? According to Steve Kelley, head of the Department of Forest Biomaterials at N.C. State, there are convincing arguments for both sides of the question. Kelley said bioethanol is an “energy benefit from a fossil fuel point of view,” and that all the energy in bioethanol is created through photosynthesis. However, when considering the lengthy, tedious process
of generating bioethanol from corn, the cost of generating energy comes into question, Kelley said. “All of the fossil energy – that’s the fertilizer, the tractor driving back-and-forth, the combine, the train taking the corn to the bioethanol plant, the heat powering the bioethanol plant, the distillation column, the train taking the hundred cars of ethanol to a depot were it gets put into a truck and shows up to your gas station – it adds up to large amount energy and begs to speculate the true benefits of the bioethanol,” Kelley said. According to Kelley, 10 to 15 years ago, researchers said that it takes more fossil-fuel energy to generate usable energy from ethanol than what is present in a gallon of ethanol based on a series of calculations. However, within the last 5 to 10 years, many experts have examined the concept with more precise information and concluded that corn ethanol does have a benefits, Kelley said. The change is attributed to the fact that more corn is grown per
acre and the efficiency of producing ethanol at the bioethanol plants has improved. Despite the benefits of bioethanol, one major concern about its production stems from the problem of diverting corn from the food supply, and thus creating an increased demand, Kelley said. Critics of corn-based bioethanol have attributed higher prices in corn and food to this larger demand. However, Kelley said that this issue is much more complex and that there are other more important reasons for the increase in food prices. According to Kelley, in the United States, about 10 to 15 percent of the cost to make a loaf of bread comes from the grain. This is because raw materials are cheap, and distribution and supply, shelving, packaging and major advertising all make up the remainder of the price. However, in Mexico, the cost of grain, is roughly 50 to 70 percent of the cost of the product because the corn is grown and processed
After taking a semester to rebuild, the N.C. State chapter of the NAACP will have its first meeting next Tuesday at 6 p.m. in SAS 1220. Chapter President Lauryn Collier said that there is a lot of work to do this semester and is hoping for a good turnout. According to group leaders, the chapter slowly disbanded and has been relatively inactive during the past few semesters. Group members decided to take the fall 2013 semester off to set in place a strategic plan for the group before welcoming new members, Collier said. In order to be compliant with regulations, the chapter must have 25 members, or it will be forced to become inactive again. “I’m just really excited to get the NAACP back to the level it should be,” said Ashley Garrison, secretary for the N.C. State NAACP. Garrison, who is not a North Carolina native, said she sees many ways in which North Carolina state laws could be improved and said she believes a change can be achieved if not only students, but members
NAACP continued page 3
President Barack Obama announced on Jan. 15 that N.C. State will lead a $140 million initiative aimed at bolstering the United States manufacturing sector through the development of WideBandgap semiconductors. However, the grant will not be used to research new materials nearly as much as it will be used to help get existing technologies to industries, so they can be adopted and put into products, according to Dennis Kekas, interim
“I think what’s really key here is our ability to work with industry.” Terri Lomax, vice chancellor for Research, Innovation and Economic Development
executive director of the Next Generation Power Electronics Institute. “This grant is much less about materials research, fundamental science and physics as it is about tak-
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BIOFUEL continued page 3
Medical practices file lawsuit in response to NCTracks failure Jacqueline Lee Staff Writer
Errors made by the Department of Health and Human Services have resulted in a major privacy breach in patient information and a lawsuit. According to the News & Observer, about 70,000 Medicaid providers have experienced problems with the new NCTracks computer system the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services implemented to process Medicaid payments. Seven Medical practices have now issued a lawsuit against the DHHS and companies that produced the NCTracks system and tested the software because of financial errors it caused. DHHS Secretary Aldona Wos claimed the Affordable Care Act is a main factor in the problems DHHS has been having, The N&O reported.
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However, members of the North Carolina Democratic Party are placing the blame elsewhere. “The governor has filled state government with overpriced, un-
“It’s the biggest privacy breach for the state of North Carolina within recent memory.” Micah Beasley, North Carolina Democratic Party press secretary
der-experienced people from his campaign and political donors and then refuses to take responsibility for unending errors created by his
administration,” said Micah Beasley, the North Carolina Democratic Party press secretary. According to The N&O, several Democratic legislators have called for Wos’ resignation. “The governor has confidence that Secretary Wos and her team are working hard to ensure that those who need benefits receive benefits. Another gimmicky press scheme from the extreme left won’t help solve the problem,” spokesman Ryan Tronovitch told The N&O. The N&O reported that errors made by the Department of Health and Human Services have resulted in 48,752 Medicaid insurance cards for children that were mailed to the wrong addresses. According to Beasley, the office of Attorney General Roy Cooper is
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JACQUELINE LEE/TECHNICIAN
Stephanie Padilla (above) uses zebrafishto study the effects of pesticides on neurodevelopment. Padilla is an N.C. State alumna and has been working for the EPA for 30 years.
EPA toxicologist, alumna, returns to NCSU for lecture Jacqueline Lee Staff Writer
Stephanie Padilla, a research toxicologist for the Environmental Protection Agency, presented her studies using zebrafish at a toxicology seminar Tuesday. The work, titled “Functional Assays and Alternative Species: Usi ng L a r v a l Z e br a f i s h i n
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Developmenta l Neurotoxicit y Screening,” observed the effects of pesticides on neurodevelopment by testing larval zebrafish. “I think this research is especially important because so many new chemicals are being developed, and we need a fast way to test their toxicity,” said Stephanie Eytcheson,
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