An ongoing effort asking members of the scientific community to pledge their support for biodiesel isgetting good results.

So far more than 80 scientists have gone online and added their names to the list of biodiesel supporters. Scientists who sign the petition are agreeing that biodiesel can reduce dependence on petroleum, help address climate change and boost domesticeconomies. By signing the declaration, they also pledge their support for further investment and research.

The campaign was launched earlier this year. Vanessa Kummer of the United Soybean Board says it will help increase awareness of the science behind using soybiodiesel—as an answer for decreasing the nation’s dependence on petroleum while still providing food, feed and fiber for the world.

An informal on-line survey indicates Americans are about evenly split on ethanol.

Fifty-sixpercent of respondents think the federal government should stop subsidizing ethanol production because they’re afraid it boosts food prices. The other 44 percent said the subsidies should continue.

However, when asked whether energy independence or lower food prices weremore important, 55 percent said energy independence. Asked whether ethanol is the most promising way to create U.S. energy independence, 25 percent agreed, 30 percent disagreed, and 45 percent said they neither agreed nor disagreed.

The survey was conducted May 19th throughthe 25th by a nonpartisan polling group. It included nearly 13-hundred people ages 18 and older. While the sample was weighted to reflect the composition of the national population, it was not a scientific sample—rather the equivalent of a large focus group.

Indiana State Fair officials hope to fill more than 800 hourly positions during its first-ever job fair June 4 and 6 at the Pioneer Our Land Pavilion. Most are temporarypositions during the 17-day fair.

The job fair will be held June 4 from 4 until 7 (line begins forming at 3 p.m.) and June 6 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. (line begins forming at 9 a.m.).

Positions available; Ticket sellers, Ticket takers, Gatesupervisors, Parking attendants, Parking supervisors, Grounds maintenance, Barn cleaners, Security personnel, Receptionists, Visitor Information Booth attendants, Cashiers & Shuttle Bus drivers.

Information is available by contacting the Indiana State Fair .

The 21st annual World Pork Expo takes place next week at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. The dates are June 3rd through the 5th.

Publicity over the H1N1 flu virus has made preparations for this year’s expo a little more challenging. But general manager John Wrigley says they are used to dealing with these kinds of challenges.

“We had the foot-and-mouth disease thing in 2001, causing us to cancelWorld Pork Expo in 2001,” Wrigley explains. “Then you had the SARS thing come in a few years later. And now we’ve got the H1N1—and you know, another year or two, it’ll be something else.”

Wrigley says scares like H1N1do help keep officials on their toes.”It does kind of make you reflect and look back and reevaluate your biosecurity methods, to make sure that we are doing the right thing and working with the proper officials to look at that,” he says.

As for the expo itself, Wrigley says the H1N1 publicity hasn’thad too much of an impact.

“We’ve got more kids registered this year for the junior national than we’ve ever had,” Wrigley says. “They’re coming from California and Texas and all over the Midwest. It’s going to be a great show.”

The World Pork Expo trade show officially opens at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3rd and closes at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, the 5th. Traditionally, the Pork Expo has run through the weekend, but exhibitor and attendee surveys have indicated it would be better to have the show during the week.