Is rail set to make a comeback in the United States? Plus: Texas wants to corral biofuel quotas; and take a look at the world’s smallest, brightest light bulb. No, it’s not an LED …

States’ Rights: Texas to Fight Feds’ Biofuels Mandate? Don’t mess with Texas, especially when it comes to spiraling food costs. The Wall Street Journal reports that Governor Rick Perry is considering a request that the Lone Star state be exempted from federal ethanol mandates. Putting corn in our gas tanks instead of cow feed is putting a big hole in the wallets of the Texas cattle industry. (WSJ.com)

Luxim Plasma Light Bulb Kicks Some Serious LED Butt: CFLs? Good. LED lighting? Better. Plasma bulbs? Best — for some industrial applications. Luxim’s new plasma bulb is about the size of a vitamin pill and can produce as much light as a streetlamp. It’s still a long way from market, but super-efficient lighting technology marches on. (Treehugger)

CO2 Capture and Technology of the Future: There are traditionally two ways to reduce levels of carbon dioxide released by humans into the atmosphere — you can cut back on activities which produce carbon dioxide, or improve technologies which scrub it before release. Now there’s a third way: Atmospheric Carbon Capture Systems (ACESS) that could harvest carbon dioxide in the same way turbines cull energy from the wind. (CleanTechnica)

Harvard professor predicts railroads will return to prominence in the U.S.: As airlines struggle and land for new highways disappears, the train may be poised to make a comeback in the United States. Dr. John R. Stilgoe thinks the train — which ruled supreme through the first half of the 20th century — may find new life transporting passengers, freight, and overnight packages. With U.S. population set to rise another 150 million by mid-century, finding efficient ways to move people will become increasingly urgent. (Autoblog Green)

NOAA Says We’re on the Wrong Track in Our Battle Against Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says atmospheric carbon dioxide levels increased by 2.4 parts per million in 2007 — the third highest annual increase ever measured. But NOAA scientists think we’re paying too much attention to CO2. Methane levels increased by 27 million tons last year, and it’s up to 25 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. (Good Clean Tech)