Donough: read the release more closely. It says, "subsidies to fossil fuels account for roughly US$500 billion per year, of which about US$100 billion is provided to producers. This figure includes subsidies to lower the prices of petroleum products, kerosene or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), typically in developing countries." The numbers you quote from Ethanol Producer magazine (subsidies for fossil fuels amounted to $72 billion over 7 years) refer to the United States specifically. HarveyD writes, "These are huge subsidies to people making huge profits." Well, yes, the producer subsidies are. But $400 billion of the $500 billion in the above figure represents transfers to consumers in countries like Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Russia and Venezuela through sales of petroleum products, natural gas, and to a lesser extent, coal, at below world-market prices. I can't comment on Wintermane2000's remarks because I'm not sure I understand his or her point.