Recent setbacks in Nasa's exploration of the Red Planet have failed to dim the enthusiasm of a group of scientists who plan to build the world's first simulated Mars base.

BBC: Destination Mars on Earth

The background: The Energy Act of 2007 laid out a plan to grow ethanol use from a base of 6.5 billion gallons.

FORBES: Can Ethanol Cut Foreign Oil Imports?

More recently, the chairmen of President Obama's bipartisan fiscal commission put forward a plan for lower rates and a broader base.

WSJ: Paul Ryan: The GOP Budget and America's Future

This is because Republican candidate Mitt Romney pitched a tax plan founded on the two pillars of the Bowles-Simpson proposal: lower rates and base broadening through the elimination of preferences.

FORBES: Days Before Sequester, Bowles and Simpson Offer A Second Plan For Fiscal Sustainability