Virtually any biological matter has potential as a fuel source because carbon-based molecules can release energy. To this end, Hollywood depictions of automobiles running directly on trash (e.g., banana peels), such as those presented in “Back to the Future”, are not as fictional as we may think. Understanding the chemistry, developing technology, and establishing a reliable network, however, remain challenges that must be addressed in order to transform such science fiction into reality.

When evaluating a biofuel source, one must consider that agriculturally derived fuels are in competition with the World’s appetite. That is, a civilization sustained by agriculture risks collapse if our farm lands are converted to “fields of fuel”. A recent example of this problem transpired when a combination of severe weather and crop rotation brought about a shortage in the supply of hops. A decision to plant ethanol producing corn instead of hops contributed to the current shortage, and in turn increased beer price. Careful planning must be undertaken in order to prevent such constrain of our food supply. Developing diverse alternative energies will reduce risk, offer an efficient platform of energy supply, and prevent significant impact on other aspects of our society.

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This entry was posted on Monday, August 4th, 2008 at 6:00 am and is filed under Biofuel, Ethanol. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.