Biofuels show promise, but also present problems

Some environmentalists argue that actions such as cutting down the Brazilian rain forest to grow sugar cane for fuel just don't make sense. In the future, governments and consumers may insist on knowing where their biofuel comes from before they buy it. That could discourage production of nonsustainable biofuels, said Andy Hunter in a story in Britain's Independent newspaper. His company, Argent Energy, makes biodiesel from tallow and used cooking oil rather than corn or sugar cane. He believes:

"As companies look at [the issue], it will put pressure on some crops. In the future, biofuels which can be branded as sustainable will command a premium."

At a hearing before a congressional subcommittee May 8, a spokesman for the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association, which undoubtedly has a keen interest in the success or failure of biofuels, raised another drawback. If Americans worry now about oil supplies being unpredictable or subject to shortages, what about future biofuels? Said executive vice president Charlie Drevna in a press statement (PDF):

"Imported oil may very well have geo-political security concerns of its own, but transferring dependency on a commodity that can be severely impacted by a number of uncontrollable events (drought, storms, heat waves, etc.) creates a new dimension of uncertainty to energy supply."

All this may mean that the day is still a long way off when Marty McFly in the science fiction movie "Back to the Future" could power a flying car with just about any organic substance that was dumped into the fuel tank.

But innovators around the world keep experimenting. Residents of the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea are powering their vehicles with fuel made in backyard refineries from the oil of local coconut trees, reports the BBC. One of them, Matthias Horn, says:

"The coconut tree is a beautiful tree. Doesn't it sound good if you really run your car on something which falls off a tree, and that's the good thing about it. You run your car, and it smells nice, and it's environmentally friendly, and that's the main thing."

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