Biofuels, such as ethanol and bio-diesel, are fuels derived from biomass (recently living organisms or their byproducts) and can be used as a fuel in transportation and to run farm equipment. Biofuels can come from a variety of sources including: corn, soybeans, flaxseed, sugar cane, palm oil, straw, timber, manure, sewage and even food waste.

Biofuels are not a new invention. The combustion engine was originally designed to run on ethanol, and the diesel engine originally ran on peanut oil. Prospects for biofuels have been low throughout the 20th century, due to abundance of inexpensive Middle Eastern oil. Due to the dwindling supplies of this oil, the impacts it has had on our environment, and its increasing costs and security concerns, biofuels are starting to surge in popularity. President Bush has recently called for the use of more biofuels, and even McDonald’s is planning on running its European trucking fleet on used French fry grease!

Biofuels are more efficient, and produce 60% to 80% fewer carbon emissions, than fossil fuels. While biofuels are not perfect – they do result in some harmful emissions (including nitrous oxides, the principle cause of smog) and some biofuel types require significant energy and water for their production -- they can beare a step in the right direction towards an efficient, home-grown solution to our energy needs.  While still in its research phase, cellulosic ethanol – developed from agricultural waste (e.g., straw), wood waste (e.g., sawdust) or energy crops (e.g., switchgrass) – shows the most promise as a future biofuel source, given its low water and energy requirements, a net energy content three times higher than corn ethanol, and a low net level of greenhouse gases.  

Click the links for more information on bio-fuels such as ethanol  and bio-diesel
CU Biodisel
Information on biofuels