“Biofuels” are transportation fuels like ethanol and biodiesel that are made from biomass materials. These fuels are usually blended with the petroleum fuels — gasoline and diesel fuel, but they can also be used on their own. Using ethanol or biodiesel means we don’t burn quite as much fossil fuel. Ethanol and biodiesel are usually more expensive than the fossil fuels that they replace, but they are also cleaner-burning fuels, producing fewer air pollutants.
What Is Ethanol?
Ethanol is an alcohol fuel made from the sugars found in grains, such as Corn, Sorghum and Barley. Switchgrass can yield almost twice as much ethanol as corn, estimates geneticist Ken Vogel, who is conducting breeding and genetics research on switchgrass to improve its biomass yield and its ability to recycle carbon as a renewable energy crop.
Other sources of sugars to produce ethanol include: Potato skins, Rice, Sugar cane, Sugar beets, Yard clippings, Bark and Switchgrass.
Most of the ethanol used in the United States today is distilled from corn, gving rise to concerns over world food shortages, as biofuels demand increases. Scientists are working on cheaper ways to make ethanol by using all parts of plants and trees rather than just the grain. Farmers are experimenting with “woody crops,” mostly small poplar trees and switchgrass, to see if they can be grown cheaply and abundantly.
Ethanol Is Blended With Gasoline: About 99% of the ethanol produced in the United States is used to make “E10″ or “gasohol,” a mixture of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. Any gasoline powered engine can use E10, but only specially made vehicles can run on E85, a fuel that is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.
Ethanol Is Nontoxic and Biodegradable. Using ethanol means that we use less oil (a nonrenewable fuel) to make gasoline. Unlike gasoline, ethanol is nontoxic (safe to handle) and biodegradable; it quickly breaks down into harmless substances if spilled.
Ethanol Can Reduce Pollution. When small amounts of ethanol are added to gasoline, usually less than 10%, there are many advantages. Ethanol reduces carbon monoxide and other toxic pollution from the tailpipes of vehicles, making less air pollution. It also keeps engines running smoothly without the need for lead or other chemical additives.
Ethanol is made from crops that absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. So growing crops for ethanol may have the potential to balance out carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. The impact of greater ethanol use on net carbon dioxide emissions depends on how ethanol is made and on whether or not indirect impacts on land use are included in the calculations.
What Is Biodiesel?
Biodiesel is a fuel made from vegetable oils, fats, or greases — such as recycled restaurant grease. Biodiesel fuel can be used in diesel engines without changing them. It is the fastest growing alternative fuel in the United States. Biodiesel, a renewable fuel, is safe, biodegradable, and produces lower levels of most air pollutants than petroleum-based products; below is a video of the backyard version of the process of making biodiesel:
Of course all this uses up land that could be used for food. This practice is better run at small-scale local levels, using waste products exclusively.