Biofuels of the Future

Abstract

There are good biofuels and bad biofuels. The good ones offer the prospect of transport fuels that have much lower environmental impact than fossil fuels and could before long be less expensive as well. Bad or irresponsibly produced biofuels may at best bring little environmental advantage; at worst they may also cause serious environmental damage, habitat destruction and food shortages. The biofuel industry of the future will make a significant contribution to the greening of the world’s vehicle transport systems by producing biofuels that are derived either from plants grown on marginal land where food crops cannot be grown, or from the organic residues from agricultural, industrial or urban processes. The industry is still in its infancy and is likely to spring some big surprises.