Could we ever completely replace fossil fuel with biofuel?
Maybe, but only if we adopt a multifaceted approach to reducing fossil fuel use. In order for biofuels to have a chance of meeting our needs, we will need to significantly reduce the total amount of fuel we use. That means slowing the growth in demand for vehicle travel—through smarter growth, transit use, carpooling, etc.—and getting more miles out of every gallon of whatever fuel we do use. Q: What potential economic benefits or difficulties could a movement to biofuels have on the U.S. economy? A: At $60 per barrel, we’re sending $500,000 out of the country every single minute just to buy petroleum. In 2005, the money we spent on petroleum imports was equivalent to about one-third of our trade deficit. Reducing petroleum use through greater efficiency and by producing biofuels domestically could help alleviate this economic burden while creating new jobs on farms, in the auto industry, and throughout the economy. It will take investments to get there. In the near term, government as
