Would the widespread adoption of biomass-derived transportation fuels really help the environment?
By: David Schneider Source: SCIENCE OBSERVER The nation is abuzz with talk of replacing imported oil with “biofuels” produced from homegrown materials. This past April, for example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency honored singer Willie (“On the Road Again”) Nelson for his efforts to promote the use of biodiesel through his “BioWillie” brand, which is now being distributed at filling stations nationally. Clearly, many hurdles stand in the way of making such biofuels commercially competitive with traditional sources. Indeed, it remains very difficult to forecast whether powering our vehicles with crop derivatives will ever be a truly economic proposition. Still, it’s not too early to ponder what the widespread adoption of biofuels would mean for the environment and to take a hard look at the best strategy available, which may require tapping a very unconventional crop. Some back-of-the-envelope calculations are helpful in this regard. Michael S. Briggs, a biodiesel advocate at t
