Biofuels – fuel made from biologic raw materials – continue to be the focusing of intense enquiry , but so far they have n’t come near to replacing rock oil and petroleumdieselmade fromcrude oil . Because different fuel have unlike energy cognitive content per gal , you ca n’t only equate the price - per - gallon , but or else need to liken the fair monetary value - per - unit - of - Department of Energy . And in late 2010 in the United States , gasoline monetary value on average about $ 2.78 per unit of measurement , while ethanol cost about $ 3.45 for the same amount . However , you ’d give about $ 2.86 for biodiesel [ source : U.S. Department of Energy ] . While biofuels may one day become inexpensive fuel sources that are good for the environment than fossil fuel , they also give challenges : The production of some low - monetary value biofuels may cause unintended environmental damage . Researchers are exploring " next - generation " feedstocks such asalgaeandgrasses , but these are still expensive to produce . In the meantime , there are biofuels usable that are relatively easy on the wallet and we ’ll explore five of them here .
5. Corn
Corn is just one of the many new materials , or feedstock , that can be convert intoethanoland used for fuel . As of 2010 , 187 facilities in the United States were produce ethanol , most of them using corn as feedstock [ source : Renewable Fuels Association ] . clavus ethanol can cut glasshouse gasolene emissions , but because it contains less vim than gas , a vehicle go on this biofuel would get significantly low fuel consumption rate than one running ongasoline . Producing corn ethanol on a large ordered series could also create a famine of corn for nutrient . maize fermentation alcohol is also criticized for creating unsuitable environmental effects . opponent of corn ethanol fuel ( and other biofuels as well ) argue that when areas such as grassland and rainforest are converted to supply land to grow corn , the overall result is an addition in greenhouse natural gas expelling [ source : The Nature Conservancy ] . And the processing corn into grain alcohol in reality uses a huge amount of dodo fuel . Still , many producers are bank on corn whiskey : Currently , about a third of all corn whisky grow in the United States is used to make fuel [ source : The New York Times ] .
4. Sugarcane
Sugarcane ’s big success fib start decades ago in Brazil . In response to theoilshortages and high price as a result of the 1973 Mideast oil embargo , the Brazilian government threw its free weight behind sugarcane ethanol . The regime require its major vegetable oil fellowship to useethanol , provided $ 4.9 billion in low - interest loans to promote companies to invest in it and initially even bid subsidies to make ethanol inexpensive . Today , the subsidy are no longer need , and more than 70 percentage of new car betray in Brazil are " flex fuel " vehicle , which operate on anywhere from 100 percent to 25 percentage ethanol [ origin : Hofstrand ] . Millions of acres of Saccharum officinarum are grown in Brazil , but many country , include the United States , do n’t have this option because they do n’t have the clime for it like Brazil . Brazil has just the right weather to farm sugarcane , and enough state to grow it in large enough amounts for it to be a effective source of fuel for that country .
3. Plant Oils
A range of works oils have been used to create renewable fuel , with canola , palm and soybean as some of the most commonly used option . Fuel bring about from these source , calledbiodiesel , offers near mile per gal than regulargasoline , but fewer miles per gallon than the petroleum - based Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel fuels currently uncommitted . Pure biodiesel ’s fuel economy and powerfulness is about 10 percent lower than that of petroleum diesel . Biodiesel / crude blends are more effective , but still about 2 percent less than the thoroughgoing petroleum variety [ source : U.S. Department of Energy ] . The canola oil plant , which is part of the mustard family unit , acquire seeds with high rock oil content – about 40 percent – and is a oftentimes used feedstock for fuel , peculiarly in the United States and Canada . Palm oil , which is produced in large quantities in Malaysia and Indonesia , may be a serious alternative from an economic position , but has raised worry about its disconfirming environmental effect . Biodiesel presents many of the same problems as ethanol , include translation of food crop and increased greenhouse gun emissions as a result of metamorphose natural area into biofuel croplands [ reference : The Nature Conservancy ] .
2. Recycled Cooking Grease and Oil
It may not sound pleasant , but waste products like used cookery oil and grease can be used as cheap feedstock . They are attractive as fuel sources because they ’re both environmentally friendly and inexpensive . The issues regarding state use , energy white plague and environmental impact that often surround farm feedstock like corn whiskey , sugarcane and ribbon trees , can be eliminated by using something that already exists and demand to be disposed of anyway . " chickenhearted grime , " a term forrecycled cookery oilthat may admit Glycine max , decoration or canola fossil oil , is one type of permissive waste product being used as fuel . Of of course it ’s not possible to plainly pour used eating place grime into your automobile ’s gas armored combat vehicle ; it must first be processed to remove impurities and turned into sporty - burning fuel .
1. Jatropha
Much attending has been move over to the seeds of a vicious scraggy bush , jatropha , as a potential feedstock , particularly in India and Africa . Because it ’s not comestible , jatropha used for fuel does n’t compete with its use as a nutrient crop – a frequently summons concern with many biofuel generator . The jatropha plant life is unfearing and drouth - resistant , and it grows quickly . And it ’s of particular interest to scientists looking for cheap feedstock because the seeds can contain up to 40 percentage oil . These timber all sound assure , but so far jatropha crop do n’t seem to be providing high enough yields , most potential because it has been plant in " bare " soil that is n’t of eminent enough quality [ root : Johnson ] . Jatropha also require a batch of water during the grow process . So , while the plant is inexpensive , it may not be ideal for bombastic - musical scale yield .
