Suitable for current distribution systems

If we decide to make all vehicles run on biofuel, it wouldn't take too much effort or money. We already have refueling stations around the world, which deliver liquid fuel into tanks in cars.

While the cars themselves would need minor modification, the whole thing would be relatively painless to implement.

Lower carbon emissions

In comparison with fossil fuels, biofuels do emit far less carbon. This is mainly because ethanol is the primary biofuel. Ethanol has 2 carbon atoms, while oil contains much longer chain molecules.

Developed

The technology required for the widespread implementation of biofuels is already available. Unlike many other renewable technologies, say solar power, there is no real need for much research and development.

High energy density

Like fossil fuels, a relatively small amount of fuel can produce a reasonable amount of energy, unlike other alternative energy sources like solar and wind energy which are diffuse.

This makes biofuel more suited to applications in transport, where a vehicle needs to carry its fuel onboard to travel long distances.

Cost

In the current economic climate, biofuels can be cheaper than the equivalent amount of oil. There are even financial incentives for farmers to grow biofuel crops.

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Who am I?

My name is Michael, I'm a postgraduate student studying Environmental Technology, specialising in energy policy. I have an undergraduate degree in Physics.

I discovered my interest in energy during the second year of my Physics degree, in a module called "Environmental Physics". It was a very general course and covered topics which would be completely inappropriate here (dry adiabatic lapse rate, anyone?) but it was enough to make me want to learn more about the other aspects of energy and the environment, away from pure Physics.

This site, my postgraduate studies, and hopefully a career are due to that interest.

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I welcome your comments, questions and criticisms (constructive, please!). You can contact me on the contact page.

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If there is demand for it, I would like to send a monthly newsletter with site updates, news from the world of energy and the environment and such. I promise not to send anything even resembling spam!

Please register your interest using the form on this page. If there is enough interest, I will endeavour to make it the best newsletter I can!

Recommended Reading: Sustainable Energy - without the hot air

Amazon UK

Amazon US

If there is one book I would recommend to clarify the energy issues we face, it would be "Sustainable Energy - without the hot air" by David MacKay. A physics professor at the University of Cambridge (UK), MacKay deals with the topic entirely from an analytical point of view.

This book is almost constantly open on my desk for reference; no other book I've read has come close to the clarity of this one. There is no politics, no social consideration or economics, just the plain numbers behind how much we use and how much each source of energy can give us.

Numbers don't lie. Don't worry about being told to change your lifestyle - another book will do that, no doubt. This one will give you the tools you need to come to informed conclusions about energy, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you buy a single book on the topic, make it this one.

You can see the book's website at withouthotair.com.