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.
