| There are many eco-benefits to replacing oil with | | | | world’s remaining forests and open spaces |
| bio-fuels like ethanol and bodies. For one, since | | | | over to agricultural land. |
| such fuels are derived from agricultural crops, | | | | “Replacing only five percent of the |
| they are inherently renewable-and our own | | | | nation’s diesel consumption with bodies would |
| farmers typically produce them domestically, | | | | require diverting approximately 60 percent of |
| reducing our dependence on unstable foreign | | | | today’s soy crops to body’s |
| sources of oil. | | | | production,” says Matthew Brown, an energy |
| Additionally, ethanol and bodies emit less | | | | consultant and former energy program director at |
| particulate pollution than traditional | | | | the National Conference of State Legislatures. |
| petroleum-based gasoline and diesel fuels. They | | | | “That’s bad news for tofu lovers.” |
| also do not contribute to global warming, since | | | | Another dark cloud looming over befouls is |
| they only emit back to the environment the | | | | whether producing them actually requires more |
| carbon dioxide (CO2) that their source plants | | | | energy than they can generate. After factoring in |
| absorbed out of the atmosphere in the first place. | | | | the energy needed to grow crops and then |
| And unlike other forms of renewable energy (like | | | | convert them into befouls, for more detail . |
| hydrogen, solar or wind), befouls are easy for | | | | Cornell University researcher David Pimentel |
| people and businesses to transition to without | | | | concludes that the numbers just don’t add up. |
| special apparatus or a change in vehicle or home | | | | His 2005 study found that producing ethanol from |
| heating infrastructure-you can just fill your existing | | | | corn required 29 percent more energy than the |
| car, truck or home oil tank with it. | | | | end product itself is capable of generating. He |
| Those looking to replace gasoline with ethanol in | | | | found similarly troubling numbers in making bodies |
| their car, however, must have a | | | | from soybeans. “There is just no energy |
| “flex-fuel” model that can run on either | | | | benefit to using plant biomass for liquid fuel,” |
| fuel. Otherwise, most regular diesel engines can | | | | says Pimentel. |
| handle bodies as readily as regular diesel. | | | | There is no one quick-fix for weaning ourselves |
| Despite the upsides, however, experts point out | | | | off of fossil fuels and the future will likely see a |
| that befouls are far from a cure for our addiction | | | | combination of sources-from wind and ocean |
| to petroleum. A wholesale societal shift from | | | | currents to hydrogen, solar and, yes, some use |
| gasoline to befouls, given the number of gas-only | | | | of befouls-powering our energy needs. |
| cars already on the road and the lack of ethanol | | | | The “elephant in the living room,” |
| or bodies pumps at existing filling stations, for | | | | however, that is often ignored when considering |
| more detail would take some time. Another major | | | | energy options is the hard reality that we must |
| hurdle for widespread adoption of befouls is the | | | | reduce our consumption, not just replace it with |
| challenge of growing enough crops to meet | | | | something else. Indeed, conservation is probably |
| demand, something skeptics say might well | | | | the largest single “alternative fuel” available |
| require converting just about all of the | | | | to us. |