Biofuels for Transportation

Jun 01, 2006
  • Description

The world is on the verge of an unprecedented increase in the production and use of biofuels. Rising oil prices, national security concerns, the desire to increase farm incomes, and a host of new and improved technologies are propelling many governments to enact powerful incentives for the use of these fuels, which is in turn sparking a new wave of investment in production facilities. Today, the question is not whether renewable biofuels will play a significant role in providing energy for transportation, but rather what the implications of their use will be -- for the economy, for the environment, for global security, and for the health of societies. Decisions made in the next few years will help determine whether biofuels have a largely positive impact or whether the gains from biofuel use will be coupled with equally daunting consequences.