Crunching the numbers between ethanol, cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel

Sometime soon there has to be a focus on alternative fuel production, or at least a realization that one fuel has more potential than the other. The country can't afford to fund every research project, plant expansion or infrastructure revolution with each change in the political winds. MIT graduate Maywa Montenegro has written an in-depth, easy-to-understand overview of three alternative fuels and their economic potential and impact, especially when considering costs for planting, cultivating, harvesting and transportation. I won't go into the details as Montenegro's story takes in a lot of facts. In a pinch, though, ethanol may be the "fool's gold" of alternative fuels and biodiesel is a "no brainer." The winner, however, is cellulosic ethanol. The problem, however, is that it doesn't receive significant support from the public or political leadership.

[Source: Maywa Montenegro / Grist]