| Nowadays, people are looking for ways to reduce | | | | is questionable whether the fossil carbon savings |
| their carbon footprints, that is to say the amount | | | | are balanced by the fossil fuel used in its |
| of fossil carbon that they release into the | | | | production. Research is still ongoing to make |
| atmosphere. The fastest growing way to do this | | | | bioethanol from cheap sources such as wood. |
| is by using biofuels. | | | | Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils. It can be |
| Biofuels are fuels that are produced from biological | | | | used in diesel engines, and can be mixed with |
| sources such as trees, plants or micro-organisms. | | | | standard diesel and used in most modern diesel |
| They are carbon neutral, because they do not | | | | cars with small modifications. Biodiesel use is |
| result in fossil carbon being released into the | | | | gradually increasing in Europe, where around 50% |
| atmosphere. All of the carbon contained in a | | | | of new cars are sold with diesel engines. Again, |
| biofuel was absorbed from the atmosphere by | | | | there is debate as to how much biodiesel can |
| photosynthesis in plants, just a few months or | | | | reasonably be produced. Small amounts are being |
| years earlier. This means that when you burn a | | | | made out of recycled vegetable oil from |
| biofuel, you simply release the carbon back into | | | | restaurants. |
| the atmosphere, and have no overall effect on | | | | Wood is a biofuel that humans have used for |
| atmospheric CO2 levels. In contrast, fossil fuels | | | | thousands of years. It can be burned as logs on a |
| contain carbon that has been locked up | | | | roaring fire to heat a home, produce hot water |
| underground for millions of years. Burning a fossil | | | | and to cook food. However, there are now |
| fuel increases the level of CO2 in the atmosphere, | | | | modern systems that have brought wood into |
| but it is not balanced out by photosynthesis. | | | | the 21st century. Automatic boilers have been |
| The three biofuels which are most widely used | | | | produced that burn wood pellets to heat a house. |
| are bioethanol, biodiesel and wood. | | | | The homeowner simply has to tip a bag of wood |
| Bioethanol can be used in standard gasoline | | | | pellets into a hopper once every two or three |
| engines with fairly small modifications, provided | | | | days, and the system will do the rest. |
| that it is mixed with normal gasoline. E10 is a | | | | Alternatively a bulk pellet tank can be installed to |
| mixture of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. There | | | | feed the system automatically. Modern wood fired |
| are several race cars running on E10 fuel in the | | | | boilers are so efficient that the ash container need |
| prestigious American Le Mans Series. For many | | | | only be emptied once a month. This is nearly as |
| years, Brazil has successfully used a mixture of | | | | convenient as using an oil burning boiler, but |
| gasoline and bioethanol produced from sugar cane | | | | releases 90% less fossil carbon, even including the |
| in its cars. E85 is a mixture of 85% bioethanol and | | | | fuel used to harvest and transport the wood. |
| 15% gasoline, and is actually a high performance | | | | If you wish to reduce your fossil carbon |
| fuel due to the high octane rating of ethanol. | | | | emissions, biofuels are not a total solution. |
| Some manufacturers are bringing out cars capable | | | | However, they can be used in conjunction with |
| of running on E85, but availability of this fuel is still | | | | efficiency savings to help reduce your fossil fuel |
| very limited. | | | | consumption, and shrink your carbon footprint. |
| There is some controversy over bioethanol, as it | | | | |