The future of fuel
High oil prices and energy security are propelling governments and consumers alike to demand ethanol as fuel for cars.
Due to increasing demand for fuel ethanol, the market for enzymes used to produce the fuel is also growing rapidly. Not only is bioethanol a renewable resource; it also burns cleaner than gasoline and produces fewer harmful greenhouse gases.
Environmentally friendly by nature, the use of fuel ethanol has enabled the United States to phase out the gasoline additive MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) - a contaminant which has been found in drinking water in many parts of the country.
Mitigating Climate Change
Adding a 10% ethanol blend to ordinary gasoline results in a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions of 3–6%. Biofuels reduce the environmental impact from the transportation sector, one of the major contributors to the greenhouse gas emissions that are changing our climate.
Biofuel will also be key to reducing global CO2 emissions. Transport is responsible for a quarter of global energy-related CO2 emissions. That share is rising and biofuel is the only currently available way to effectively turn this tide. Already today bioethanol can help reduce CO2 emissions from transport with 30-90% compared to gasoline. When cellulosic bioethanol becomes available from 2010, it will reduce CO2 emissions by even more.
Today's answer for a better tomorrow
Biofuels are the only currently available fuel option to limit CO2 emissions from transportation. The use of bioethanol helped reduce US greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 10 million tons in 2007 – equivalent to taking more than 1.5 million cars off the roads.
Boosting economies and creating jobs
Biofuel can create economic growth in rural areas and in developing countries. Its production generates jobs and income in developed as well as developing countries.
Developing rural economies
Rural, agricultural areas in both developed and developing countries have the most to gain. Biofuels increase demand for agricultual products, create new markets, create new jobs, and increase food security.
Creating energy security around the world
Biofuel is key to reducing our dependency on oil. In 2007 biofuel production replaced one million barrels of crude oil every day. This helped to keep global oil prices 15% lower than otherwise. In the future, biofuels can meet at least 25% of the global need for transport fuel without any significant increase in the acreage used to produce biofuel feedstock.
Becoming independent
The world needs to reduce its dependency on oil. Biofuel is based on renewable resources and can help reduce the world’s dependency on fossil fuels. In developing countries, the oil purchased to meet energy needs takes a significant amount of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), often leaving no money for other critical elements to move people out of poverty. By establishing a biofuel program, a developing country can start to release the strangle hold oil has on their finances, while at the same time building an agriculture and domestic energy industry that will net them revenue instead of depleting their coffers.
