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E-mail this ArticleAs petroleum supplies dwindle and prices seesaw wildly, many attempts to create new-age fuel substitutes are slowed by a variety of barriers. Batteries tend to be expensive, require long periods to charge, are heavy and promise only a limited range. Hydrogen presents major challenges in energy generation, storage, transport, use and overall efficiency, while converting corn to ethanol triggers public concerns about the impact on food prices and greenhouse-gas emissions. Wind and sun, the two most abundant sustainable energy technologies, are not available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and would require storage in batteries or conversion to hydrogen fuel to meet current energy needs. All options have their pros and cons and will have to be considered.
Visit the Web-only stories section to read the interview AAA conducted with Charles Wyman, Ford Motor Co. chair in Environmental Engineering at the University of California’s Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering in Riverside, Calif. Learn more about biofuels and how they might contribute to helping solve the nation’s energy challenges.
