Biofuels are Brilliant!

Everything has energy. That energy can be in the form of heat, light, motion, or the energy can just be stored in an object. The idea of potential energy, or energy stored in an object, is the basic idea behind biofuels.

Biofuels actually work in a similar way to fossil fuels. Fossil fuels -- coal, oil, and natural gas -- release energy when they are burned. The same thing happens with biofuels when they burn; they release energy that can be used for things like heating houses or making cars run. Biofuels are typically made of plant waste, and there is no one specific plant that is used for biofuels.

Biofuels are normally made from plants that can be easily grown and harvested, like corn. In fact, ethanol from corn is one of the most widely used forms of biofuel in the United States. The plant matter is typically turned into a liquid before it is used. Sticking with the corn example, corn is normally broken down in to something called a “mash”. The mash is eventually processed into ethanol, which can be used as a biofuel.

One of the problems with biofuel is that it requires a specialized vehicle to be used as an energy source. However, biofuel is significantly better for the environment and it is much more sustainable than fossil fuels.

Picture Source: grist.org