[kingu]

I'm curious..

Almost every implementation of biodiesel I've read about advocates at maximum a twenty percent blend. Reducing our use of diesel fuel by 25% wouldn't deeply affect our dependence on foreign oil.

Six percent of the land area of the United States is a pretty significant amount. That's what, the size of Texas? I'm pretty sure that's more than the total amount of field coverage for alfalfa, corn and wheat combined.

[farfromhome]

6% of our land is 1/3 of our arable land.

[BigBobber]

So true! The carbohydrate energy economy (wood and hay)started phasing out at the end of the 18th century. It was replaced by coal for transportation because of it's higher energy density. Coal ruled until the middle of the 20th century when it was replaced by petroleum that had even higher energy density.

Why would we go back to low energy density carbohydrate fuels that had their heyday (sorry) two centuries ago? It would require vast amounts of our arable land that is now open space or used to grow food. That's not a sound environmental policy.