by Ryan Weber

Created on: April 30, 2008   Last Updated: May 07, 2008

Skyrocketing fossil-fuel prices have America and the world scrambling for an antidote for their addiction to conventional oil. Environmentalists have been promoting biofuels for years, but the market was not there as long as cheap conventional gasoline was available. The current oil crisis brings entrepreneurs, protectionists and environmentalists together with a common purpose. Those in the business world hope to get rich, conservatives envision an energy independent nation, and those concerned with the environment seek to make the world a better place to live.

Currently, a myriad of biofuel source crops are in use in different parts of the world and even in the U.S. Common sources include soy beans, corn, sugar cane, and switchgrass. Before production begins full-scale, it is important to evaluate our options for fuel production to find the best fit. When considering the switch to biofuels, there are a number of questions to consider.

The first question is, which source is most efficient to grow. The simplest measure of crop efficiency is gallons of fuel produced per acre:
Algae - 3,500
Sugar Cane - 650
Palm Oil - 635
Corn - 328
Switchgrass - 165
Soy Beans - 50

According to this data, we should focus on producing biofuel from algae since it has a considerably higher yield potential per acre. Also worth consideration is sugar cane, which has a proven track record in Brazil.

The second factor to consider is the effect of biofuel sources on food staple prices. As more farmers turn to producing a crop for biofuel, the price of the commodity for food production will increase. Thus, an ideal source of biofuel will have minimal use as a food source. In this case, algae and switchgrass come out on top since they play no part in food production around the world.

Another important issue when evaluating biofuel sources is the impact on arable land. According to the CIA World Factbook, only 18% of the US is made up of arable land. With people in impoverished nations already struggling to put food on the table, and urban development constantly encroaching on this limited resource, it would clearly be beneficial to use as little arable land as possible for fuel production. The only biofuel option which does not require arable land is algae. Not only does it not require arable land, but it has no requirement for a specific type of land use. According to an AP article featured on MSNBC.com, "An algae farm could be located almost anywhere. It wouldn't require converting cropland from

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