Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
that have yet to be discovered. For example, research is currently being conducted to determine if
aquatic weeds like water hyacinth (
Eichhornia crassipes
; Aswathy et al. 2010) or even microalgae
(Williams and Laurens 2010) can be utilized to produce biofuels.
As the human population continues to expand and the standard of living in much of the world
continues to improve, the demand for transportation fuels will continue to increase as a result. Even
with advances in fuel efficiency and improvements in mass-transit systems to offset a portion of this
demand, the need for fuel will continue to grow. The environmental consequences of our continued
usage of fossil fuels are becoming all too apparent, as demonstrated by the recent disaster in the
Gulf of Mexico. In addition, the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmo-
sphere from burning these fuels is suspected of causing global climate change. Plant-based biofuels
hold immense promise for meeting our future fuel needs in a more sustainable way. The challenge
to develop new, dedicated biofuel crops is great, but plant breeders now have an incredible array of
genetic and genomic resources to help them meet this challenge.
dIsclaImer
The mention of trade names or commercial products is solely for the purpose of providing spe-
cific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
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