What Is the Future of Biofuels?

This is a useful reference series for students who need current information about the pros and cons of renewable energy. Each book includes an overview of the energy source, as well as arguments related to four key issues. Chapters include clearly written discussions on the fuel’s affordability, impact on the environment, and potential for replacing fossil fuels. Explanations, statistics, and arguments represent both sides of the issues. High quality color graphs, charts, and illustrations support the textual information. Sections at the end of each book summarize key facts and list source notes, related organizations, websites, and resources. This series offers succinct, balanced, and authoritative information for students preparing research papers and debates. Index. Virginia Stone, Assistant Librarian, St. Christopher’s School, Richmond, Virginia

This dry but focused entry in the Future of Renewable Energy series presents in pro-and-con format a rigidly structured set of opposing views on the cost of biofuels, their putative benefits, environmental impact, and general likelihood of replacing fossil fuels anytime soon. Also covered is whether the government should be involved in encouraging biofuel development. Each chapter opens with brief position statements and then expands upon them with frequent references to recently published statistics and publications. Brightly colored charts or tables and, more rarely, photos provide additional information (plus some visual relief). The back matter includes endnotes and summary bullet points followed by large quantities of relevant print and web resources. In general, the pro biofuel arguments focus on long-term potential, which gives the cons, largely fixated on present obstacles, a less-compelling thrust—at least, intellectually. Readers after information about what biofuels are or how they are made should look elsewhere, but this offers a convenient, if not entirely evenhanded, gathering of material for reports or formal debates on the question. Use this as a younger-student alternative to Hal Marcovitz’s Can Renewable Energy Replace Fossil Fuels? (2010). — John Peters