At the end of the day, biofuels (mainly ethanol and biodiesel) fall short when compared to other alternatives, such as Natural Gas, which is currently available in abundant supply as a viable option.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Vehicle Guide, Natural Gas Vehicles are the cleanest vehicles commercially available today. In fact, in terms of pollution reduction, every CNG fueled truck (Compressed Natural Gas) that replaces a diesel-fueled truck is the equivalent of removing 325 gasoline-fueled late-model passenger vehicles from the road. While biodiesel may cut particle emissions by about 50%, CNG vehicles emit little to no particulate matter.
The facts are that CNG as a fuel is consistently cheaper and considerably cleaner than any biofuel currently on the market. While we're waiting for "next-generation" improvements in technology, we ought to improve our quality of air right now and Natural Gas is more environmentally friendly than biodiesel.
As the cleanest-burning alternative, the California Energy Commission found that Natural Gas produces up to 23% lower emissions than diesel and 30% lower than gasoline. 98% of Natural Gas is produced in North America, making it an abundant resource that is readily available. Why don’t more discussions include Natural Gas as a viable, economically-sound, and environmentally friendly investment?