many things are missing in this thread, such as the fact that biodiesel can be made from recycling *extant* oils as well as made from new crops.

that means you are significantly reducing landfill and other hazards while simultaneously reducing petroleum dependence. fish and meat packing plants, tanneries, orchards, farms, fast-food chains, etc. all have waste that can be used for fuel.

moreover, cross-overs are possible too. for example, ethanol can be used to create biodiesel.

and finally, the “complete switch” argument is dangerously misleading. since when does a giant landmass with hundreds of millions of people perform a complete switch for anything?

how long did it take *vast majority* of people to stop smoking? you don’t need to produce 100% biofuel to make a huge boost in emissions quality while significantly reducing the amount of petroleum used. 10% of 150 billion gallons is 15 billion gallons!

even if you can only make 10% of all the fuel you need today by recyling waste, you have just reduced dependence 10% and created new economic incentives to drive innovation and growth. some european countries have mandated just 5%, for example. they’re not sitting on the fence and wondering about dreamy 100% planned solutions that will never come to fruition. diversification an localization of energy sources is clearly more secure than centralized distribution.

you have to take the first step to understand what it means to be headed in the right direction.