If I remember correctly US farmers were given subsidies to produce crops for ethanol. This was apparently an eco/subsidy based combination to justify payments to farmers. Ethanol production increased quite a bit and a surplus was created due to limiting the percentage in petrol. This surplus came into the global market and various governments jumped into the eco argument to use it. Some, like Brazil, used their natural resource of sugar cane to produce their own.
ICE vehicles need a combustible fuel. There may well be ways of changing from petroleum to alternatives but each will have production, emissions, chemical reaction issues to deal with. In theory hydrogen looks pretty clean but the production, distribution and safety management can reduce the emissions benefits.
Are we ever going to have a true clean system for powering transport? Is there an energy source that could be used either directly itself or in secondary form as in used to produce fuel ?
The growth of a modern global economy has led to decisions to move production and ship goods further. As local economies expand to produce their energy needs increase. Longer transport distances increase energy usage on top. Should we start producing on a more local level? Will the global conglomerates alter their profits by not going to cheap labour, H&S, grant availability by producing locally for their markets?
