The latest Motor Trend magazine had a long article on diesel and bio-diesel. The caveat to bio diesel is it has to be very clean and free of water, or it will harm the fuel injection on even the oldest diesels. The fuel also has to be warmed to flow through the engine, which in the case of bio-diesel conversions, requires the engine first run on regular diesel before switching over to the tank that holds the bio diesel. The process is repeated when shutting down the engine to clean the grease from the fuel lines.
Personally, I think bio-diesel is very cool. But one has to be careful, it seems.
Ethanol may take on a whole new definition very soon. Some guy here in L.A. evidentially invented an ethanol processor for home use that can process cane sugar and old booze into fuel. He says he can create 35 gallons a week, which is enough for most commuters. The best part, when you tire of Chivas Regal and want something more like Jameson's, you don't feel like you've wasted money on the Chivas.
According to the inventor, this concoction supposedly burns hotter than traditional corn-based ethanol.
As to the potential strain on cane sugar supplies, who knows?