Invited Talks

SCIENTIFIC ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIOFUELS

Abstract
The earth receives approximately 4000 times as much energy from the sun each year as total projected human energy use in 2050. Because plants can be deployed on a large scale to capture and store solar energy, one way of moving toward the development of carbon neutral energy sources is to use plant biomass for production of fuels. In considering this possibility, the Secretary of Energy of the US has called for the replacement of 30% of the liquid fuels used in the US with biofuels by 2030. I will outline some of the technical issues that must be addressed in order to reach this goal.