FAQ: Guide to alternative fuels (news.com.com)

By Michael Kanellos
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Published: February 1, 2007, 4:00 AM PST

What will you fill up your car with in five to ten years? It's hard to say. Several different alternatives to petroleum and diesel, or ways to economize on them, have come forward in the past few years, and each has its own pluses and minuses.

Experts warn that it won't be easy to get off of petroleum or reduce how much the world uses. The amount of energy per liter derived from petroleum is far better than most of the alternatives, a worldwide infrastructure based on it already exists, and people tend to be lazy--seeking out alternative fuels takes some effort.

If oil drops below $55 a barrel, most of these alternatives stop becoming attractive, says Dan Arvizu, director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. And the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is watching what is going on in alternative fuels and can gauge oil prices accordingly.

"We do have a problem with how serious we are about our energy challenges," he said.

Global warming and improving technology, however, are making the alternatives more realistic all the time. Here's a guide to the main alternatives.

1. Ethanol ...
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more: http://news.com.com/FAQ+Guide+to+alternative+fuels/2100-11395_3-6155212.html

No news here for the crusty old denizens of En&En, but good intro reading for the less initiated.