At CleanTechnica, we are passionate champions of the “electrify everything” movement promoted by Tony Seba and Mark Jacobson, among others. However, being realistic, internal combustion engines will continue to play an important role in transportation by land, sea, and air for the remainder of this century and perhaps beyond.

Almost any plant that grows could potentially be turned into a biofuel with a lower emissions footprint than gasoline or diesel. Currently in the US, millions of tons of corn are used every year to make ethanol, which is then blended with gasoline. In theory, the ethanol helps lower emissions, but the reduction, if any, is modest and it decreases fuel economy, so motorist are actually using more fuel than they would if they used ordinary, unadulterated gasoline.

The other part of the equation is that the conversion process itself requires a fair amount of energy and makes its own greenhouse gas emissions, which politicians conveniently choose to ignore. Ethanol, then, is mostly a scam that rewards farmers, but has few other benefits. While the science is sound, the rewards are far less than claimed. However, farmers are an important political group and no one wants to tell them that corn for ethanol is no longer a thing.

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute think they have found a better way. In a study published September 24, 2026 in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Sustainable Energy And Fuels , Michael Timko, the head of the chemical engineering department at WPI, and Timothy Woodard, PhD, claim that bamboo may be the perfect source material for making biofuels.

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