Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Preface Humans have a long history of using a wide variety of bioma ss resources as sources of energy and fuel. The discovery and use of fo ssil energy, represented largely by coal, natural gas, and petroleum, h ave drastically reduced the utilization of biomass fuels. The technolog ies of generating electricity using biomass, producing bioliquid fuels, and powering motor vehicles using bioalcohols and blended gasolines ha ve been developed and practiced since the early twentieth century. Up u ntil recently, however, development interest in biofuels had lessened d ue to the availability of relatively inexpensive fossil energy resource s as well as the handling and transportation convenience of these conve ntional fuel sources. Due to the strong growth of global transportation fuel demand, sharply escalating worldwide fossil energy prices, fear o ver the dwindling supply of petroleum and natural gas for the near futu re, and credible evidence linking global warming and climate change iss ues with the emission of greenhouse gases, global interest and R&D effo rts in renewable alternative fuels have become intense and fiercely com petitive, targeting both short- and long-term solutions to alternative energy needs. Although there are a number of options and routes for ene rgy sustainability and independence via renewable alternative energy, b ioenergy and biofuels certainly possess outstanding potential to provid e solutions and relief to many of the immediate, intermediate, and long -term societal needs of clean energy and their associated challenges"-- Provided by publisher.