Editor's note: This post is part of a series. We'll be releasing one of Worldchanging ally Andy Lubershane's original comics each week until the end of the year. While many of the issues covered in the comics have been discussed on Worldchanging in the past, we hope that you'll be able to use this new medium in a different way … whether it's in your classroom, on your office wall, or to help explain ideas to friends and family.

This week's cartoon describes cellulosic ethanol, a type of biofuel produced from grasses, wood or the non-edible parts of plants. You can read about early cellulosic ethanol efforts in Jeremy Faludi's 2005 post, Jungle Rot: the Future of Ethanol?. If you'd like to read more about the problems associated with corn ethanol production, check out Mindy Lubber's 2007 piece, Corn Ethanol and the Great Dust Bowl. You can also read about algae, another important biofuel option, in our archive here and here.

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Andy Lubershane researches, writes and cartoons about sustainability from his home in Boston. He can be reached at alubershane[at]gmail[dot]com.