New developments in renewable energy could reduce dependence on petroleum 
Regular, unleaded gas in Columbia is up to $3.80 per gallon. In other parts of America, the price is well over $4. Unfortunately for consumers, the U.S. is not in a thriving economy, which only makes the price at the pump another difficulty for struggling families.
At the same time, the growing population and industrialization of the rest of the world is increasing demand for oil globally, furthering this unfortunate trend in prices long-term. Those on the right say drill here, drill now, and those on the left take an opposite position. As the stalemate is prolonged, the government must consider possible bipartisan solutions. One of those solutions is an increased use of biodiesel.
American vehicles, primarily because of tradition, run on gasoline and not diesel. High government taxes on diesel fuel and federal restrictions regarding imports of foreign cars serve to further continue the status quo. Though American transportation so far is surviving, change in the system is inevitable.
Diesel fuel emits fewer carbon emissions on a per-mile basis than gasoline, and vehicles running on diesel can get 40 percent better gas mileage as a result of the fuel's greater energy density. Biodiesel is even better. Because biodiesel is made from raw materials, such as plant oils, it doesn't add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Rather, it simply recycles what was already found in the living matter. Sulfate emissions, and resulting sulfate aerosols, are nearly eliminated from biodiesel in comparison to regular diesel. The renewability of biodiesel is phenomenal as well. Most living material can be converted to biodiesel, be it feedstock or tree matter, but one of the most attractive possibilities researchers have found is algae. There are more than 100,000 types of algae, the vast majority of which currently serve no purpose to modern society. Now, not only can "pond scum" be used to create fuel, but municipal sludge from waste treatment plants can also be a catalyst for algae growth. Wastewater ponds are currently used as a sewage management tool across America to naturally and inexpensively treat waste. In 2009, there were more than 7,000 wastewater treatment ponds in the United States that did not harvest the algae produced therein, which could be used for fuel.
In comparison, ethanol for gasoline by government mandate uses more than 30 percent of the national corn crop. Though it may reduce the cost of gasoline at the pump, its utilization of grain inflates demand and increases costs for fish, poultry and livestock producers, as well as increasing food prices at the grocery store.
Biodiesel, on the other hand, can be synthesized from waste plants, like harvested corn stalks, and even from waste materials, like sewage. Currently, it is not the solution or end-all to American energy problems, but the increased development of both vehicles that run on diesel and processes to produce biodiesel will assist in reducing the need for gasoline.