Apparently there’s a new study on creating biofuel from watermelons that has the internet buzzing about the possibility of another clean burning alternative to petrol.  The basic idea is that there are many watermelons left on the vines going to waste due to the fact that they have minor exterior damage that make them a tough sell at supermarkets.  I imagine the result is something similar to what they’re looking into with sugarcane or cellulose (the exterior layers of many fruits).

National Geographic added that the researchers couldn’t resist giving their experiment a taste, since what they’re basically doing is making watermelon alcohol.  I don’t know about you but I’ve had watermelon-flavored Kit-Kat before so it really wouldn’t surprise me.

It’s great to see that more research is being done in terms of biofuels rather than hybrids and electric cars, which seem to be the popular choice these days especially among those who want to appear to be environmentally conscious.  I’ve mentioned before that while electrics are definitely are a step in the right direction,  many people fail to realize where the electricity comes from (you don’t exactly have a windmill hooked up to your Chevy Volt) and the ridiculous charging times make electrics a massive inconvenience.

Biofuel seems to be a good bridge between fossil fuels and hydrogen, which for the most part the car industry still hasn’t figured out how to mass produce at a low cost despite hydrogen being the most abundant element on the planet.  For now, biofuel such as this crazy watermelon concoction is renewable.

Vehicle pollution is a serious problem, especially with the ever-growing number of people and the rapid industrialization of previously mostly rural and agricultural nations and dealing with what all these extra cars produces is a hurdle we’ll really have to deal with in the coming years.