Don: Time to go again to the A Moment of Science mailbag.

Yaël: A listener writes:

     Dear A Moment of Science,

     Scientists know that one day we'll run out of oil and other natural sources of energy.      Beyond solar power and wind power and ethanol, what are some other potential      alternative energy sources?

D: Excellent question. Of course, wind and solar power are valuable technologies, even      though they're not close to the point of being able to replace fossil fuels as our main      energy source. So scientists are always on the lookout for other possibilities.

Y: A plant scientist named Gary Strobel discovered a very interesting and unusual      possibility: a South American fungus that makes chemical compounds found in diesel      fuel. The fungus lives and feeds on cellulose, a material found in things like wheat,      barley, straw, leaves---basically almost any plant material. The fungus breaks down      cellulose, and then somehow converts it to the diesel-like chemical.

D: It's not yet clear if the fungus can be cultivated on a large scale and used to produce      actual fuel to power cars and planes and everything else that burns fuel. That will      take more research into the fungus. But it's a promising find. The world is full of a      nearly unlimited amount of renewable plant waste material like leaves and straw and      other things the fungus needs to thrive. If the fungus does pan out as a way to make      fuel, it could play an important role in helping to solve the world's energy problems.  

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