Methanol is an alternative fuel that can be mixed with petroleum or ethanol. It can be used in car engines and many other types of engines. It is promising in our oil-dependent world because it can be made from sources besides oil. For instance, it can be made from wood or coal or natural gas.

So, even when the resources are non-renewable–like they are in the case of coal and natural gas–there are still many benefits to producing methanol. Methanol derived from natural gas, for instance, has far fewer emissions, is less expensive, and there are relatively plenty of natural gas resources located in the United States.

Also, it is a more cheap and cost effective way to reduce the carbon footprint than ethanol; the main reason why ethanol is so popular in the United States is because it is heavily subsidized by the federal government and many state governments as well.

The downsides to methanol are that it is very toxic compared to gasoline, diesel, and ethanol. However, this can be countered by mixing it with bio-fuels, ethanol, or gasoline.

Overall, methanol can help bridge the gap between a petroleum driven world and a world driven by sustainable fuels.