Ethanol

I have a question (what else is new?)

Why are we trying to turn food into ethanol, when there are other biofuels available, at least in theory? Here are some crazy, and I do mean crazy, ideas that may only work in cartoons:

• By the looks of the local catering hall, they are throwing out enough food to feed all the poor there are. Some work with food banks to get leftovers to people to eat. But dumpsters are overflowing with food that may not be edible but should be convertible into biofuel. The sugar in wedding cakes alone, which as we know taste like crap in most cases and are never eaten, can be turned into ethanol.
  
• Has anyone thought of tobacco? Smoking is bad and that means a lot of tobacco farmers are growing the fur coats of the plant world (think P.E.T.A.). Can tobacco be used here?
• How about hooking up power generators to stationary bikes at health clubs. Let the spinning classes benefit everyone and not just those wearing spandex and headbands. Where is Olivia Newton John when we need her? (let's get physical, physical...)
• or, if we want to be like Mr. Burns (ex-cellent) we can hire people to work at generators. They get a wage and we all get power. It may not be efficient but it's better than a puff of diesel smoke in your face when the truck at the red light hits the accelerator.
  

Oh, to be a grad student again and working on new energy sources, not just ways to extend the old ones.