A recent feature article in the Environmental Science and Technology Journal (URL above) raises issues concerning the impacts of increased biofuel production on water security. The challenge of "ensuring inexpensive and clean water" under the Millenium Development Goals of the United Nations is seen to be intensified by the increasing demand for biomass-derived fuels because (1) the cultivation of biofuel crops will require large quantities of water, and (2) "water pollution is exacerbated by agricultural drainage containing fertilizers, pesticides, and sediment". The other end of the spectrum for increased biofuels production is the significant potential to ease dependence on foreign oil and improve trade balance(s) while mitigating air pollution and reducing fossil carbon emissions to the atmosphere. The report, which is authored by scientists from Rice University, Clarkson University, and Missouri University of Science and Technology (United States) mentions that the water requirement associated with driving on biofuels can be significant. To minimize the "water footprint" of biofuels, a bioenergy crop should ideally be drought-tolerant, with high biomass yields and can be grown on little irrigation water. The authors also urge that "biofuels should be supported by rainfall, instead of irrigation". The full report can be accessed at the website of the Environmental Science and Technology Journal (URL above)..