26 mins, 2007        [password required] Brazil claims to have stolen a march on the industrial world. It's developed a cost-effective alternative to petroleum by growing sugar to produce ethanol. Brazil's sugar crops are a great source of the petrol-substitute ethanol. And now rising oil prices and Brazil's production of ethanol have led to an automotive revolution in the country. Car manufacturers in Brazil have created the flex car - a vehicle that can run on either ethanol or petrol, or any combination of the two. Over 1.3 million flex cars are now running in Brazil - more than half total car sales. The foundations for the country's "sweet revolution" were laid during the oil crisis in the 1970s, when Brazil's military-led government bankrolled the development of the ethanol industry. Ethanol can be produced from many crops but, in Brazil, it is made from the most potent and cost-effective crop of them all, sugar cane. Brazil is the world's largest exporter of sugar and the biggest producer of ethanol. Sugar has been grown in Brazil for centuries, it's the conversion to alcohol that's a relatively new phenomenon. In north-east Brazil, much of the harvesting continues to be done by hand. Each man works a 10 hour day, 6 days a week, and cuts 8.5 tons of cane. The Brazilian government sees ethanol as a chance for the country to boost its economy by becoming a major exporter. Car manufacturers claim that the change to cars running on ethanol can be achieved without great costs. Special software helps the car to adjust for whatever mix of petrol or ethanol it's using. But it's not just on the roads that ethanol is powering Brazil. The world's first ethanol-fuelled planes are now being built. In Brazil, the price of fuel has helped convert millions to ethanol. But they're also claiming environmental advantages because ethanol exhaust gasses are cleaner. But not everyone is convinced that ethanol is Brazil's environmental saviour. Burning off sugar cane before the harvest is widely considered to be bad environmental practice. And although ethanol may be a renewable fuel, growing more sugar puts pressure on home soil. The sugar industry has a bad track record when it comes to looking after the environment, and forests throughout Brazil are being destroyed by the sugar farmers. (Originally made for Australian TV) DVD EXTRA: Expert Andrew Boswell argues the case against biofuels.