Good News On Bio-Fuel Front

[Kathianne]

Bio-fuels may be a good idea, but not 'food based' ones:

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jul/23/dupont-danisco-partner-ut-project/


DuPont-Danisco to partner with UT project

Associated Press
Originally published 02:10 p.m., July 23, 2008
Updated 02:10 p.m., July 23, 2008


DuPont Co. has joined a state initiative to build the first pilot-scale biorefinery in the U.S. that would take corncobs and switchgrass grown on Tennessee farms and convert the biomass into ethanol for fuel.

The announcement today by Gov. Phil Bredesen and DuPont officials marks a change in development partners for the University of Tennessee-managed cellulosic ethanol project.

The project has received a $40.7 million commitment from the state and a $26 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy...

[avatar4321]

Yeah, I remember reading this before. I would definitely support this type of biofuel. I just think turning food into fuel is stupid.

[PostmodernProphet]

I asked my brother-in-law about turning corn stalks and cobs into ethanol, thus doubling the return of fuel per acre on corn crops.....he mentioned that the biggest problem in doing so is that current ag procedures rely on the stalks and cobs (chopped up in the harvesting process) being turned back into the soil to replenish it's make-up.......if the soil is deprived of this material it will only be a few years before it turns into the dust that plagued the plains states in the 30s.........

switchgrass, grown on soil too arid to raise food crops, is a much better alternative....particularly when cut high enough that the plant become a perennial and bare soil doesn't get an opportunity to erode......

[CockySOB]

switchgrass, grown on soil too arid to raise food crops, is a much better alternative....particularly when cut high enough that the plant become a perennial and bare soil doesn't get an opportunity to erode......

Agreed. And as I recall, it could be harvested rather frequently when compared to other crops.

[KitchenKitten99]

Why not sugar-beet ethanol? I mean, there isn't much that is made out of beet-sugar, not enough to really impact much. I though Brazil was using it and it so far has been successful?

[PostmodernProphet]

because sugar beets are grown on the same type of ground that food crops grow on....converting land to sugar beet growth has the same result as converting it to corn growth.....

you have to remember that before ethanol not much was made out of corn either......the price was static for nearly thirty years and the government had to subsidize farmers so they wouldn't go broke.....