Posted on 02/01/2006 8:26:01 AM PST by cogitator
I was just impressed that the President's speech included a mention of switchgrass, which could become an important feedstock for cellulosic ethanol production.
"We must also change how we power our automobiles. We will increase our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars and in pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. We will also fund additional research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn but from wood chips and stalks or switchgrass. Our goal is to make this new kind of ethanol practical and competitive within six years."
red X
See, this is brilliant. Red X's are a renewable resource. If we can find a way to make ethanol out of red X's, in 20 years we can power all our cars off it and tell the Arabs to go pound sand!
}:-)4
Thank you. When Bush mentioned it, I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. Just proves you can find out anything on FR!
If Brazil can run 50% of its autos on 100% pure ethanol, why can't America?
Because gasoline would suddenly and without explanation become inexpensive again.
Taliaferro said the ratio is better with switchgrass because it doesn't require the nurturing of row crops and it is perennial, eliminating the need for annual planting."
Hmmmn, out west I would think tumble weeds (Russian thistle) and tule reeds.
http://geolit.org/rushranch/tulereeds.htm
"Because gasoline would suddenly and without explanation become inexpensive again."
So? Like all the defenders of Big Oil like to say "It's just good Capitalism"
SD
Potentially dumb question, but why couldn't municipalities collect cut lawn grass for processing into fuel?
Grasses have always made a good fuel, although not widely used in modern times. The Romans used to use handfuls of grass to heat their floors (hypocausts), which were raised tile floors with channels underneath for hot air heated by a fire at some point. In certain parts of Roman-colonized northern Spain, up until about 50 years ago, there were still peasant dwellings that used the hot, fast heat of straw under tile floors.
Granted, this is an entirely different system and the new system doesn't depend on burning the grass itself, but it's interesting that an old fuel would come back in some form.
Off the top of my head it might have too much moisture content, so it works better for composting than as a fuel source. This gets into another aspect of alternative fuels, namely energy co-generation in incinerators. I remember seeing that cities in Japan get a positive energy balance from their incinerators, enough to provide power for public facilities like swimming pools (i.e., to warm up the water).
Municipal waste streams may provide another energy source, as you indicate.
"If we all switch to grass why do we need ethanol?"
Switchgrass is used to produce ethanol.
I think he meant a different "grass" as an alternative to personal (rather than vehicular) ethanol consumption.
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