Grass into gas

[Toad]

Angus, do a little reading on jatropha. Where it grows, how it grows, the yield, other useful products it provides, etc., etc.

I think you will be suprised.

One of the major benefits is that it grows in land that is essentially worthless for food crops.

[Elfie]

Originally posted by AquaShrimp
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/5195599.html

There it is.

Very interesting, they do admit to some hurdles that need to be crossed, but it does sound promising.

[Angus]

Originally posted by Toad
Angus, do a little reading on jatropha. Where it grows, how it grows, the yield, other useful products it provides, etc., etc.

I think you will be suprised.

One of the major benefits is that it grows in land that is essentially worthless for food crops.

Will do. Always interested in growing things, especially vegetation that for instance has not been tried around where I live.
Doing a lot of clover now, and was the first one in the country to bring oats good enough to rank as absolutelly ripe.
Climate is rather cool and merciless....

[Ghosth]

Climatically, Jatropha curcas  Castor is found in the tropics and subtropics and likes heat, although it does well even in lower temperatures and can withstand a light frost.

That leaves out most of the USA, and points north. Even the Northern parts of Florida can get more than a "light" frost.

Has a lot of potential for the Gulf Coast perhaps, and of course points south.
Certainly not going to help Iceland.

Although if I was in Australia I'd be interested.

[Angus]

We can't even grow rapeseed. Not corn, and not wheat.
Barley yes, Potatoes yes. Some massive beach-grass that is now used for growing gives insane dry-matter yeald though.
Here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalaris_arundinacea
Just wonder if it's useable.
(I've both cut and baled that stuff. Has the highest crops I have seen here)

Anyway, Iceland has power enough for years to come from hydro plants and geothermal energy. Untill the glaciers are gone, - no glacial rivers en mass but more of a trinkle. But we have some 100 years ahead which should be okay.

[Toad]

Originally posted by Ghosth
Climatically, Jatropha curcas  Castor is found in the tropics and subtropics and likes heat, although it does well even in lower temperatures and can withstand a light frost.

 

They've already started an experiment with it in Florida and it's possible that Arizona and New Mexico might be able to support it as well. Those two places have a lot of land that isn't doing much else.

It's just one more option that needs to be explored. Even if it doesn't work in the US, if it works well near the equator it will help the world situation with respect to petroleum.

[Maverick]

Originally posted by AquaShrimp
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/5195599.html

There it is.

The article is interesting. One point I found telling about using other forms of biomass for fuel was this.

"But the biggest benefit: Algae farms can be built virtually anywhere — a point Vertigro hoped to illustrate by locating in West Texas.

To meet U.S. gasoline and diesel demands with biofuels from seed crops, all arable farmland in the nation would have to be planted three times over, said Craig Harting, Global Green's chief operating officer.

"With algae, we can do it with a fraction of 1 percent, and we don't even need arable land," he said."

While I think he may be optimistic about the use of algae, I agree with his estimate of other biomass cultivation requirements. I am curious how he would plan on getting around any EPA objections to putting algae farms in open areas.

Like any other intrusive use of terrain in this country I think the EPA will start requiring an environmental impact analysis before mega acres of land are turned over to commercial oil / alcohol operationsuising biomass.

[Charon]

The technology still has a ways to go for cellulosic ethanol and algae biodiesel.

Professor Lee Lynd at Mascoma is doing some interesting stuff on cellulosic ethanol.

Still won't come close to replacing petroleum, though the algae biodisel is especially promising from a potential yield standpoint.

Charon

[rpm]

But still, the ball is rolling. Biofuels are feasable. We have just hit the tip of the iceberg from a research standpoint. Relying on fossil fuel alone is a losing strategy. Today switchgrass, tomorrow algaegas.
At least it's renewable.

[Charon]

But still, the ball is rolling. Biofuels are feasable. We have just hit the tip of the iceberg from a research standpoint. Relying on fossil fuel alone is a losing strategy. Today switchgrass, tomorrow algaegas.

The ball is rolling and there are some promising future options. But, run the numbers. Look at total liquid fuel consumption (not just motor fuels) and projections from EIA and IEA reports. We will not get a notable replacement of total petroleum usage. Partial (and partial can be important). Also, the cellulosic plants that are coming online in the next couple of years are experimental units that do not use the projected breakthrough technologies. Basically trial plants with the old, expensive technology.

Even more promising are coal to liquid and gas conversion technologies and oil sands as long as crude stays above $40 bbl. We may be able to notably reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern oil but not oil itself. And, the most important thing we could do is all drive one of those shoebox sized "Smart Cars" -- if we wanted to in the US (or even Europe, for that matter without the extreme taxes that make gasoline so expensive).

Charon

[lazs2]

yep... supply and demand... free market...demand fuels (so to speak) new discoveries of new fuels and new exploration of old fuels..

we are a long way from the end of the world.  

lazs