by Debra C.
Member since:
April 19, 2007

Beer, Wood, $1.10/gal fuel?

June 24, 2008 12:18 PM EDT (Updated: June 24, 2008 12:25 PM EDT)
views: 120 | rating: 10/10 (13 votes) | comments: 20

CNet has a great video out today on a new wrinkle in the plan for mass production of ethanol. From the site:

Turning wood chips into fuel

Menlo Park, Calif.'s ZeaChem has come up with a way to turn wood chips into ethanol that will sell for around $1.10 a gallon or less when it comes out in 2010. Brewing and petrochemical technology go into the mix. News.com Editor at Large Michael Kanellos talks with founder Dan Verser and CEO James Imbler about their plans for cheap fuel.

See the video here
link to this page
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Comments: 20

♠~Dnbuster~♠ ~. Jun 24, 2008, 12:20pm EDT
104u
Rodney R. Jun 24, 2008, 12:23pm EDT
cool
Debra C. Jun 24, 2008, 12:26pm EDT
Sorry - link repaired.
Deborah O. Jun 24, 2008, 12:52pm EDT
Don't let the oil companies fool you, there are plenty of ways of creating energy
Debra C. Jun 24, 2008, 1:00pm EDT
Deborah O. - You are right. Let's not forget the Brazillian ethanol plants based on sugar.
Chelsea R. Jun 24, 2008, 1:10pm EDT
hmm thats interesting!
Gary Gentry Jun 24, 2008, 2:27pm EDT
No biofuel for extensive use is without environmental problems. Any farmer knows that a crop - any crop - draws specific nutrients out of the soil. These must be either replaced with fertilizer, or crops must be rotated, in other words, you can't grow the same crop on the same piece of land year after year. Even switchgrass (whatever that is), if cultivated on a large scale will deplete the land of whatever nutrient it needs.

In addition, the recent floods in the Midwest show that relying on crops for a major portion of our energy needs is unwise.
Gary Gentry Jun 24, 2008, 2:29pm EDT
The only renewable energy sources that makes long term sense are wind and solar.
Debra C. Jun 24, 2008, 2:36pm EDT
You make a valid point, Gary, and while it is interesting looking at crops, I'm thinking this, matured, might be another application for recycled lumber, vegetable byproduct, etc. that is not currently used another way.
Gary Gentry Jun 24, 2008, 3:09pm EDT
Yes, exactly, Debra. Turn something that is otherwise a disposal problem into fuel. Low efficiency, probably, but serves a dual function.
Last week, a power plant opened in northern Arizona that uses the trees that were burned in the Rodeo-Chedeski fire of a few years ago. The trees are too damaged for lumber, but they make fuel which produces steam that turns a turbine-generator. The CO2 is captured, making it an environmentally sound operation. Those trees would otherwise have rotted, emitting tons of methane - a worse greenhouse gas than CO2.
Gary Gentry Jun 24, 2008, 3:10pm EDT
BTW, that fire burned a half-million acres of pine forest. There is fuel for a long time.
Richard B. Jun 24, 2008, 7:49pm EDT
Just don't use my beer, as it's still cheaper than milk.
Debra C. Jun 24, 2008, 11:32pm EDT
With all of the fires across the nation, Gary mentions the size of the Rodeo-Chedeski fire, there is a lot of potential here.
Debra C. Jun 24, 2008, 11:33pm EDT
Richard B, perhaps we can extract what we need from the resulting mash and preserve your tipple.
Gary Gentry Jun 26, 2008, 9:13pm EDT
Richard's right. Keep ethanol where it belongs - in booze!!
Dani B. Jun 28, 2008, 8:22pm EDT
They should use my garden weeds :P
Debra C. Jun 28, 2008, 9:16pm EDT
Good idea, Dani. Perhaps they'll trade labour pulling them for a discount on income tax:))
Heather ~of the Whippets~ M. Jul 10, 2008, 5:17pm EDT
I agree with Gary. Solar and wind are the two energy sources that make sense in the long-term. Creating electricity using those resources just makes sense; then, electric cars would actually be clean choices.
Risa G. Nov 19, 2008, 10:30pm EST
I read somewhere that the production of ethanol isn't good for the environment either. I think we should concentrate on building more battery run cars and electric cars and try to get away from cars that run on any kind of gas.
Debra C. Nov 23, 2008, 8:40pm EST
There are some high-efficiency incinerators that can power from clean-burning waste products, Risa ... and I suspect we could make ethanol as a component of our energy policy with similar efficiency if we put a mind to it.

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