Mad Scientist Matt sees the "possible improvement" of cellulose ethanol over traditional
He calls himself the Mad Scientist Matt, but Matt Cramer is really a skeptical yet hopeful auto fanatic who is keeping an eye out for ethanol news. Like many others, Cramer knows that growing corn to make ethanol (actually, as he mentions on his blog, growing corn to make ethanol just from the kernels of all those corn ears) is not the most productive use of farmland.
Yesterday, Cramer posted a Georgia-based round-up of news on a more-difficult-to-produce ethanol made from all parts of the plant called cellulose ethanol (also known as cellulosic ethanol). Cramer heard on the radio that cellulosic ethanol production in his home state of Georgia is ramping up. While this type of ethanol is not yet easily produced, there is a lot of hope in Georgia to turn all of the excess pine tree parts generated in lumber yards into biofuel. He doesn't mention this, but there are tons of peanut shells just asking to be turned into ethanol in Georgia.
[Source: WMAZ News, Hat tip to the Mad Scientist himself]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
sensitive_man 6:32AM (5/19/2006)
Be careful what you wish for. Here in Louisiana they now take whole Cypress Forests and chip them into garden mulch of all things. What was once a product made from the waste of the logging/timber industry is now a money hungry industry devastating complete forests and eco systems.
So while Matt thinks they can use lumber mill by products now, as soon as they find a way to use whole trees Matt may become "Mad".
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Mike 9:17AM (5/19/2006)
I wonder if bamboo can be used? It's fast growing and will grow almost anywhere relatively warm. Also, what about Butanol production instead. It appears to have several advantages over Ethanol.
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ImaFreak 3:19PM (5/19/2006)
What about hemp? Maybe this will finally get the government moving on hemp production. Not to mention it'll give Kentucky's tobacco growers a new and profitable crop.
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Secret Squirrel 8:28PM (6/01/2006)
Hemp will never happen in this country. They need to grow sugar cane as they do in Brazil, Corn is not the answer =/
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