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51 Comments
- inactive, on 05/08/2009, -0/+11retard. don't put ethanol in a non-ethanol car.
- L0NER, on 05/08/2009, -2/+8but is it carbon neutral?
- ucdbunny, on 05/08/2009, -0/+5Every other company is claiming some breakthroughs, they just wont tell us because of "IP" reasons. Thing is, it is still not feasible with enzymes at a commercial scale because they are expensive. Also cellulose ethanol will not be carbon neutral and wont be sustainable. The real breakthroughs will come with the advancement of Ionic liquids which break down lignin, cellulose and hemicellose into sugars, and from that engineered microbes turn it into n-Butanol, Biodiesel, or other isoprenoid fuels. Ethanol is just popular right now but its not economically feasible, can't be transported through current infrastructure, it doesn't mix well with other fuels, and its combustion energy is less when compared to other molecules.
- NiftyG, on 05/08/2009, -0/+5More carbon neutral than petroleum.
- LonelyTylenoL, on 05/08/2009, -0/+4This is really great. Any improvements in the field of alternative energy and fuel sources are very important. Now, of course, the main goal is to go completely electric with everything, with power plants producing electricity from wind, solar, and other natural forces.
So even though it seems like these small improvements are in vain since, for example, we really don't want to use ethanol as a permanent fuel source, they are all a part of the steps on the stairs to chemical fuel independence. They help us get to the top by letting society get comfortably adjusted to the gradual changes.
That's why every little thing relating to the New Clean Energy Movement is so necessary. - Tddupre, on 05/08/2009, -0/+3don't feed the troll
- Nacon, on 05/08/2009, -0/+4Arsenard,
You're not supposed to drink it... - LonelyTylenoL, on 05/08/2009, -0/+3Nothing.
- kenlaw, on 05/08/2009, -1/+4Still no real calculations for total energy. It takes more energy to produce than is recovered. The more unbalanced the equation the worse it is. The first problem is that ethanol is 25% less efficient than gasoline without even taking into account cost of producing either. Ethanol cannot be used in high concentrations during the winter months in North America. Your vehicle will not start. We need real science not TV science.
- LonelyTylenoL, on 05/08/2009, -0/+2So you think we should let the country make some money rather than help save most of the current life on Earth...?
- Serphyas, on 05/08/2009, -1/+4Good comment!
- fatfreddyscat, on 05/08/2009, -0/+3How long till the corn lobbyist try and kill this?
- CaptOblivious, on 05/08/2009, -0/+2I hope you do LonelyTylenoL.
We need more people that care and aren't afraid to learn and work and try.
Good on ya! - tao52nyc, on 05/08/2009, -0/+2Poor bastard. You KNOW you'll be dugg into oblivion for speaking Truth...
- N0DIGGITY, on 05/08/2009, -1/+3Cellulose has the highest rate of production worldwide of any protein. If we can get ethanol from it, we can use organic waste like cornstalks for fuel production. That's a pretty major improvement over corn fermentation, and a complete change in the mechanism of manufacture. the actual food product could still be used as food, and the rest could be reduced to ethanol.
- LonelyTylenoL, on 05/08/2009, -0/+2Well those are the jobs of innovators, to build new systems that can run solely off electricity. Hopefully someday I will be able to enter a profession involved in those kinds of things.
- ViscidGobs, on 05/08/2009, -0/+2Ever try to decommission a nuclear power plant, Homer? Or remove the Tritium and Strontium 90 from the water. It's just not sustainable Homer. Much like the petroleum industry. Try and sell that thinking to the Third World where theocratic unstable governments enrich the plutonium and make nuclear weapons in the support of extremism.
- CaptOblivious, on 05/08/2009, -0/+2Here,
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=carbon+comparison+of+ethanol+ ... - pixel34, on 05/08/2009, -0/+2Mutual masturbation club
- LonelyTylenoL, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1Yeah, I should have realized he was a troll just by looking at his name.
- Jpatano, on 05/08/2009, -0/+2"Try and sell that thinking to the Third World where theocratic unstable governments enrich the plutonium and make nuclear weapons in the support of extremism"
What, exactly, does that have to do with American energy independance ? eadint's post had nothing to do with selling nuclear tech to 3rd world countries, or ANYTHING to do with any other countries' nuclear program. Relax Smithers. - rushiku, on 05/08/2009, -0/+2In other news: Ethanol still 100% Dumber Than Algae Based Bio-Diesel.
- nunyabuizness, on 05/08/2009, -0/+2to be honest, you hit every nail on the head
someone did their homework - NiftyG, on 05/08/2009, -1/+2I'm a big fan of electric vehicles, but still not sure if we will ever go "completely electric with everything"
I get the feeling there will be a mixture of fuels. Electric for shorter distances with biofuels for long haul. I really can't see a semi truck or a cargo ship running on electricity, but they could run on biofuels or perhaps hydrogen. - copypastry, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1So how many years will this take to get to the general consumer?
- cyphin6, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1If the world only advanced as Digg articles would have it.....
- gcnaddict, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1I wonder what this means relative to the latest Carnegie Science study:
http://www.ciw.edu/news/bioelectricity_promises_mo ... - LonelyTylenoL, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1No.
- pixel34, on 05/08/2009, -1/+2[citation needed]
- sassafras1232, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1Ummm...This just reads like an advertisement for Mascoma. There's not really any content there, or any description of their "breakthrough."
- fuzzynyanko, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1I always didn't like ethanol that came from a food source like corn kernels. However, this kind of situation uses waste products for fuel, which I feel solves multiple problems at once.
- MWeather, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1Does it generate more energy than simply burning the biomass yet?
- LonelyTylenoL, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1Yeah, nanotech is an amazing rapidly developing new science that will be fun to watch over the years to come.
- hereticoftruth, on 05/10/2009, -0/+1I am sure Thunderbird will get their market share of the product.
- LonelyTylenoL, on 05/08/2009, -2/+3Good Reply!
- MWeather, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1Burning something doesn't release anywhere near the energy it contains. Split an atom of ethanol, and you'll see I'm right. And if Young Einstein was right, it'll result in fizzy beer.
- nunyabuizness, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1it was a necessary step towards an increase in "green" knowledge, but in the long run, especially if the government and private sector dont realize and man-up to the mistake they made, its gonna be a step backwards and detrimental to the entire green revolution, especially in the transportation industry
the (near) future lies within (i believe) algal biodiesel and improved batteries (nanowire, graphene ultracapacitors) whatever they choose - dsmx, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1In this world we obey the laws of thermodynamics, what your suggesting would violate that.
- ViscidGobs, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1Make car go.
- Brand0, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1It's still ethanol though. I used to do some work for Virent, and they seem really really promising:
http://www.virent.com/
They can turn plant matter into gas, diesel, jet fuel, and other chemicals. Pretty crazy stuff. - tao52nyc, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1Answer to ethanol in 2 words: thermal depolymerization.
Produces cheap gas, AND empties out landfills on one shot. Ask yourselves why this tech is not being more talked about - or even suppressed? The ethanol lobby.....? - MrColdheart, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1Just because they can make it cheaply doesn't mean they're not going to sell it to us at 'Suadi' prices.
- JQP123, on 05/08/2009, -0/+1"However, this kind of situation uses waste products for fuel, which I feel solves multiple problems at once."
What prevents someone from using corn in this process? If it is economically viable, someone will do it.
Bio-energy will always; ultimately, end up competing with food sources. If you think otherwise, it's probably because you're ignoring real world economics and have artificially compartmentalized your thinking. - eadint, on 05/08/2009, -3/+3Now, of course, the main goal is to go completely electric with everything, with power plants producing electricity from wind, solar, and other natural forces.
This is the lie that people just dont get.
you cant produce enough energy from wind and solar to power this country.
the biggest threat tho the environmental movement is greanpeace and most green oriented organizations
they are filled with a bunch of really stupid idiots who make republicans look like geniuses.
The only way america will become energy independant is with a working nuclear program but the hippies and greanpeace leaders will not let this happen. American nuclear policy and methods is frankly retarded and writen by people who do not understand radiation and or anything about nuclear energy, untill greanpeace and all programs that are against nuclear energy are either educated or overshadowed by a reaonable envirmental movement no real change will happen in this country, the problems are with our environmental movements, this country could have gotten rid of its oil dependace over 20 years ago and you can only blame greanpeace for that. - inactive, on 05/08/2009, -1/+1I like it for one reason. Green waste (garden clippings and timber waste) can be "recycled" into energy using a power plant designed to gasify ethanol and use it make energy. The waste product (sludge) can be composted into plant food.
- MGreaves, on 05/08/2009, -1/+1I really like this post
- sockpuppets, on 05/08/2009, -3/+3Now we just need to figure out how to squeeze a fat girl into the tank and we're good to go.
- VitriolAndAngst, on 05/08/2009, -1/+1Nobody can make our Republicans look like Geniuses -- they all repeat corporate PR crap like you do.
The "Green Conspiracy" is that everybody realizes we have to change our ways, and some people are working on alternatives, some companies are slapping a green label on coal and spending the money on marketing, and other companies disseminate the kind of nonsense you do.
Most of the energy on the planet, including Oil, came from the sun. So if we can't survive with solar energy or one day fusion -- we are sunk.
Big Energy is just selling us on what makes them money. -
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