A tiny chemical reactor that can convert vegetable oil directly into biodiesel could help farmers turn some of their crops into homegrown fuel to operate agricultural equipment instead of relying on costly imported oil. Cool. Stuff like this is important. But as usual the article doesn't mention the problematic stuff, like, we use incredible amounts of oil products in agriculture. So switching to biodiesel may well be part of some solution, but it doesn't replace our dependence on "costly imported oil."
I've heard that in Brazil, by growing sugar cane, they get 7 units of ethanol energy for every unit of energy that goes into the process. In the U.S., by growing corn, the output is 1.3-1.4 for every unit that goes in. I would expect that similar metrics apply to other ag. fuels in grown temperate climates.
|
- jim 4-21-2006 8:42 pm
I've heard that in Brazil, by growing sugar cane, they get 7 units of ethanol energy for every unit of energy that goes into the process. In the U.S., by growing corn, the output is 1.3-1.4 for every unit that goes in. I would expect that similar metrics apply to other ag. fuels in grown temperate climates.
- mark 4-21-2006 10:28 pm [add a comment]