Here’s a solution for our fuel oil future! Biofuel! The alternative fuel! The kind you make from vegetables and weeds and whatnot. The most promising of the lot (and the one that’s not talked about enough) is a biomass fuel made from a plant called Miscanthus x giganteus. Read the rest of this entry »
Ornamental grasses are no longer for the garden alone. They have entered the world of renewable energy. Some ornamental grasses, of course, are more suitable for ethanol than others. For instance, Miscanthus Giganteus, as advertised by some nurseries is also known as Miscanthus floridulus, or Giant Chinese silver grass or Miscanthus japonicus, and is a native of Japan, Taiwan and the Pacific Islands. This hardy member of the ornamental grasses family loves full sun; tolerates almost any kind of soil; is moderately drought tolerant; holds up well in wind and snow. Even in cold, snowy climates, Giant Chinese silver grass remains upright throughout the winter. It has one drawback, however, and that is – it needs lots of room to develop fully. At maturity some plants grow well over six feet in height. Read the rest of this entry »
A breakthrough in the production process of “green gasoline,” a fuel identical to standard gasoline but produced from sustainable biomass sources such as switch grass, or poplar was announced in the Science Daily on April 8, 2008. They reported on the first direct conversion of plant cellulose into gasoline components by chemical engineers at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Read the rest of this entry »
In a field trial, the largest one conducted to date, the researchers in this latest project have determined that the giant perennial grass Miscanthus x giganteus far outperforms current biofuel sources. And more than that, you can raise more feedstock of this kind on less land than it takes to raise corn or soy for ethanol. Researchers say: “By using Miscanthus as a feedstock for ethanol production you can significantly reduce the acreage dedicated to biofuels and at the same time meet government biofuels goals.” Read the rest of this entry »
Are we going to continue using black oil out of Saudi ground forever? That’s not a good idea. The old story of the ant and the grasshopper applies here. We, in the United States of America, may be likened to the grasshopper who played and fiddled all summer. The ant, on the other hand (which may be likened to the Europeans and Brits) worked tirelessly. We in the United States are simply toodling along, letting a few universities do their best with their field trials for biofuel production, but otherwise, not doing a whole lot to anticipate that “winter is coming.” Yet, in Europe, which we liken to the ant, these folks have been busily trying to find a suitable alternative fuel to black oil for years now. And they are succeeding. Read the rest of this entry »