DISQUS

DISQUS Hello! The Iowa Independent is using DISQUS, a powerful comment system, to manage its comments. Learn more.

Community Page

The Iowa Independent

Iowa's top online-only news outlet
Jump to original thread »
Author

Harvard report on biofuels: Proceed with caution

Started by CIM Network · 10 months ago

The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University released a report this week recognizing the value and potential of liquid biofuels, but also urging a cautious approach to further biofuel development.
The report, titled Biofuels and Sustainable Development: An Executive Session on the ... Continue reading »

4 comments

  • Tom Gandolfo

    11 months ago

    It is unfortunate, and I suspect no accident, that the term "Biofuels" has become by repetitious propaganda synonymous with Ethanol. The term "Biofuel" describes a category not a particular biofuel. Ethanol is but one (1) biobuel. Large Agrobusiness farms and Archer Daniel Midland have conspired to make "their" biofuel THE dominate biofuel to the detriment of other legitimate biofuels.

    Thomas C. Gandlfo
    Asheville, NC
    reply
  • Tom Gandolfo

    11 months ago

    It is unfortunate, and I suspect no accident, that the term "Biofuels" has become by repetitious propaganda synonymous with Ethanol. The term "Biofuel" describes a category not a particular biofuel. Ethanol is but one (1) biobuel. Large Agrobusiness farms and Archer Daniel Midland have conspired to make "their" biofuel THE dominate biofuel to the detriment of other legitimate biofuels.

    Thomas C. Gandolfo
    Asheville, NC
    reply
  • Ron Robins

    11 months ago

    As I see it, energy conservation is the way to go. Then the rationale for biofuels would be reduced. Also, let's not forget that government financial support for biofuels has contributed to higher food costs - and hundred's of millions of people either starving or on the edge of starvation. Government is not the answer, but in many the cases is the problem!

    Energy costs need to be free market oriented. But those free markets also need to include in their pricing the full costs of all resources used. For instance, oil from the Canadian tar sands requires three barrels of water - which is virtually cost-free - for each barrel of water. Clearly, with water becoming a precious commodity globally, tar sands oil would need to be priced higher were it to include paying 'appropriately' for its water supplies.

    No, the fundamental decision we need to make is how to become highly efficient in our energy use and that energy costs are subjected to 'full cost accounting.'
    reply
  • Jon F. Freeman/SUCRON

    11 months ago

    The liquid biofuel from glucose is not ethanol, but HEXANE. Glucose is the most abundant organic chemical:

    Wood = glucose = hexane = 2,2-dimethylbutane, an 89 octane gasoline @ $1.20 per gallon.

    There are 50 million acres around the Gulf Coast for growing 80 ton per acre high-biomass cane that yields 160 barrels of gasolines and chemical feedstocks per acre per year when run through a SUCRON unit. That is 8 billion barrels per year. The United States uses 7.6 billion barrels per year.

    Funding is needed to build the pilot plant.

    Jon F. Freeman
    President
    SUCRON
    P.O. Box 8095
    Clinton, Louisiana 70722
    225-683-6918
    reply
Please login to comment.
Returning? Login