The right type of plant source for bio - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

WINGAS · #1 08-24-2007, 02:28 PM

Now, here's something interesting. Not a food source, easy to grow, and they look cool to boot!.

Grows anywhere, eh?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118788662080906716.html?mod=hps_us_pageone

Hope that link works.

Excerpt:

Quote:

This plant will save humanity, I tell you," Mr. Singh proclaims, as he points to 4-foot-tall jatropha shrubs nearby. Someday, "every house will have jatropha!"

pjc · #2 08-24-2007, 04:38 PM

One word: Algae.

TwitchKitty · #3 09-07-2007, 12:59 PM

Links to another article on Jotropha:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/09/17/100259542/index.htm?postversion=2007090706

Quote:

(Fortune Magazine) -- Can a poisonous plant become a biodiesel hero and help African economies in the process?

BP (Charts) thinks so. It believes jatropha - an inedible plant used for hedges that was spread around the world centuries ago by Portuguese sailors - can dent global fuel demands without using up foodstuffs such as corn, soy and sugar cane, plus boost incomes in Africa and other impoverished regions.

In June the oil giant signed a $160 million deal with British biodiesel producer Dl Oils, creating a joint venture that aims to become the world's largest producer of jatropha oil by 2011. The new company expects to have nearly three million acres under cultivation within four years and process roughly two million tons annually - or 18% of Europe's expected biodiesel demand.

SwampYankee · #4 09-07-2007, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjc

One word: Algae.

One more word: Corpses.

Soylent Green Biodiesel.

Interesting though. I wonder how invasive it might be? Even though I think ethanol is more of a feel-good answer than a viable option, we should be using switchgrass instead of corn for ethanol. Biodiesel would seem to be a much more viable, but using food sources for any alternative fuel production could lead to a slippery slope with many unintended consequences.

Rashakor · #5 09-07-2007, 02:48 PM

Actually there is NOT a ONE-word answer to fuel problems!

Jathropa, Oleoalgae, Ragweed, Mustards, Rapeseed,..., Switchgrass, Fisher-Tropsch processing of coal, wood and domestic waste are all part of the solution without being a stand alone one.

Jathropa is a good solution for tropical arid to semi-arid regions where neither good topography, soils, ground water irrigation, and above all capital is available... There are actually not very many places in the USA where you could or should plant this!!! Coachella, Imperial CA, Yuma AZ valleys; The Rio Grande Shores in tX and some of the few that come to mind. And all these places already have vastly more profitable crops.

The other desertic regions in america are way too cold for Jathropa (NV, UT, N. AZ, E. WA, E.Or, E.Co.)

greasybenz · #6 09-07-2007, 03:02 PM

I say the best plant is the one we cant eat or survive off of.