http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/02/14/reporters-notes-designer-biofuels/ Science, Environment, and Nature in the SF Bay Area Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:39:48 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/02/14/reporters-notes-designer-biofuels/comment-page-1/#comment-59788 Linus Hollis Tue, 09 Sep 2008 22:28:39 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/02/14/reporters-notes-designer-biofuels/#comment-59788 Why make biodiesel or biopetrol? These hydrocarbons and alcohols pollute way too much. Instead, make a fuel with more energy, 1/4 the CO2 and pipelines into our homes and businesses [and into fueling stations for my 1998 Ford Econoline]: METHANE. The anaerobic bacteria are doing it to our garbage and agricultural waste anyway. Just capture it and use it. Since the uncaptured methane is 23 times the greenhouse gas CO2 is, removing the billions of tons of methane going into the atmosphere will reverse global warming. The CO2 and water from burning methane are far less injurious to our climate. Methane was routinely burned off of oil wells. If it had been used for electrical production, we wouldn't have an energy crisis anywhere. We are using the wrong resources for fuels, fouling our own nests and looking at a petroleum-scant world in less than a century. By then it will be necessary to make methane from coal, producing elemental mercury and fertilizer as by-products, to replace crude oil. Plastics will have to be made from renewable plant sources, hopefully from the non-food parts. We are going to be living in interesting times. Why make biodiesel or biopetrol? These hydrocarbons and alcohols pollute way too much. Instead, make a fuel with more energy, 1/4 the CO2 and pipelines into our homes and businesses [and into fueling stations for my 1998 Ford Econoline]: METHANE. The anaerobic bacteria are doing it to our garbage and agricultural waste anyway. Just capture it and use it. Since the uncaptured methane is 23 times the greenhouse gas CO2 is, removing the billions of tons of methane going into the atmosphere will reverse global warming. The CO2 and water from burning methane are far less injurious to our climate. Methane was routinely burned off of oil wells. If it had been used for electrical production, we wouldn't have an energy crisis anywhere. We are using the wrong resources for fuels, fouling our own nests and looking at a petroleum-scant world in less than a century. By then it will be necessary to make methane from coal, producing elemental mercury and fertilizer as by-products, to replace crude oil. Plastics will have to be made from renewable plant sources, hopefully from the non-food parts. We are going to be living in interesting times.

]]> http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/02/14/reporters-notes-designer-biofuels/comment-page-1/#comment-56215 Building to Beat Climate Change and Save Energy | QUEST Community Science Blog - KQED Sat, 23 Feb 2008 18:12:22 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/02/14/reporters-notes-designer-biofuels/#comment-56215 [...] our energy and environmental problems. Some say corn ethanol is the answer; others say it’s cellulosic ethanol. Some say wind energy and some say solar energy; some say more government regulation is the answer [...] [...] our energy and environmental problems. Some say corn ethanol is the answer; others say it's cellulosic ethanol. Some say wind energy and some say solar energy; some say more government regulation is the answer [...]

]]>