Finally! — The US Government has come to the conclusion that we need to find alternative sources of energy. It took them awhile! Even George W., the oil loving Texan himself says, “America is addicted to oil.”
Cellulose, a material extracted from plants, could be a good bet. It’s the most abundant naturally occurring molecule on the Earth. Trees, lawn clippings, fall leaves… all of it could be turned into an alternative fuel.
This is how it works:
- Extract the cellulose from the plant.
- Add enzymes to break down the cellulose molecules into sugar.
- Ferment the sugar into alcohol.
- Distill the alcohol into fuel.
Result: Cellulosic Ethanol.
Sounds simple, right? Well, it is that simple but it’s really expensive. For scientists, the challenge lies in the break down of the cellulose. Nature has found several ways to break down cellulose; termites have millions of microorganisms in their digestive system, cows and goats have special organisms in their stomachs but scientists need to do it and stay on budget. They are competing with the price at the pump.
But there is hope for those scientists now with a surge of both public and private money. Venture capitalists have invested hundreds of millions on startup companies, the DOE has pledged several hundred million dollars in demonstration plants and research centers and BP has gifted $500 million for an Energy Bioscience Institute.
Is It Worth It?
I think so.
I think we need to find a way to live with the Earth not against it. The fight over oil and other energy sources has resulted in so much war, you would think it was a religion. We’ve scared the Earth, in some place so badly, that no amount of reclamation will return it’s previous beauty. We need to find new answers, whatever it takes, we need new ideas for the future.
~ DIY Naturally
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