"The breakthrough would be low-cost cellulose-using technology."

Space/Science » in reply to Looking for advances in ethanol production

"The breakthrough would be low-cost cellulose-using technology."

David F Mayer — 1/29/2006 4:00:25 AM (archived)

Correct. So long as they are fermenting the edible part of the plants, they are using food. Since humans can not digest cellulose, and since cellulose is typically 90% of the dry mass of most plants, use of cellulose as a feedstock for ethanol production is the ONLY way to make ethanol production practical. In addition to crops, forestry wastes, flammable brush, etc can be gathered and used, reducing the risk of forest fires.

The whole thread (29 posts)

Looking for advances in ethanol production - Tom Brosz - 1/27/2006 8:37:22 AM
- "The breakthrough would be low-cost cellulose-using technology." - David F Mayer - 1/29/2006 4:00:25 AM
- Fuel economy improvements - SDF - 1/27/2006 2:50:08 PM
  - Corben Motors filed for Chapter 7. - Tom Brosz - 1/27/2006 7:18:48 PM
    - What do most people use cars for? - SDF - 1/28/2006 2:34:27 PM
      - My arguement was out of context - SDF - 1/28/2006 3:06:40 PM
        
        re: My arguement was out of context - Larry J - 1/29/2006 1:46:05 AM
        
        Again, I flubbed my arguement (happens often early in the a.m.) - SDF - 1/29/2006 2:23:10 PM
        
        Weight usually doesn't scale linearily - Larry J - 1/29/2006 8:40:41 PM
        
        You're right of course. - SDF - 1/30/2006 2:24:15 PM
        
        Whatever they build, it has to offer sufficient utility to be considered worthwhile - Larry J - 1/30/2006 7:34:51 PM
        
        The Honda Insight (Hybrid) and the Kia Rio (Subcompact) are an interesting comparison - SDF - 1/31/2006 2:55:06 PM
        
        You anywhere near Denver? (n/t) - R.L. - 1/29/2006 5:33:21 AM
        
        About 50 miles to the south - Larry J - 1/29/2006 8:14:32 PM
        
        I am going to Denver for a few days.... (n/t) - R.L. - 1/29/2006 8:48:16 PM
        
        Pack for wierd weather - Larry J - 1/29/2006 9:15:46 PM
        
        You would not believe how hard it is to find a sweater in Hawaii - R.L. - 1/30/2006 3:02:49 PM
        
        A suburb called louisville - R.L. - 1/29/2006 10:09:50 PM
        
        just down the road - podrock - 1/30/2006 4:27:45 PM
        
        Cool! - R.L. - 1/31/2006 5:15:39 AM
        
        will do - podrock - 1/31/2006 10:58:20 PM
  - We already have cars like that! They are called motorcycles. (n/t) - Scott Evil - 1/27/2006 3:16:20 PM
    - Not all-season though. And only they didn't have to share the road with trucks and buses, they'd be safer. (n/t) - SDF - 1/27/2006 3:36:39 PM
      - All True - Scott Evil - 1/27/2006 4:01:12 PM
        
        Airbags - SDF - 1/27/2006 4:41:44 PM
        
        MER Lander airbags were 18 feet high - SDF - 1/27/2006 5:01:12 PM
        
        How were they inflated? (n/t) - R.L. - 2/1/2006 4:28:00 AM
        
        That's a good question! You know, I have no idea. LOL. - SDF - 2/1/2006 11:28:36 AM
- Lowering ethanol production costs - Larry J - 1/27/2006 2:21:57 PM

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