re: The Methanol Economy
ethanol is a poor fuel and a much better drink. BTW, you can make enthanol from methanol which can be made from coal...which we have plenty of in the USA...if you must use ethanol.
Anyway, Brazil is cutting forests down to plant suger cane this I don't call being way ahead in any sense of the words. In Olah methanol fuel cell you can reverse the process and make methanol while removing cardon dioxide from the air... That is way ahead thinking.