onetwothree’s Recent Comments

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  Per Cellulosic Ethanol - Home brewed alternative?

  Regarding the mention of cellulosic ethanol - Has anyone every discussed the possible economics and green implications of home made cellulosic ethanol?

  If individuals could get their hands on the enzymes that breakdown cellulosic materials, couldn't ethanol be made the same way the Tennessee crowd uses ethanol stills to make it now?

  Think about it, the feedstock would/could be had for free from tree branches, grass clippings, leaves, etc. and there would be no labor costs (farmers spare time), no environmental studies, no transportation costs, etc.

  I imagine the biggest challenge will be getting the enzymes, but second tier enzymes would find a market if the large commercial plants bid up the first tier enzymes.

  Even if the fermentation process was slow, who cares, it could just sit on the back of the farm and work and sooner or later put a dent it ones oil/gas bill.

  Just something to think about . . . or not?
  On Some leftovers to browse before T-Giving posted 11 months, 2 weeks ago 4 Responses

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  Vinod Khosla 's heart is in the right place

  You know Vinod Khosla could do a lot of things with his many millions besides being bashed by people sitting on their computers with nowhere near the money to risk.

  I think he truly has an intrest in helping the world, weather you agree with his opinions on cellulosic ethanol/subsidies or not.

  It's soooo easy to take a negative view of all future technology, as you just can't lose an agument until something is proven out.On USDA defends America's fuel supply posted 1 year, 5 months ago 5 Responses

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  My point was missed

  Yes, wood alcohol is poisonous, but my understanding is that cellulosic ethanol is not.  
  Not that it matters regarding the point that I was trying to make, that is simply that I don't see that breakthroughs are needed to produce cellulosic ethanol. The growth of the cellulosic market seems to be entirely dependent on the price of gas and its possible alternatives.

  Cellulosic ethanol was made in Romania during WWII when the petro industry was repeatedly bombed.  So at some point, 3-4-5 dollar a gallon gas, or maybe if you're a skeptic 10 dollar gas, cellulosic ethanol needs no breakthroughs only efficient large scale production.

  Now you may argue that it takes too much land, it's not as pure burning as hydrogen, etc, but it has to become economically viable at some point.  Then we can debate the environmental factors.On Saving ourselves means trench warfare, not waiting for breakthroughs posted 1 year, 6 months ago 16 Responses

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  Per cellulosic ethanol breakthroughs

  I'm not sure that cellulosic ethanol is at the stage where your comment on "breakthroughs" applies.

  Humans have been making ethanol out of wood for, I believe, at least a couple of thousand years - to drink.

  Therefore, with the current price of gasoline, and the already developed processes that are being scaled up at Coskata and a few others, perhaps this is not an industry in need of breakthroughs as much as a follow through, i.e. the price of gasoline changes the breakeven point of cellulosic ethanol on the open market so these pilot project can now be scaled with a much wider margin regarding cost to market price per gallon.

  Of course, breakthroughs in regards so more efficient enzymes, etc. would help even more.
  On Saving ourselves means trench warfare, not waiting for breakthroughs posted 1 year, 6 months ago 16 Responses