Comments biofuelsimon has made

  • Plants to fuel = a bad idea?

    What can I say that's not been said better elsewhere? Nowhere in the fuel vs food debate is any mention of curtailing the ability of people to drive, no where in the debate is there any real mention of using municipal, domestic and industrial waste to produce alternative (biofuels) and there is very little debate about fuel efficiency.

    There are some things that simply should not be done in temperate northern climates, using slow growing food crops to make biofuels is one. That would be better done using non-food crops in the tropics where growth is faster and the trade in fuel from the tropics could help to bind north and south closer together. On Traditional print media and complex issues posted 1 year, 6 months ago 16 Responses

  • fuel from pyrolysis

    Tom,  I get the feeling that ethanol from chemical or enzyme catalysed reactions with cellulose to sugars and then to ethanol is like nuclear fusion that's been "five years away" for the past 50 years. There's a lot to be said for using pyrolysis, not only of celluose but also other waste material like garbage to make producer gas that can be further processed.
    Automotive efficiency needs to be greatly improved though. On Thus spake Chairman Peterson of the House Ag Committee posted 1 year, 10 months ago 10 Responses

  • wood waste

    Good to see him talk about wood, a huge source of cellulosic biofuel feedstocks. Maybe we'd be better pyrolising the wood and using the gas produced to make biofuels rather than going for fancy second generation processes...
    There's more about biofuels at the big biofuels blog On The full text of Obama's energy remarks posted 2 years, 1 month ago 4 Responses

  • Its a gas gas gas

    Thirsty autos. The more I write about biofuels the more I am convinced that there is an elephant in the room that no one is acknowledging. The elephant is automotive fuel economy. There is no point using expensive grain to make a gasoline extender if its just going to poured into inefficient autos and burnt. Robert Rapier said at the end of last year fuel ethanol is linked boondoggle.
    That doesn't apply to all biofuels, but when the volume of corn needed to produce a tank of gas could feed a man for a year, you have to wonder where people's priorities are...
    On New study claims ethanol and biodiesel may actually boost GHG emissions posted 2 years, 2 months ago 28 Responses

  • A free global biofuels market

    There is not a free market in biofuels. The US and European Union are two trade blocs at least that have tariff walls designed to protect inefficient indigenous producers of biofuels. Not only in terms of surcharges on biofuels into countries (54c/gal on Brazilian ethanol into the US) but subsidies to farmers (corn and sugar). The market might work given time if these were dismantled and if people were prepared to look at the possibility that a web of mutual need could ensure supply security. This could see third world biofuel producers and farmers benefit considerably from access to the large markets of the north. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation wants a high level global meeting next June to try and find a way forward (London Financial Times on 15 August 2007). Ideologically it is wrong to say always that planning is a bad idea surely some elements of national infrastructure such as roads(The interstate road network did not develop by itself after 200 years of independence, but buy legislation) and energy transmission (UK National Electricity grid) need to be planned, to some extent.Legislation can shape the landscape in which society operates. If there is not the political will to increase fuel efficiency and home insulation then any change in these directions will be slow unless an external force (high oil prices imposed by third countries for example) encourages people to make changes in that direction. I've been writing about biofuels since October 2006 at the Big Biofuels Blog.  On Economist goes over to the dark side posted 2 years, 3 months ago 17 Responses

  • A free global biofuels market

    There is not a free market in biofuels. The US and European Union are two trade blocs at least that have tariff walls designed to protect inefficient indigenous producers of biofuels. Not only in terms of surcharges on biofuels into countries (54c/gal on Brazilian ethanol into the US) but subsidies to farmers (corn and sugar). The market might work given time if these were dismantled and if people were prepared to look at the possibility that a web of mutual need could ensure supply security. This could see third world biofuel producers and farmers benefit considerably from access to the large markets of the north. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation wants a high level global meeting next June to try and find a way forward (London Financial Times on 15 August 2007). Ideologically it is wrong to say always that planning is a bad idea surely some elements of national infrastructure such as roads(The interstate road network did not develop by itself after 200 years of independence, but buy legislation) and energy transmission (UK National Electricity grid) need to be planned, to some extent.Legislation can shape the landscape in which society operates. If there is not the political will to increase fuel efficiency and home insulation then any change in these directions will be slow unless an external force (high oil prices imposed by third countries for example) encourages people to make changes in that direction. I've been writing about biofuels since October 2006 at the Big Biofuels Blog.  On One economist says no posted 2 years, 3 months ago 58 Responses

  • sustainable farming

    It strikes me that people who are pro-biofuels have a couple of paradoxes to overcome. Firstly, I am not sure about thier long term sustainability, there is a need for fossil fuels to make fertilisers to maintain yields from year to year. It may be possible to rotate crops to maintain the output of biofuel-generating crops to do this, and from a biodiversity point of view desirable...

    If you would like to see more of my thoughts please come to the Biotank Blog
    http://www.icis.com/blogs/biofuels/On Can industrial agriculture withstand climate change? posted 3 years, 1 month ago 11 Responses