A $1 A Gallon Gas?

[Kathianne]

From wired news:

http://oblate-spheroid.blogspot.com/2008/01/bacteria-delivers-buck-gallon-biofuel.html




Startup Says It Can Make Ethanol for $1 a Gallon, and Without Corn
By Chuck Squatriglia - 01.24.08 1:00 PM

A biofuel startup in Illinois can make ethanol from just about anything organic for less than $1 per gallon, and it wouldn't interfere with food supplies, company officials said.

Coskata, which is backed by General Motors and other investors, uses bacteria to convert almost any organic material, from corn husks (but not the corn itself) to municipal trash, into ethanol.

"It's not five years away, it's not 10 years away. It's affordable, and it's now," said Wes Bolsen, the company's vice president of business development....

[remie]

From wired news:

http://oblate-spheroid.blogspot.com/2008/01/bacteria-delivers-buck-gallon-biofuel.html

Sounds pretty cool to me. I wonder how much it will cost by the time the government gets done taxing it.

[Pale Rider]

From wired news:

http://oblate-spheroid.blogspot.com/2008/01/bacteria-delivers-buck-gallon-biofuel.html

Why haven't we heard as much as a whisper about this on the MSM?

This ought to be a huge story... no?

[LiberalNation]

Big oil and gas will try and block it and the politicians it supports. Plus not all cars can run off ethonal can they?

[Dilloduck]

Big oil and gas will try and block it and the politicians it supports. Plus not all cars can run off ethonal can they?

Enough to make a difference

[LiberalNation]

True, best of luck to them. Sounds like a real leap forward if it's ever implemented in mass.

[Dilloduck]

True, best of luck to them. Sounds like a real leap forward if it's ever implemented in mass.

Chevrolet is investing heavily and I'm sure there's more to follow if people put their money where their mouth is.

[Mr. P]

Good news bad news...

I read a study conducted by Consumer Reports on gas vs ethanol.

The Good news: it's easy to make and the supply would be readily available.

The Bad news: MPG is lower than gas making it more expensive per/gal overall.

Maybe things have changed...I read this about 1 yr ago.

[Nukeman]

Chevrolet is investing heavily and I'm sure there's more to follow if people put their money where their mouth is.
For GM its a win win situation. They have the largest flex fuel fleet out there. So if ethanol is cheap more people buy there flex fuel cars and trucks. Think about if a car gets 30mpg at 3 dollars a gallon but only gets 22mpg at 1 dollar a gallon they are still able to drive 66 miles on the same amount of money. You double your miles per dollar!!!!!

[LiberalNation]

Aren't enviro people/some governments against ethonal because it releases CO2 just like oil. Global warming and all that.

[Nukeman]

Aren't enviro people/some governments against ethonal because it releases CO2 just like oil when made.thats all a bunch of global warming BS. CO2 is not the cause of global warming!!!!

[LiberalNation]

Well most of the world government and people think it does so wether it really does or not their reaction to ethonal will still be the same.

I think ethonal is a good idea, even if man made Global warming is real we have enough fossile fual to change the enviroment tens times over. No reason not to do it cheaper.

[Pale Rider]

We need to do something to get us off the ME oil tit, even if it's cutting down to the point where all we needed was our OWN oil to live off.

Just think... we could get out of Iraq. We wouldn't need to baby sit those oil fields over there anymore. China could take up where we leave off, since they're the ones that need so much oil these days.

[PostmodernProphet]

against ethonal because it releases CO2 just like oil

30% less......

http://www.drivingethanol.org/ethanol_facts/why_environmental_impact.aspx

[Kathianne]

Good news bad news...

I read a study conducted by Consumer Reports on gas vs ethanol.

The Good news: it's easy to make and the supply would be readily available.

The Bad news: MPG is lower than gas making it more expensive per/gal overall.

Maybe things have changed...I read this about 1 yr ago.

I've disliked ethanol for a variety of reasons, the largest having to do with food supplies when it became in demand. The impact is already being felt.

What was new in this article was the reality of producing the ethanol, with yard and crop waste, not corn or soybeans, with less energy needed and producing cleaner ethanol.

[avatar4321]

From wired news:

http://oblate-spheroid.blogspot.com/2008/01/bacteria-delivers-buck-gallon-biofuel.html

That is freaking awesome!

[Kathianne]

That is freaking awesome!

Yes, it sounds great and here today! You read the article, props for you!

[avatar4321]

if i had money and if this was accurate, i would so invest in this company.

[Mr. P]

I've disliked ethanol for a variety of reasons, the largest having to do with food supplies when it became in demand. The impact is already being felt.

What was new in this article was the reality of producing the ethanol, with yard and crop waste, not corn or soybeans, with less energy needed and producing cleaner ethanol.

I noticed that and that would be a big plus.

[glockmail]

It looks like they can make hydrogen as well.

[Kathianne]

It looks like they can make hydrogen as well.

For sure. Problem with that is changing the US fleet of cars and trucks. I think it will happen, but that will take a long time.

[glockmail]

For sure. Problem with that is changing the US fleet of cars and trucks. I think it will happen, but that will take a long time. Bigger prob is that the byproduct is CO2. Looks like nukes are still the answer there.

Also: the 33% reduction in milegae is close with flex fuel cars, based on my experience with an '04 Explorer. Engines can, however, be designed to run more efficienty on etahnol, due to its much higher octane. Its done now with certain classes of race cars. So the 33% reduction can be reduced somewhat.

[Kathianne]

Bigger prob is that the byproduct is CO2. Looks like nukes are still the answer there.

Also: the 33% reduction in milegae is close with flex fuel cars, based on my experience with an '04 Explorer. Engines can, however, be designed to run more efficienty on etahnol, due to its much higher octane. Its done now with certain classes of race cars. So the 33% reduction can be reduced somewhat.

This is supposed to be cleaner than what is currently being used, more importantly leaves food chain stuff alone and uses less energy to produce. Nuclear is a way long ways away from production in cars.

[glockmail]

This is supposed to be cleaner than what is currently being used, more importantly leaves food chain stuff alone and uses less energy to produce. Nuclear is a way long ways away from production in cars. Commercial nukes to make electricity to make hydrogen, then burn the hydrogen in vehicles.