Grass as source of clean energy

[Phlegm]

From Reuters:

DUBLIN (Reuters) - A tall, decorative plant that can be grown in Europe and the United States could provide a significant amount of energy without contributing to global warming, scientists said on Tuesday.

Field trials of the grass called Miscanthus in Illinois showed it could be very effective as an economically and environmentally sustainable energy crop.

Professor Steve Long and his colleagues at the University of Illinois obtained a yield of about 60 tonnes per hectare of the tall willowy grass last year.

"If about 8 percent of the land area (of the state) was given over to this grass, and assuming only half of those yields were obtained, we would obtain enough dry matter to generate the total electricity used by of the state if Illinois, which includes the city of Chicago," he told a science conference.

Professor Mike Jones, of Trinity College in Dublin, said planting the crop on 10 percent of the arable land in Ireland, could meet up to 30 percent of the country's electricity needs.

In the United States, scientists are looking at burning the crop in a 50-50 mix with coal to generate electricity. It would be suitable for use in some existing power plants, although others would require modification.

The scientists told the British Association for the Advancement of Science conference that the attractive, perennial plant which grows about 14 feet high and similar grasses could provide a means to significantly offset fossil fuel emissions.

"As the plant grows it is drawing carbon dioxide out of the air. When you burn it you put that carbon dioxide back, so the net effect on atmospheric CO2 is zero," Long explained.

"In terms of Kyoto it would be considered carbon neutral," Long said, referring to the 1997 protocol that demands cuts in greenhouse emissions by 5.2 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-12.

The scientists used a sterile hybrid of the plant, which comes from high altitude areas in Japan and produces a silver, feather-like foliage, in the trials so it would not become invasive.

"Currently, in those trials that have been carried out, there appears to be no real problem with pests or diseases," according to Jones.

Long said biomass crops have not been taken seriously as a means for mitigating rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

"The point we want to make is that these new plants that we have been looking at really could make a major contribution and it doesn't require major technological breakthroughs to do that."

[Arlos]

Very very interesting. If you add a filter to the smokestacks to catch the carbon soot before it hits the main atmosphere, it'd be even cleaner. Use grass to fix CO2 out of the air, then burn it for energy, and if you spend the money to prevent the return of the carbon... Wow. This has real potential.

It is really nice to see us finally making real progress on sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources. Between Biodiesel, this, and even the oil shale development, we could drastically slash this country's need for foreign oil, we could dramatically lower atmospheric pollution, by burning the grass instead of coal and because biodiesel is cleaner than petro-diesel, and then add in the upswing in jobs between farm jobs for growing hemp & this grass, processing plants, etc. etc. etc.

I don't see how it's not a win/win from all points of view.

-Arlos

[DangerPaul]

They can also make a fuel from hemp which is clean burning and cheap to produce. Plus the stoners can then stick their lips on the tailpipe for a contact buzz!

[Tuggan]

there are a fucking ton of alternative energy plans, just none of them are funded well enough to go anywhere. they wont be until were out of oil.

[DangerPaul]

That or the american public bitches enough to force it to happen. Our country is a bunch of whiners, gas has been $6 + a gallon in most other countries for a decade. But now its an issue

[xaoshaen]

That or the american public bitches enough to force it to happen. Our country is a bunch of whiners, gas has been $6 + a gallon in most other countries for a decade. But now its an issue

In many cases, that's due to the taxes placed on gas to allow more comprehensive social systems, though.

[ClakarEQ]

Just to make the point clear, hemp and "pot" are actually two different things but are the same/similar plant.

Hemp if one were to smoke it's leaves (as it doesn't "bud") would just give an aweful headache, pot on the other hand, as you may already know is female and if grown properly has no seeds and the "buds" are what you smoke, gets you high as a kite :p.

However DP is correct in that hemp has been known for alternate fuel / textile / etc resource for years, but he is also correct to say that it will not get funding until we pay 10.00 a gal of gas.

I've said it before, just as DP eluded(sp) to, we are a bunch of lazy bitchy rich living folk that really don't care if we pay $3 or $4 a gallon. I'm shooting for $10, I hope gas goes to $10 a gal. I think that would be enough to break the middle class man (looks in the mirror).

[Tuggan]

You also do a fraction of the driving that is required here in the states if you live over in Europe. You dont gotta drive 40 miles to go to work. Mass transit, and everything is basically right around the corner. Denser populations. I wouldnt care if I had to pay out the ass for gas if I only drove once in awhile, or for much shorter distances.

[DangerPaul]

Just to make the point clear, hemp and "pot" are actually two different things but are the same/similar plant.

Hemp if one were to smoke it's leaves (as it doesn't "bud") would just give an aweful headache, pot on the other hand, as you may already know is female and if grown properly has no seeds and the "buds" are what you smoke, gets you high as a kite :p.

However DP is correct in that hemp has been known for alternate fuel / textile / etc resource for years, but he is also correct to say that it will not get funding until we pay 10.00 a gal of gas.

I've said it before, just as DP eluded(sp) to, we are a bunch of lazy bitchy rich living folk that really don't care if we pay $3 or $4 a gallon. I'm shooting for $10, I hope gas goes to $10 a gal. I think that would be enough to break the middle class man (looks in the mirror).

leave this to a hippy to turn my joke into a pot smoking thread ><

[ClakarEQ]

Yes mass transit or the lack of it is a big problem in the US. I've had guys come over from Italy, I'm in Michigan, and are amazed that folks actually drive up to the UP (upper peninsula for the "out-of-towners") every weekend and the general day to day driving we do.

For example, I've got a half dozen restaurants with-in a half-mile of the office, yet we drive there, that wouldn't be the case in EU, folks would walk it. You see we are fat and lazy, walking, please, not when I can drive my H3 while the other guy that sits next to me drives his Dinali(sp). There, from my visits to EU are a ton less fat folks then what we have here.

This all has to do with our dumb'd down mentality. We're a bunch of spoiled rich folk with chips on our shoulders, too proud to see we can actually do things the wrong way and too ignorante to make change. Our country is heading in the direction the 3'rd worlds countries are moving away from. My grandchildern will be living in a country like India (all though maybe it will be my great grandchildern), and India, China, etc will be the power countries of the world. It's all a viscious cycle and it is all Bush's fault (LOL).

[ClakarEQ]

DP I couldn't resist, and I wish I were a true hippy but yuppy would be more fitting, I was born in '69, not marching in the peace movements in '69.

/hugs DP, peace love happyness my brothers and sisters.

I didn't want to hijack so I posted again in attempts to re-rail the thread, well, sort of

[brinstar]

"If about 8 percent of the land area (of the state) was given over to this grass, and assuming only half of those yields were obtained, we would obtain enough dry matter to generate the total electricity used by of the state if Illinois, which includes the city of Chicago," he told a science conference.

whoa

[Captain Insano]

Very very interesting. If you add a filter to the smokestacks to catch the carbon soot before it hits the main atmosphere, it'd be even cleaner. Use grass to fix CO2 out of the air, then burn it for energy, and if you spend the money to prevent the return of the carbon... Wow. This has real potential.

It is really nice to see us finally making real progress on sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources. Between Biodiesel, this, and even the oil shale development, we could drastically slash this country's need for foreign oil, we could dramatically lower atmospheric pollution, by burning the grass instead of coal and because biodiesel is cleaner than petro-diesel, and then add in the upswing in jobs between farm jobs for growing hemp & this grass, processing plants, etc. etc. etc.

I don't see how it's not a win/win from all points of view.

-Arlos

I like this post... If shit like this actually worked we could take the proverbial arab-oil dick out of the American ass and get our interests out of the fucking middle east.

[Gidan]

That or the american public bitches enough to force it to happen. Our country is a bunch of whiners, gas has been $6 + a gallon in most other countries for a decade. But now its an issue

Really doesn't matter how much the american public bitches. There is way to much connection between the people making the decisions and the oil companies. Its in the best interests of the poloticians for us to be as dependent on oil as possible.