In her search for a better way to put fuel in your tank, biological engineer Ratna Sharma-Shivappa is working on a chemical juggling act: She is trying to break down the problematic woody material in grasses without harming the energy-containing carbohydrates that the plants also contain. If she can perfect the process, it could lead to inexpensive biofuels that are made from inedible crops—not from corn like most of today’s ethanol. This research if proven, could change all energy as we know it for the better. We would be able to use almost all plants as a source of energy to perform our everyday needs. The technology to do this does not even cost a great deal of money so it is a very feasible task with little barries and risks that could produce a great yield. I think that more research like this needs to be conducted worldwide to further our sustainability.
http://discovermagazine.com/2010/dec/07-turning-tough-trash-food-friendly-fuel
This is a super duper idea, especially the part where it does not cost a lot of money. But I am wondering whether or not the crops would take up precious space that could be used for other crops or something else useful.
ReplyDelete