A New Step in the Ethanol Revolution?
via www.esnips.com 
"Brazilian government-funded researchers said they have perfected a method of producing cellulosic ethanol that drastically reduces the cost of processing. At this point, the assertion is unconfirmed. But should it prove true, the world could well be peeking over the horizon at a massive geopolitical, not to mention economic, shift. Cheap ethanol -- meaning cheap enough to compete favorably with gasoline -- is one of those world-changing technologies that comes only once in a generation."
I was particularly struck by the geopolitical shift this would lead to - the countries that could produce the most ethanol are NOT the countries that currently supply the world's energy needs. Countries like Ukraine, France, India, and especially Brazil and the United States would dominate the new energy industry. Countries like Mexico, Argentina, Canada, and Russia would also do pretty well. Meanwhile, many of the countries currently in OPEC would face an economic catastrophe.
It's also worth noting, "According to the Environmental Protection Agency, if one takes into account all production and transport for gasoline and ethanol, cellulosic corn-based E85 reduces the greenhouse gas output by 15 percent to 20 percent."
No comments:
Post a Comment