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GM and Coskata to Leave Grain-Based Ethanol in the Past?

3K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  IAfarmer 
#1 ·
From: http://www.stevenashley.info/2008/01/coskatagm-backing-process-to-produce.html ...

The EcoGeek is reporting that GM and Coskata are readying a waste gasification/ethanol demonstration production plant at a GM manufacturing plant. The waste gasification plant will highlight GM and Coskata efforts to develop a process that will be able to produce ethanol at far lower costs that oil based gasoline production using a highly variable source of raw materials and contributing to a zero landfill waste production facility.

Coskata process does not use genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in this process, and because these bacteria are anaerobic, if accidentally they were released into the atmosphere, they would quickly die off because of the atmosphere's oxygen content. Coskata's research has been to identify suitable natural strains of bacteria that work well in their process and then selectively breed them to produce "thoroughbred" strains.

One of the grips the Green movement has against ethanol is that it normally takes 3 to 4 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of ethanol. Coskata's process uses less than 1 gallon of water to produce 1 gallon of ethanol using 50% less energy and it doesn't need to use corn or any other food crops to do it with.

If this one holds up, I'll trade in my gas burners for ethanol burners tomorrow.

For more on the process check out EcoGeek article EcoGeek - Technology for the Environment
 
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#3 ·
If nobody ever starts, 10 years'll never get here, right?

I've read for YEARS about a Canadian company demoing a waste-to-ethanol plant. Maybe it's almost ready for prime-time.
 
#4 ·
I agree Jason...this NEEDS to happen and soon!

On another note...we need solar now!

I'll have to say I've been a bit dubious of all the screams of global warming...until last night. The History Channel is running a series called Crude...I'm now a believer!

http://www.history.com/shows.do?episodeId=260656&action=detail

I won't discount an agenda but reading between the lines it's impossible to ignore the facts.
 
#5 ·
#8 ·
I just heard a radio discussion that solar panels are very energy intensive to build and take YEARS to offset the construction energy use. Any truth to that?

As for ethanol, the more sources we find, the better it is for everyone.
 
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