[tasmodevil44]

Like I've already stated on previous posts,either large scale algae(whatever happened to ocean kelp cultivation they used to talk about years ago during the 70's?) or hemp cultivation or a combination of both is the best way to go for biofuels.Things like corn and soybeans is a joke.The slow growth rates and inefficient photosynthesis just don't justify it.In fact,the corn from alcohol boondoggle(just a few rich cons cashing in) does more harm than good.

      But,like I stated earlier in another post,existing ethanol production plants may still evolve into something better as time goes by.They could eventually be modified to make butanol instead of ethanol,which is in some respects a more desirable fuel.Instead of sugar from corn or sugar beets,cellulosic butanol from hemp may be the best long-term strategy to go about the biofuel business.Modification of existing production plants should not be too difficult a technological challenge.Most of the capability to do so already exists.

      If hemp was grown on a large scale,it would help to halt global warming and recycle carbon dioxide into new fuel,while not taking-up anywhere near as much landspace or competing with food production for people.

      But the DEA keeps coming-up with all kinds of lame arguments about marijuana abuse and the like that just does not make sense or hold-up to scrutiny.Industrial hemp does not contain enough of the psychoactive THC to make anybody get high.

[tasmodevil44]

Legalied?....oops....sorry about bad spelling by omission of the letter z.

[Yggdrasil]

I definitely agree that producing biofuels from food crops is not an economically, socially, or environmentally sound strategy.  I personally believe that producing ethanol from cellulose in weeds (e.g. switchgrass or fast growing trees) is probably the most viable biofuel production strategy, but the technology to efficiently create ethanol from cellulose is not here yet.

What's the advantage of hemp?  It doesn't seem like it would produce enough starch for conventional ethanol production, so it seems like it would be a cellulosic feedstock.  However, for cellulosic ethanol, most of the stuff I've seen has promoted other fast growing plants.

Also, what's the advantage of butanol over ethanol?  I keep hearing people promoting ethanol, but given how much easier it is to produce ethanol than butanol, I'm curious as to why people believe butanol to be a better fuel.

[pantone159]

Also, what's the advantage of butanol over ethanol?

Is there something about being able to make BuOH anhydrous easily, while this is impractical for EtOH?  Thus reducing corrosion problems.

[Yggdrasil]

Ah, that is a pretty big advantage, especially given the fact that small amounts of contaminating water in an ethanol/gasoline mixture will make it separate.

[pantone159]

Industrial hemp does not contain enough of the psychoactive THC to make anybody get high.

This is true.  There is no good reason at all for prohibiting hemp production.  A cannabis grower would want to avoid any hemp plants as well.

I don't know that means it would be good for biodiesel production.  I kind of think that biodiesel makes huge sense for dealing with wastes, but explicit production is another thing.