Crops as renewable energy.... need info about ethanol and biomass?

Question

i really need some information about renewable energy but only biomass if you know anything that might help please let me know. the questions i need answered are 1) what crops are used in the US for renewable energy, 2) what are the pros and cons of using crops as energy 3) any other information on biofules

Answer 1

This was just posted today by Yahoo!  It describes successful testing of a biofuel source, switchgrass.  Highly recommended.

Answer 2

The best crop for this is switchgrass the return per b.t.u is far more then all other crops used. But their is no saw grass lobby to push this like ther is with corn and all this is doing is driving up food prices. But to the greens it FEELS GOOD. so wake up do your home work and learn the truth.

Answer 3

Crops for renewable energy are generally a bad idea.  They appeal to those who think there must be a way of solving our energy and climate change problems without interfering with business as usual.  As such they appeal to our politicians who would otherwise have to announce the end of economic growth.  Naturally politicians fear that they would lose votes conveying such a message and they latch on to any alternative.

Why are energy crops a bad idea?  Because they push up the cost of food and they encourage further deforestation.  Increased food costs impact more on the poor and lead to social unrest and war which impacts on everybody.  Deforestation adds to global warming which will also cause economic and social upheaval.

The only real solution to the energy crisis and global warming is to adopt simpler, less wasteful lifestyles and to generate energy from sustainable sources such as wind, wave, tide, geothermal, solar and hydro sources.  The good news is that we can make a start individually. We will find simpler, less wasteful lifestyles more fun than trying to keep up with what the neighbours spend and we will demonstrate to governments that there are votes in adopting more sustainable policies instead of jumping from one crisis to another.

Best wishes

Answer 4

We are now using corn to make ethanol and soybeans to make bio-diesel.  This is a waste of resources.  There is a GMO that can be used to harvest our unused bio-mass.  I hope that greed won't stop it from being able to save our planet.  Who ever owns the patent should let us use it.  The unused part of grain production could be baled just like hay.  Everything could end up in our gas tanks.  We will never drill our way out of this energy issue.  We need E-100 cars that get 100 mpg.