I have an idea but I don't know what to do with it?

Question

It's actually my mom's idea but I'm helping her with it. Here it is: Everyone knows that gas prices are going up and are having a bad impact on everyone/everything including the economy. We need to find a replacement fuel. Why don't the tobacco companies use their tobacco for fuel. People are coming up with ethanol fuel but it turns out that it's making just as much pollution as gasoline and is making food prices go up. If the tobacco companies decided to use their crop for fuel (a positive thing) instead of cigarettes and other negative things, then everyone wins. The big tobacco companies don't care about it's consumers, they just care about their money. Therefore, they'll still be happy and it'll be better for America's population.

Answer 1

The reason why corn is used is because it contains starch which converts to sugar and fermented by yeast to make ethanol.

Tobacco doesn't contain the amount of sugar to ferment.

Answer 2

it would b a good idea to try to save the planet and stuff like that but think about the people working fort the tobacco ppl

they dont care about money, they just need a job.... if u had a job working at a place that people thought is where ppl go only to get money then u would think otherwise... maybe they work for money they can use for essential stuff and give to the poor? think, girl, think!!!!!

Answer 3

IDK if you should do that because tobacco is bad

Answer 4

Is it possible that our current level of angst for the future, and our lack of practical solutions and general pessimism are caused by a lack of tobacco?  It gave everyone a certain level of comfort.  We didn't live as long, but the world was a bit happier.  Note that the US Constitution and the rest of the foundations of our nation were written by people who were hearty smokers.  I really wonder if we could duplicate it today.

Answer 5

A better idea would be to convert the very fertile tobacco fields into fields for foodstuff.

Answer 6

Well, first you should investigate feasibility.  I'll save you the trouble though; it isn't.  Tobacco is a leafy plant in the nightshade family.  This is the same family as potatoes, tomatoes, and petunias.  These plants are green, lush, and leafy, but once dried out there just isn't much too them.  In order to make even a reasonable fuel, they would need more bulk.

Now, planting a more energy-rich crop in place of the tobacco might be a good way for the farmer to make more money.  Potatoes can be planted in place of tobacco, and they can be used to make alcohol.

BTW, potatoes, petunias, and tomatoes also contain nicotine... but I don't know if it's a good idea to smoke their leaves.  They are poisonous after all.

Answer 7

Well, first do a little research online to see if your idea is plausible.

Then just walk around your town, and discuss it with people, get the word around, try to make it popular.

Someone who could turn your idea into reality, could catch wind of it!

Sure, you most likely won't get the credit (or money) for the idea. But, if it is good for the environment, then that should be payment enough. You would also be swelling with pride, I'm assuming, if your idea was adapted, and transformed into a phenomenon.

Answer 8

Well, since you believe that ethanol pollutes, I'm not sure your idea would work. The most reasonable way of using tobacco would be as a biosource for the cellulosic process. And the tobacco industry would be unlikely to want to sell their product as cheaply as would be necessary to make ethanol at a reasonable price.

Answer 9

Well I don't know if it will work but It will sure save me a lot of money on cigarettes. All I will have to do is open my window when I need to puff.

Answer 10

WE would have to come up with a motor that would burn that c**p first. Right now the only thing that would work would be a steam engine and they just wouldn't look good in a corvette.

Answer 11

Almost any vegetation can be used to make bio-fuel but "some is better than others". The sugar content seems to be the critical component in making a plant into ethanol. Ask any moonshiner. Tobacco is not the top producer of sugar, sugar is. The more sugar per plant the fewer acres need to be put into crops.

There are not enough acres in USA to grow enough corn to make the ethanol needed to power the existing fleet of cars on the road today, much less the fleet of the future.

Corn is a sweeter product than tobacco.

Answer 12

I am not sure if tobacco can be used for fuel..

the latest hot topic now is to run your car on water using the Hydrogen Fuel technology....