Don’t know what Jatropha is, but I think Kudzu is the way to go..
I first heard about this about three years ago or so. If I recall correctly, the seeds are toxic to birds.
Good, if it can compete without government subsidies and/or grants, go for it. Let competition determine whether it is viable. I’d be VERY surprised if it is.
What’s the point. As soon as they start planting the hempsters will all insist that hemp makes better fuel.
We can make ethanol from coal 30% more cheaply than corn. Why waste money and land on biofuel?
Here we go again with more pseudo-science BS instead of facts.
Jatropha grows in tropical, or arid climates, and has not been domesticated or refined, so it’s about like maize was when Columbus landed vs. todays engineered corn hybrid. It’s leaves are poisonous, productivity is highly variable, and yet it produces oil-rich seeds and can grow in places where nothing else of value will. So maybe it has potential, just relax and let the science guys do their thing, and we’ll see...
As for “latest nonsense”, the big jatropha hype was about 5 years ago. But then journalists don’t bother to do any research either.
A start-up cracks the code to turn a bush into fuel.
For the next Huge Brush/Forest fire in California?
Jatropha is great where you have a huge supply of extremely low-cost labor. It cannot be mechanically harvested, and one of the benefits touted is that you can employ 100’s of otherwise unemployable people. Think India, not the USA.
biofuels perform a useful role...
biofuels link the price of fuel, to the price of food.
when the Iranians try to hurt the
US by raising the price of crude oil.
The price of food goes up to the worlds poor.
Algae is by far a better option. While it requires a higher initial investment, it can be cultivated just about anywhere and without the need for tillable soil. Thus an algae farm can grown in the desert or on lands that would otherwise not be farm able.
Someone one could invent a perpetual motion engine that converts air in to tofu and the envirocommies would still complain.