Posted by
Georgiaboy on Saturday, July 08, 2006 4:55:17 PM
Ethanol has been lauded as the cure for America's oil addiction. But, as of right now, it has several problems. It takes too much energy to make, and it is primarily made from corn. The only way that ethanol will ever make a significant impact is if we figure out how to make a gallon of ethanol from non-corn plant material using less than the equivalent of a half-gallon of gas. If this technological hurdle is cleared, the solution to the problem is clear--Kudzu! Kudzu grows so fast that if it was farmed, there would plenty of plant material to fill the tanks of every Hummer in America. Other honorable mentions include bamboo and pine trees. Both of these plants grow crazy fast and would work great. I am partly joking about the kudzu, but if the technology pans out, it might turn out to be a decent alternative. Until then, let's do some drilling in ANWR!