Compost bug offers hope for biofuel industry

Compost bug offers hope for biofuel industry

www.guardian.co.uk

A detritus-loving bug that can be found in nearly every garden compost heap in the land could be about to transform the way the world makes biofuels.

Initially, it is set to make bioethanol production from corn in the US more efficient, but the British company that has developed it says it can be applied much more broadly.

Unlike the yeasts traditionally used in brewing and bioethanol production it is more tolerant of tough plant matter, so raw materials such as grasses, willow, forest waste

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Not like we have not heard similar stories before. However any new idea that shows promise should be made available and open for discushen. Using the corn stock is important. It will free up the food part of corn and will start making use of part of the pant which has not been profitable yet. Any new idea is good as I look at it.

www.guardian.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Hopefully, if this project succeeds the landfills might disappear altogether and the high food prices which is due to corn used for bio fuels may come down.

reply to post by peacejet


Thanks for posting.
I don't really think this will make the land fills disappear. Also although it might help the price of corn come down, if they can use the stocks for fuel. However the price of oil is keeping the price of corn up more then anything.

This is really exciting...if it pans out. Has anyone ever investigated the cost of making a gallon of biofuel vs, conventional methods? It's a more than a gallon of regular fuel and actually has less carbon footprint.

I worry that some huge oil company will find a way to quash it so they can keep making money on stuff like corn :-(