Posted by Snow in 
What will it take to get the American economy to make the biofuel commitment? Current a struggling auto industry suffers from lack of economic growth, and coincidentally high gas prices and record extreme highs at the gas pump have critics looking hard at biofuels. Ethanol products and animal fuels are deriving more market prominence every day.
But when will the switchover commitment happen? It will take at least one generation of biofuel absorption and automobile purchasing to get the green groove on, vehicularly speaking. Industrial commitments currently waver between stimulus efforts at supporting the Detroit carmaking model and something more friendly to the Kyoto Protocol.
It’s the physical breakdown of the cellulose material that presents problems. Chemical processes are required to leverage the glucoses from the cell wall firmament of the plant structure. But feedstock and grass of this type is still easier to grow than accessible price-friendly oil fields. Processing to a gas first, the syngas conversion harnesses carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
Biofuels are perfect for Western consumer culture. waste wood, weed grasses, and excess corn products can be buttressed into fuel production. The vast fields of corn now growing in America might be tantamount to growing new domestic petroleum preserves, without the carbon waste and negative environmental footprint. But first, the growing pains.
The sophistication and green appeal of biofuels for Americans stems for the abundant food supply. Gas, jet fuel, and diesel (as well as ethanol) can be derived from multivariate grassoline sources. Deconstruction of the plant product into fuel requires either high or low temperature processes.
Mexico could develop massive (if it cared to) green feedstock supplies with its massive tracts of undeveloped land, and end the cycle of poverty across within and beyond its borders. Utilization of marginal lands for feedstock and grass crops could be the eco-model of the future.
Forest products and energy crops can combine with agricultural residues for total energy cycle sustenance. On the bright side, oil refineries can process biocrude and animal fats to a usable bio-oil with a two stage process. Low value fats like beef and pork can become serious fuel basis masses. Even chicken fat can combine to make jet fuel.
But can grassoline compete with gasoline at the pump?Can producers operate to produce it without stiff tax breaks? Will the public adopt it after a long historic and cultural association with fossil fuel transportation?
And many of these processes are not yet cost friendly to lure industrial processors in every state. Until demand and cost become low common denominators, chemical processing and biofuel manufacturing will be stalled in an exploratory stage. And funding in the current levels can’t continue forever.
Meanwhile gas price fluctuation drives down demand at critical times in processing and delivery timeframes. Capital costs and econmies of scale require serious demand for the industry to make sense. Yet uniform adoption of this energy use would need to happen to bring its economies below the exploratory stage level.
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