(Notícia em Inglês)
Research and development activities in the biofuels arena, already moving forward at a sprightly clip, appear to be picking up the pace. And this is with good reason: petroleum experts are increasingly of the mind that oil production is about to peak (if it hasn't done so already), and the huge potential costs of a petroleum-based energy system, costs that are never factored into the pump price but which must be paid nonetheless, are obviously writ large on the Gulf of Mexico.
Most of the activity in bringing far more carbon neutral biofuels made from plants to the market has involved, for lack of a better term, plucking the low-hanging fruit. Ethanol continues to be primarily derived from heavily subsidized and energy intensive corn. Biodiesel can be derived from recycled cooking oils, but is also currently manufactured from virgin raw materials such as oils from palm and soy that divert calories away from the food stream. Increasing demand for such fuels could be expected to impose unwelcome pressures on the global food supply without rethinking the inputs.
tonic.com»
Research and development activities in the biofuels arena, already moving forward at a sprightly clip, appear to be picking up the pace. And this is with good reason: petroleum experts are increasingly of the mind that oil production is about to peak (if it hasn't done so already), and the huge potential costs of a petroleum-based energy system, costs that are never factored into the pump price but which must be paid nonetheless, are obviously writ large on the Gulf of Mexico.
Most of the activity in bringing far more carbon neutral biofuels made from plants to the market has involved, for lack of a better term, plucking the low-hanging fruit. Ethanol continues to be primarily derived from heavily subsidized and energy intensive corn. Biodiesel can be derived from recycled cooking oils, but is also currently manufactured from virgin raw materials such as oils from palm and soy that divert calories away from the food stream. Increasing demand for such fuels could be expected to impose unwelcome pressures on the global food supply without rethinking the inputs.
tonic.com»