A: List the major ideas, concepts or key points- point by point
B: Summarize the AUTHOR’s main point or idea- at LEAST 1-2 paragraphs
This article talks about how many companies have fallen short due to the fact that biofuels from plant matter is too expensive.The failure is discouraging because biofuels seemed like an ideal solution to dependence on oil and climate change. Experience suggests thaat scientific or industrial improvements needed to solve challenges to making advanced biofuels may be difficult to attain. Replacing all fuels with corn ethanol would require farm three times size of continental U.S. Energy that can be harvested from waste cellulose is potentially huge. It can generate 1.4 billion tons of cellulosic material, displacing 30% of transportation fuel. Corn ethanol only biofuel to reach commercial scale in the U.S thanks to subsidies. Corn ethanol is not energy efficient and is not carbon neutral.
C: Write a reaction paragraph to the article stating your own thoughts on the topic, using specific citations from the article to support your views
After reading this article I think biofuel may be needed for us in the future. Although experience suggests that scientific or industrial improvements needed to solve challenges to making advanced biofuels may be difficult to attain. As alternative, scientists opted to work with algae and the biggest challenge may be the fact that producing hydrocarbons is algae's defense against long periods without sun to engineer them to respond to stress yet grow quickly. Investors and politicians might be wise not to stake much money on a high-risk bet. Nations could electrify transportation to reduce fossil-fuel use
So what?:
Says Who?:
What if...? Biofuels were successful:
What does this remind me of?: Diet soda. It's better to drink than regular soda, but is still bad for you in general.
- Thanol yields little net savings in CO2 emission
- Cellulose does not affect food prices
- None of biofuels working today
- Energy use for distilling ethanol used by fossil fuels
- Ethanol competition with gasoline; gasoline prices wins
- Cellulosic ethanol produced not from starchy corn kernel
- U.S generate 1.4 billion tons of cellulosic material
- According to U.S EPA, by 2011 the U.S was supposed to be producing 100 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol. Instead in the 2010 the EPA rolled back the 2011 goal to 6.5 million.
- Experience suggests thaat scientific or industrial improvements needed to solve challenges to making advanced biofuels may be difficult to attain.
- Goal seems too distant.
- Corn ethanol only biofuel to reach commercial scale in the U.S thanks to subsidies.
- Fermentation is the core technology for making ethanol from corn.
- Corn ethanol is not energy efficient and is not carbon neutral
- Lots of energy is required to distill ethanol from the soup of water and yeast in which it has been fermented.
- A gallon of ethanol supplies a vehicle only 2/3 of energy in a gallon of gasoline
- Sugarcane delivers more energy and is easier to grow and has existing production.
- As alternative, scientists opted to work with algae.
- Algae can harness 3% of incoming sunlight to make plant matter.
- Algae can be grown in the desert instead of on arable land, nourished with undrinkable water, so approach doesn't displace food. Process promises 4,270 gallons of oil per acre depending on conditions
- Problems from algal biofuels: prevent organisms from falling prey to predators, disease or contamination by natural strains?
- How to justify equipment expense and keep algae from sticking to innards
- Biggest challenge may be the fact that producing hydrocarbons is algae's defense against long periods without sun to engineer them to respond to stress yet grow quickly
- Algae companies try to overcome obstacles by changing genetic code of microorganisms.
- Researchers started by tweaking the genes of E. Coli
- Institutes have turned E coli into an efficient biological factory that converts sunlight, CO2 and water into hydrocarbons like bio diesel.
- If all corn crop in 2009 was used to make ethanol, would only replace 18%
- Finding a way to break down a plant cells walls is biggest challenge
- Cows and leaf cutter ants have provided inspirations to the break down
- Costly to refine cellulose sugars into a bio fuel
- Taking the plant waste instead of letting it decompose may accelerate topsoil erosion
- Algae could be the best solution
- Possibly E. Coli is key
B: Summarize the AUTHOR’s main point or idea- at LEAST 1-2 paragraphs
This article talks about how many companies have fallen short due to the fact that biofuels from plant matter is too expensive.The failure is discouraging because biofuels seemed like an ideal solution to dependence on oil and climate change. Experience suggests thaat scientific or industrial improvements needed to solve challenges to making advanced biofuels may be difficult to attain. Replacing all fuels with corn ethanol would require farm three times size of continental U.S. Energy that can be harvested from waste cellulose is potentially huge. It can generate 1.4 billion tons of cellulosic material, displacing 30% of transportation fuel. Corn ethanol only biofuel to reach commercial scale in the U.S thanks to subsidies. Corn ethanol is not energy efficient and is not carbon neutral.
C: Write a reaction paragraph to the article stating your own thoughts on the topic, using specific citations from the article to support your views
After reading this article I think biofuel may be needed for us in the future. Although experience suggests that scientific or industrial improvements needed to solve challenges to making advanced biofuels may be difficult to attain. As alternative, scientists opted to work with algae and the biggest challenge may be the fact that producing hydrocarbons is algae's defense against long periods without sun to engineer them to respond to stress yet grow quickly. Investors and politicians might be wise not to stake much money on a high-risk bet. Nations could electrify transportation to reduce fossil-fuel use
So what?:
- The problems with biofuel
Says Who?:
- David Biello
What if...? Biofuels were successful:
- More usage of it
- Saving more
- Large area of land would be dedicated to fuel
What does this remind me of?: Diet soda. It's better to drink than regular soda, but is still bad for you in general.