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+--- Thread: biodiesel from cane (/showthread.php?tid=2127)
biodiesel from cane - Bullwinkle - 04-26-2008
http://greenwombat.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/04/25/amyris-to-produce-biodiesel-from-sugarcane/
this technology could transform the BI
RE: biodiesel from cane - pslamont - 04-26-2008
Bull, are we growing sugar cane anywhere on this island any more????
Just another day in P A R A D I S E !!
RE: biodiesel from cane - Bullwinkle - 04-26-2008
This could reinvigorate the production of cane, underpinning a more viable economy .. Hawaii could again export a cane based product - diesel! way cool imho
RE: biodiesel from cane - Guest - 04-26-2008
Many people do not realize how prevalent sugar
My grandfather came to Hawaii to be the physician for the Hawaiian Agricultural Company, which at the time focused only on Sugar.
I'm not a big believer in biodiesel. I think it's another reason why we are having such high food costs.
-------
Damons Digest
Acceptance will take you further in life then Denial ever will
RE: biodiesel from cane - gtill - 04-26-2008
Yeah sugar could, but it was closed on all islands with large university participation. Too much smoke, ruining the land, dirty trucks etc.. Where cane has been killed off, it has resulted in near takeover by white mainland population!
Sugar is still active on Maui, the central plain, smokey mill, big dirty trucks, cane fires, the works! And Maui is doing much better than BI, they actually make money and are sustainable!
My understanding is cane makes ethanol (and rum). With the food and fuel shortages, I think we'll be seeing a ban on Bio Fuels PDQ, at least on new plantings! I know the UN hates it and we're heading for their leadership!
That tech will become feasable when it becomes bio-mass, wood chips, tree trimmings etc!
RE: biodiesel from cane - james weatherford - 04-26-2008
"...sugar ... was closed on all islands ..."
International competition beat out most of Hawaii's inefficient processing technology, especially for high-volume, low-margin bulk/commodity sugar products (granulated white sugar). Maui Sugar Co. was more clever, keeping their processing equipment efficient and, very importantly, targeting high-value, low-volume, specialty markets (e.g., 'turbinado', raw sugar, etc); and the company diversified tremendously to spread their risks across multiple markets.
"...Where cane has been killed off..." there has been a lot of subdividing, and too much of that has gone to McMansions (including those of some wealthy Asian immigrants). There are also thousands of land that was in cane less than 35 years ago, and now that land (subdivided or not) is over run by invasive jungle (especially albizia, ironwood, socropia, etc). These areas then serve as seed banks for the invasives going into conservation areas and choking out native and indigenous plants (including high-value ohia and koa) -- not good.
"..cane fires ..." are no more anywhere in the islands, and that is good. We really must keep our imagination under control here
It is true, "cane makes ethanol (and rum)". Which makes this idea curious for its lack of consistency. Look forward to reading the link.
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
RE: biodiesel from cane - Greg - 04-26-2008
Could we utilize the thousands of acres of fallow caneland to grow other fuel crops?
Would hemp or palm oil be viable, and less in need of chemicals?
The deisel engine was originally designed to run on vegetable oil. Industry switched to petrolium only after it became abundant and cheap.
With all the vacant agricultural land available to us, why is sustainability considered such a pipe dream to so many?
RE: biodiesel from cane - gtill - 04-26-2008
Sorry Dr W, but cane still burns on Maui! Anti burn task forces have attacked Maui since the 1970s, and some people still complain, but the burning goes on (once every 18 months) for harvest! They decided cane beat subdivisions. Oahu and BI cane/Land owners wanted it shut down so they could develop houses! The state forced them to stay open for many years, Burning was their final justification for closing down and planting houses!
On Oahu,tourist industry and military has provided the finances to grow and develop, and consequently provide livings for many! Big Isle not so lucky, and no sugar! I believe in Puna, flower production is the biggest indutry!
RE: biodiesel from cane - DrJ - 04-26-2008
Bio-diesels are still too inefficient and expensive to make an impact except on food prices. With food prices already rising, comitting such a large percentage of our food sources for fuel would drive up the price even further. Until alternative fuels become cheaper than oil (which may be sooner than later) we'll continue to pay at the pump.
Hydrogen cell cars would be cool. Bi-product is water.. can't beat that.
RE: biodiesel from cane - dakine - 04-26-2008
I believe a big part of the reason sugarcane failed on the big island is because of the high coast of fertilizer. The slope of our island and volume of rainfall in the areas where the cane was grown make for a considerable amount of erosion. Whereas the sugarcane on Maui is grown on land that is more fertile and flatter, as well as having more ideal weather conditions, all conspiring to make the investment in fertilizer lower, and thus the companies profits high enough to stay in business. Regardless of what the eventual use of the sugar would be, the cost in todays dollars for the ingredients that are needed to be imported in order to grow it here may very well be prohibited.
When sugar production shut down on the island of Hawaii there was already great concern by the EPA over the amount of erosion and the resulting reddish brown plumes of sediment in the ocean that every river along the Hamakua coast had. I seriously do not think any agricultural endeavor that would create the same ecological nightmare would be allowed to continue... if they could ever get started at this point.
As for bio-fuel... when we have more food than everyone on the planet needs, maybe it would be a worthwhile subject to toss around. But man people are starving! An interesting article about biofuel can be found at http://www.earthfiles.com/news.php?ID=1419&category=Environment