12-10-2008, 03:35 PM
At this point, if one would commit to produce guava at less than 100 bucks a ton, green, cut and limbed, mostly, it's nearly commercially viable. Quite close really. I'd produce bio char out of it and sell it for .30 cents a lb. Someone would need to donate a freight container, and it can be ugly, to be the retort. It will get a lot uglier. A site, as well, would be good, like some godforsaken pile of rock out there someplace where the smoke blows off to Tonga. The bio char you could bury in your garden, or burn in your gasifier to run a generator. I will teach you how to build that thing for free. It's a pain in the butt, but it does work, and will make wood into electricity. At these values it is the gasoline equivalent at +/- 6 bucks a gallon. All in all, it isn't great wages, but it solves a lot of problems in Puna in a real way, right away. It is viable. It provides employment for any who would rise from a couch, and it takes care of, completely, the invasive species problem. It makes value out of weed woods, and works for a better future in a real and immediately measurable way. Any supporters? I'll need a hand. Otherwise, I'll just do it on my little scale for myself like I already am, and let the rest of you quarrel about the value of solar panels and electric cars.