With the environment in decline and gas prices on the rise, biofuels are receiving quite a bit of consideration as an alternative energy source. The most popular sources of biofuels, however, are food crops, and given rising food prices, that poses a whole other set of problems. But cultivating hemp as a source of biofuel may very well solve many of the problems commonly associated with using food crops. As GreenExperience.net explains:
[...] The best kind of biofuel is one that is not food, grows in abundance, and supplies large amounts of biomass. Surprisingly, the plant that fits all of these requirements is none other than hemp.
[...] The specific process through which hemp fuel is made is pyrolysis, where high temperatures are applied to the plant in the absence of oxygen. This creates charcoal, which is a clean burning fuel that does not release sulfur (the primary cause of acid rain). Using adjusted methods, hemp can also be turned in to methanol and other oils.
Hemp is a fantastic biofuel because it grows quickly and in large quantities. An acre of hemp can produce five hundred gallons of gasoline, and in the process of its growth, hemp removes tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Some of this carbon dioxide is deposited in the ground, where it increases soil fertility and is prevented from contributing to global warming.
Making the transition to hemp-based biofuels, however, both offers advantages and poses challenges. As the article elaborates:
Grown on a large enough scale, hemp could completely fulfill all of America’s energy needs, while reversing global warming and keeping soil healthy. Currently, because of a deficiency in innovation, harvesting hemp for fuel in practice would be somewhat inefficient, which is why more advancements are needed before hemp can be utilized to a significant extent.
For more details on how current biofuel production is like jumping from the frying pan to the fire, as well as how hemp might offer a solution to biofuel production, check out the full article. It’s definitely worth the read.
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