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Scientists Create New Gasoline Substitute Out of Plants

Posted by samzenpus on from the miles-per-leaf dept.

destinyland writes "California scientists have just created a new biofuel using plants that burns just as well as a petroleum-based fuel. 'The discovery, published in the journal Nature, means corn, sugar cane, grasses and other fast-growing plants or trees, like eucalyptus, could be used to make the propellant, replacing oil,' writes the San Francisco Chronicle, and the researchers predict mass marketing of their product within 5 to 10 years. They created their fuel using a fermentation process that was first discovered in 1914, but which was then discontinued in 1965 when petroleum became the dominant source of fuel. The new fuel actually contains more energy per gallon than is currently contained in ethanol, and its potency can even be adjusted for summer or winter driving."

10 of 419 comments (clear)

  1. potential for warmongering? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    but can you use it as an excuse to invade?

    1. Re:potential for warmongering? by Cryacin · · Score: 4, Funny

      First you get the sugar, then you get the women.

      --
      Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
  2. Re:How is this different from bio-diesel? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Dave's not here, man.

  3. 5 to 10 Years Out by cosm · · Score: 4, Funny

    Gasoline substitute....5 to 10 years out.....***puts on shades***...sounds like vaporware.

    --
    'We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.' RPF
  4. 5 years by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Funny

    According to the article, it will be ready for the market in five to ten years.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  5. Re:Anyone hungry? by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 3, Funny

    Call it Soylent premium.

    --
    Blank until /. makes another boneheaded UI decision.
  6. Re:hmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You mean like electrolytes?

  7. Re:hmm by taucross · · Score: 2, Funny

    If grasses can be used then the OP's idea isn't so far fetched. Could you imagine racks of dirt and grass 1km high? Creating giant tower racks of biomass to support the creation of fuel could be done to create sufficient energy density. I guess we could call it a "Rack-mount Blade server". Boom boom

    --
    "In the absence of the ability to establish the attribute of truth they tried to establish the noble attributes."
  8. Re:hmm by semi-extrinsic · · Score: 3, Funny

    What you're really saying is that a greenhouse is a Beowulf cluster of plants?

    --
    for i in `facebook friends "=bday" 2>/dev/null | cut -d " " -f 3-`; do facebook wallpost $i "Happy birthday!"; done
  9. What? by ledow · · Score: 3, Funny

    Oh come on, Slashdot.

    150 comments and not a mention of Triffid oil?

    I'm disappointed. What has this site come to?