What are the benefi ts of cellulosic-ethanol and algae-based biodiesel? Using the Internet, research these technologies and produce a paper predicting when they will have an impact on the need to fi nd economic alternate-energy sources.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

To make fuel from corn, the cellulose in the corn is extracted and fermented.
All plants contain cellulose, so if we were able to use another source of cellulose
then we could use corn for food and animal feedstock.
Fast-growing sources of cellulose such as switch grass are excellent
sources of cellulose, and grow easily without the need for a lot of fertilizer.
The basis of cellulosic ethanol production is to produce plants (or use
cellulose waste products such as grass clippings) to produce ethanol.
Currently, a number of small-scale cellulosic refi neries are in production to
test and develop the process.
Microorganisms, such as yeast, are used in the production of ethanol
from corn. Much research is being undertaken on the use of algae as a
means of producing a range of fuel oils, including ethanol, jet fuel, and
diesel. Algae are among the fastest growing of plants in the world, and
they contain a large proportion of fat. It is hoped that by growing algae
in large quantities, a signifi cant quantity of oil can be harvested. At this
point, experimental sites are producing algae-based fuels, and scientists
hope the research can be used to develop full-scale production facilities
in the next 3–5 years.