What, more specifically, is "wasteland"?

Would this, in conjunction with the fungi, be a good crop for Bioremediation? Is that the intent? What's the tree's maturation time to fruit bearing?

Is there a hybrid or similar plant that will grow in temperate regions (that has the same biofuel potential)? I see from a web search that jatropha is a genus. Is the biofuel tree a specific species or do all jatropha have similar qualities?

Mexico has expressed interest in growing this, but has not taken any real action and probably never will because the government has become largely incapable of driving initiatives such as this.

This is too bad, as it is a perfect fit in many ways for Mexico's failing agriculture industry. Many foods such as corn are being imported to Mexico below the local farmer's growing cost. Arid portions of Mexico are suffering desertification due to inappropriate practices; surface tilled land, irragation to grow inappropriate plants (ususally monocultures) with resulting saliniisation and top soil erosion, etc.

A biofuel industry that encouraged good agricultural practices and provided employment in Mexico's rural interior would be both environmentally good and provide excellent livings for farmers who are abandoning their farms for manufacturing jobs in droves.

If there was a strong demand for the fuel ether in Mexico or the US this could provide properity to many who need it most and create more political stability in the region as well, whose farmers have resorted to rioting out of desperation.

It's too bad those in power have so little vision for this kind of thing, and so little capacity to take steps toward develping a biofuel industry.

I thought this was an environmentalists site. Why would you want to import a nonnative species? The dandelion ring a bell or Asian carp?

"I thought this was an environmentalists site."

Environmentalists (you are one, I presume) are not a monolithic group. They don't all think the same.

"Why would you want to import a nonnative species? The dandelion ring a bell or Asian carp?"

It is certainly much better to use native species, but also, that can't always be the case. I mean, wheat might be native to southwest asia but does it mean we should grow it elsewhere? Are the upsides better than the downsides?

Might be worth using non-native species if it makes it easier to get off fossil fuels...

But if there's a native species that is as good, then they should use that. It's never that simple..

Many of these higher-yield crops wear out soil more quickly and require fertilization and rotation. Of course, adding diversity to a monoculture is probably a good thing, but it must be kept in mind that it merely strenghtens the floor, it doesn't raise the ceiling. Energy will not necessarily be more plentiful with this added to the portfolio, but the energy supply will just be more resistant to any one type of crop failing in a season.

And of course, this will help us move beyond oil, but it won't help us move beyond hydrocarbon.

Exotic cultivated crops are introduced all the time. Occasionally, if there's no natural opposition, an exotic plant will run wild, but that's not necessarily the case with economically useful plants that were bred for human use, and which require continued cultivation. When's the last time you pulled a sugar beet out of your lawn?

Might be worth using non-native species if it makes it easier to get off fossil fuels...

On that note, is it ok for us to GM crops to yield better production for fuels? Or bacteria to better breakdown and produce sugar?

"On that note, is it ok for us to GM crops to yield better production for fuels? Or bacteria to better breakdown and produce sugar?"

I can't make a generalization, but if it's backed by credible science, I think it can be. It's a case by case thing, but I tend to be pragmatic about these things.

I don't think that GM crops are inherently bad (though I hate it when they are patented and then corporations try to hook up the third world poor on them, giving it for free at first..), and I think few people are against the use of bacteria as catalysts.

But to me the holy grail is cellulosic ethanol made from waste biomass. We're wasting so much potentially useful biomass right now... We don't even need to plant new crops for fuel for a long while. Just corn and wheat stalks, some forestry waste and switchgrass should be plenty for a long while.

1892 liters is about 500 US gallons. That's about 33 fill ups with a 15 gal. tank. Let's say it would take two acres to supply the annual fuel for each and every driver. Let's say there are 100 million drivers in the US. Two acres each means 200 million acres to supply their driving needs. Soybeans would take 800 million acres and corn would take 2000 million, 2 trillion acres.

But to me the holy grail is cellulosic ethanol made from waste biomass. We're wasting so much potentially useful biomass right now... We don't even need to plant new crops for fuel for a long while. Just corn and wheat stalks, some forestry waste and switchgrass should be plenty for a long while.

Yes I agree. http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/17052/

And it seems blockquote fubars the site. I guess i shouldn't use it anymore.

can you eat this thing? it looks delicious.

This is 'non-edible'

Biodiesel and flexifuel cars are the wave of the future.
Many North American Fords are stamped "Flexifuel " on the engine block.
Most GM and Ford car dealers are totally unawares.

Dear Jason,

when considering estimates for the amount of land to grow biofuels needed to replace current fossil use, you forget a few very simple facts. Granted, it is not possible to live our current ridiculously wasteful lifestyle and simply substitute renewables for fossil fuels. However, if people were not enthroned in their own personal mobile fortresses for every journey this would not be a problem. It is laziness that is the greatest environmental challenge this planet faces. In the UK, the averag mileage per person per day is between 30 and 40km, nearly all these journeys could be done by bicycle (with obvoius health benefits).

George,

Are you addressing my earlier remark? I'm not sure what part of it you are commenting on.

I second your remark on cycling; after living in the Netherlands for several months last Summer, I'm sold on the idea.

I really believe in the Jatropha solution. You can solve 2 problems by planting those trees: More trees on earth (CO2 absorbsion) and clean biofuel.

I think the industry should pick up on this. But some 'media' says the supply should increase first before the demand starts to increase. with these new biofuel products. (like switchgrass)

Do you think it works like that too??

*************
Author -Tim M. Note- Hi Bart- I'm not an economics expert, but one aspect I find interesting of the 'Jatropha solution' is that it can be a community based venture- a local bank, or micro-fund venture could easily support someone to try and open up a local Jatropha oil manufacturing/purification/distribution center for a town or area. Diesel engines can run on the stuff and so there is no new technology needed-just the plants and some simple pressing techniques.

Switchgrass is tougher to turn into fuel-as it is a biomass that needs to be broken down into sugars and then fermented- or turned into syngas- both products require different engine types for vehicles so biomass has immediate scale issues for vehicle use- but not necessarily for power generation.

What i would like to know is:-

1) What is the current demand and future prospects of Jatropha?

2) How much does a ltr of oil extract sell in the domestic and international market?

3)is this the best and cheapest alternative to bio diesel ?