Tall grasses set to power Europe

[tocqueville]

By Jonathan Amos
BBC News science reporter, Dublin

The fields of Europe could soon take on a shimmering silver colour as farmers grow giant grasses to try to mitigate the effects of global warming.

The latest studies suggest one form of elephant grass would make a productive "energy crop" to be burnt in power stations to generate electricity.

Scientists told a Dublin conference the 4m-high Miscanthus needs little fertiliser to produce very high yields.

A breeding programme would improve its economics still further, they said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4220790.stm

[NaturalHigh]

1. Very interesting.

I wish the article gave more information about how efficient this is. How many BTUs per ton can this produce as compared to coal or other current energy fuels?

[benburch]

2. Hemp is an even better crop for this.

Every part of the hemp plant is useful.

It provides fiber, edible protein, oil that can burn in a diesel engine, and the waste material can be burned in an thermal power plant. It requires no fertilizer, and no cultivation after it is sown.

[crikkett]

3. and those beautiful flowers...

:smoke:

[trotsky]

4. Amen to hemp.

Our Founders knew what a valuable crop hemp was and used it for nearly everything. Wasn't it Hearst who helped destroy America's hemp production because it was so easy to make paper from it?

[crikkett]

5. hearst and Dow Chemicals.

Dow was trying to get a rope contract from the Navy during ww2.