Green Gasoline

Emissions polluting our air and warming our climate,Fossil fuels supplies are being depleted. Hybrid cars, or alternative power cars require the purchase of a new vehicle. Could green gas be the answer, or at least an interim method to reduce the problems associated with fossil fuels? A new discovery may make that possible. For more on this story visit us at http://figbranch.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=480&Itemid=32 Interviews with: Clint Chapple is an expert on plant biochemistry from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., and a pioneer in developing new plants, such as variants with weakened cell walls, that are more easily converted into biofuels. In a short video clip, he explains why plants are leading contenders to help address the energy crisis and how researchers are working to better understand plants so that new varieties will be easier to convert into fuels. Credit: Purdue University John Regalbuto, program director for Catalysis and Biocatalysis in NSF's Division of Chemical, Biochemical and Biotechnology Systems, describes green gasoline and provides context for its potential role as an alternative energy. Credit: National Science Foundation Randy Cortright, CTO of Virent Energy Systems, was a recipient of an NSF Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to develop a process for generating hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels from biomass. In this short video, Cortright describes a new iteration of the process that seems promising for ultimate commercialization, a key goal of the SBIR program. Credit: Virent Energy Systems, Inc. George Huber, a chemical engineering professor from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has developed one of the most efficient methods for turning wood chips--or any other plant waste, such as corn husks or even waste paper--into critical gasoline components. In this video, he describes his process and shows a simple model of the catalyst that drives it. Credit: National Science Foundation

YouTube | September 19, 2008