I’ve been having an e-mail dialog with a reader about the wide-spread adoption of Ethanol (from sugar cane) in Brazil (“As Brazil Fills Up on Ethanol, It Weans Off Energy Imports”), and their ability to reduce dependence on petroleum.
The national will and industry to pull this off are impressive.
The question I have, on which the article is silent, is whether production of sugar cane in Brazil is sustainable or not? Is it grown as a monoculture as corn is in our midwest? What inputs does it need?
It would be great to have an example of sustainable biomass production being used for ethanol.
3 responses to “An Ethanol Success Story?”
I’m in the same boat on that as you. I’d really like to know more about what they use as a whole, how it is produced, etc., etc…
If you find any good info, please send it along to me. :)
I brought up Brazil ethanol to get the data I submitted to you, there is more on the site I did not report
Be sure to see this month’s Consumer Reports on ethanol.
Thanks
JK