So I was reading this article about turning straw into gold…err…I mean straw into ethenol. It’s kind of interesting reading. Ethenol is generally a clean burning fuel and is considered by a lot of people to be the next big thing in the fuel wars…of course they’ve been saying that for over twenty years, and most people in this neck of the woods are still scared to put the ethenol-gas blend mix in their cars. I mean enough of the myths already…when was the last time you heard of someones car dying because they put ethenol in the tank?…for those of you cursing at me that this isn’t a myth…you’re old…get with the times…these ain’t your daddy’s automobiles anymore.

Anyway, it was interesting to hear how difficult it is to make ethenol. 4 billion gallons of ethenol were created last year, 2005, while 140 billion gallons of gas were used in the US alone. They also mention that ethenol manufacturing is so inefficient that companies have been stealing corn meant for the dinner table and for livestock in order to meet the ever increasing demand.

So now, we’re in 2006 and they say they can create microbes to do the whole conversion process for us…and the great thing…they don’t even have to use corn anymore…they can use all the woody leftover garbage such as straw and cornstalks that nobody wants…sounds like a dream honestly…or a story I heard as a child…Rumplestiltskin anyone…straw into gold…whoever gets this moving first is going to be rich, that’s all I have to say…I think I feel an investment coming on.

Of course it’ll probably take another 25 years, but I’m sure it will be worth the wait. You can read the article below:

Straw into Gold