http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0508/p01s03-wosc.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatropha

A notable quote from wiki:
The plant can grow in wastelands, and it yields more than four times as much fuel per hectare as soybean, and more than ten times that of corn. A hectare of jatropha produces 1,892 liters of fuel.

 

Iowa will be pissed....

 

Can it be used to make ethanol?

 

Won't matter to Iowa, the corn farmers are heavily subsidised, but I digress . . .


Good news globally as the developing world needs fuel and if it can't grow or pump it's own, it'll be buying oil on the open market, and driving the world oil price higher.

 

*reads link*

No.

 

My question was more of a comment to Eric on the Iowa comment. Yes, I read the link.

I say good, more power to 'em. Newer and better ways to make a biofuel are always good IMO.

 

The plant is tropical/subtropical, so it won't be a direct competitor to corn, but since biodiesel is better (way better?) than ethanol, the question about ethanol is pointless.

 

The reason I mentioned Iowa is that when truckers and Congress finally realize this can be grown on wasteland and made into diesel then the subsidies may shift a mite...

 

That would be fine with me. Currently we're subsidizing both the corn and the ethanol. To me that's a bit much. When corn hits $4, I believe they should lessen some of the corn subsidies.

Besides, if it can be grown in a wasteland, why would they need subsidies in the first place?