Oct 30 2008

Spit and Save

If you're an olive lover, don't throw out those pesky pits: in the right hands, they could be a valuable new source of energy (or moonshine), according to Spanish researchers.

According to a study published in the Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology, olive stones are rich in natural chemicals that can be converted to sugar and then to ethanol. The process uses high-pressure hot water to produce the sugar and yeast fermentation to produce ethanol.

For every 100 kilograms of olive stones you save, count on being able to produce 5.7 kilograms of ethanol with the right equipment. Just be sure to check with your spouse before making any plans.

Posted by: Jonathan Marshall | Comments (0) digg delicioussend to a friendprint entry

 

Categories

Biofuels

Leave a comment


E-mail this post


Your Name:
Your Friend's Email:

Subscribe to Blog rssIcon

> Go

Recent Comments

  • This is being rather generous to Lutz. 1. The "Volt", in no small part, will be targeted as a product to people who care about energy and environmental issues. These people don't embrace Lutz' antideluvian concepts of rejecting science. How responsible is it for a GM executive to be rejecting the science? 2. As well, Lutz didn't exactly sound too enthusiastic about the Volt itself. 3. And, GM public communications has 'defended' Lutz in rather absurd ways. -A Siegel
    > view entry


  • This article is right on - small businesses have a huge role to play in sustainability. Not only do they add up in aggregate, but many small businesses operate in industries that can have a significant environmental impact depending on the exact practices, like dry cleaners, auto repair shops, etc. Green is also starting to affect the bottom line more and more, customers are increasingly voting with their feet for more sustainable businesses as can be seen from the growth of sites like http://www.ecovian.com. This is also a huge opportunity for small businesses to leapfrog their bigger brothers by being more agile in adopting these measures. -Emily
    > view entry


  • Great entry, Katie. Love the level of detail you managed to get in there! Probably won't be able to compete with coal and oil any time the next decade, but definitely a great technology to look into! Keep it up :) -Rune (Norway)
    > view entry


Recent Posts