Could Seeds Be Our Future?

The article can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/25/business/energy-environment/start-up-makes-gains-turning-jatropha-bush-into-biofuel.html?pagewanted=1&ref=greenhousegasemissions

 

Every second oils are forced out of the ground and refined in to jet fuels, and diesel. At this rate all the natural fossil fuels will gone within a couple of years if nothing is done about it. Fortunately, scientists have genetically engineered a solution to the fuel source problem. In the article, “Start-Up Uses Plant Seeds for a Biofuel” by Todd Woody, scientist have genetically engineered a seed that is inedible, and drought-resistant, but can be used as an alternate biofuel source.                                                                                                                                                          A flaw with using fossil fuels as a fuel source is eventually the fossil fuels will run out. The Jatropha seed could serve as a replacement for fossil fuels. The high-quality oil of the seed can be refined into low-carbon jet fuel or diesel fuel. The average Jatropha bush produces six to eight seeds. The disadvantage of these seeds is that big cooperation’s are buying them faster than they can be produced. “It doesn’t matter how much money you have, you can’t make cells divide quicker.” said Mr. Haney a technology entrepreneur. Could you imagine growing fuel for planes and cars in your backyard! If further research were to be done the Jatropha bush, the world could reduce its fossil fuel drilling.

In class we learned that the companies drilling fossil fuels have disastrous effect on the environment. The drilling can cause oil spills witch would wipe out animal habitats and create anoxic and hypoxic zones. With this seed it could help stop oil spills and lessen the strain on oceanic habitats.

The article about the seeds surprised me. I could never imagine having the ability to grow fuel on trees instead of mining it from the grounds. I think that this seed should be used more often, instead of standard oil mining. This will help reduce the oil accidents, and benefit the carbon cycle so it can move carbon faster.