Pubdate: Sat, 25 Feb 2006
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Copyright: 2006 Hearst Communications Inc.
Contact:  http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/388
Author: Redford Givens
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hemp.htm (Hemp)

HEMP FOR FUEL

Editor -- Everyone is talking about America's increasing energy 
dependence, but no public official mentions the fact that 
hemp/marijuana can go a long way toward reducing oil imports. Hemp is 
the No. 1 biomass producer on Earth, producing 10 tons of biomass per 
acre in approximately four months. In California, hemp can easily 
produce 20 tons of biomass per year.

Every ton of biomass can be converted into 100 gallons of ethanol at 
a cost of less than 90 cents per gallon. That amounts to 2,000 
gallons of fuel per acre every year.

Besides reducing dependence on foreign oil, a good energy crop like 
hemp creates a balanced system by taking in the carbon monoxide from 
the air when it is growing that is released when the fuel is burned.

The high biomass production of hemp means that hemp does not need the 
huge subsidies required for using corn and other crops for fuel.

REDFORD GIVENS

San Francisco
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom