homeWelcome, sign in or click here to subscribe.login
     


 

 

Environment


Subscriber content preview

June 30, 2009

Jatropha: Answer to biofuel prayers?

By HILARY LEHMAN
Associated Press Writer

FORT MYERS, Fla. — What some see as the biofuel of the future starts out as short, thick stems with a few leaves sticking out at sharp angles. But in just a few years, they will be tall, leafy trees with bright green spherical pods spilling their seeds all over the ground.

The jatropha tree doesn't have the name recognition or lobbying clout of corn-based ethanol, but the energy industry is increasingly spending development dollars and examining it as a potentially better biofuel source: It is easier to grow than corn, untied to the food market and free from any carbon dioxide or sulfur emissions.


 
. . .


To read this story in full login or purchase a subscription.




Email or user name:
Password:
 
Forgot password? Click here.