Sure, we all know that Hemp Ethanol is a better alternative to ‘traditional’ gasoline but apparently it’s also much cheaper. According to Tim Castleman, we could produce hemp ethanol for a fraction of what we do gasoline.
This is especially interesting considering the recent widespread legalization in regards to growing hemp itself. Hemp is something that allows costs to be cut in many areas, for instance, it doesn’t need as much fertilizer as corn or other energy crops and it doesn’t seem to be as picky in regards to where it grows. Hemp is one of few crops that seem to be quite resistant to ‘adverse fall weather’ and is able to also work to remediate the soil in which it grows.
Considering the serious damage things like coal and oil have done to the world we live in finding an alternative is crucial. While electric vehicles are helping, hemp ethanol really could be the way of the future. You see, ethanol is made from the sugars and starches of the plants and much like its hemp biodiesel counterpart can power a vehicle without issue. Throughout the years many have considered switching to this kind of fuel and while it hasn’t managed to become the ‘norm’ just yet, in time it may.
Hemp truly is a powerful crop. It can be used to make just about anything. Hemp can be used to make shoes, ropes, clothes, hempcrete, soap, beer, fuel, paper, ink, and so much more. The more you look into it, the more mind-blowing it becomes.
The Marijuana Tax Act back in the 1930s killed the growth of the industry itself but now that a second chance is being brought forth who knows what could end up happening. This secret billion-dollar industry might end up booming in the ways it was always meant to, and we can only hope so.
Henry Ford’s dream may one day become a reality. Hemp fiber has a long history of use, and the seeds are not only nutritional but have a remarkably high oil content. Hemp, essentially a weed, thrives on poor land and requires minimal inputs, yet produces nearly four times as much oil per acre as soybeans, which is currently the only crop grown on a large scale for biodiesel in the U.S. The biggest challenge to using hemp as a biofuel is that so little of it is grown. Some countries, such as France and Canada, produce it on a limited scale, but in the U.S. “industrial” hemp has been illegal for farmers to grow since the 1930s—even though it does not contain enough THC to get anyone high.
What do you think about all of this? Would you use hemp fuel if given the opportunity? This could seriously change the whole world if we allow it to.
