Using Hemp For Fuel Could Save The United States

[Puffin13]

Using Hemp For Fuel Could Save The United States

There is an energy crisis. It is no secret and it is not going to change.

The media and pop culture have all joined the bandwagon to "go green," reducing the use of fossil fuels and carbon emissions. But one legitimate outlet to this enviro-craze is being unjustly overlooked, I believe chiefly due to lack of information and maybe even fear of admitting something like hemp can help move this country forward.

Hemp is not weed. It encompasses the entire array of plants of the cannabis family. The plant is extremely versatile, growing in nearly all environmental conditions, from the Arctic to the equator, and most attractively, it is a renewable resource. Unlike oil, hemp will never dry up and disappear; if there's a field, there's fuel. And unlike gasoline, it's biodegradable.

On top of that, hemp plants can improve agriculture. Its root system penetrates down nearly 6 feet, the only plant of more than 300,000 known species to actually rejuvenate the ground, leaving its roots to break down into rich mulch.

In a 2005 study, Cornell University concluded that plant material uses more energy than it generates. However, the study failed to include hemp in its findings, rendering the results inaccurate. It produces more energy per acre than any other crop. Hemp is the only economical choice, but it is too often overlooked.

Biodiesel, the product of hemp oil, is retailing at about $3 per gallon in the United States, seemingly cheap to those of us who fill up in Rochester. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved the use of such fuel, but there's an obvious drawback.

U.S. oil companies would suffer greatly, as fuel economy would drop. However, looking back 125 years, cannabis and hemp made up 80 percent of the economy for paper, fibers, and fuels. Today, we must not forget the crop that was once so vital to the success of this country. With 13 U.S. companies marketing the use of hemp- based biodiesels, there is already progress being made. But until the average consumer looks past the craze and into the facts, there will be no significant developments. It's simple. Hemp, a word that terrifies conservatives and Reagan throwbacks across the United States, could save this country.

Source

[echc1]

i'm sorry but i can show no sympathy for oil companies when they can demand/dictate the price to the masses,pollute the planet,want everything for nothing and at the same time want top price .....get real! they have had it too good for too long.....lets have biodiesel and hydrogen fuel cell technology and more other renewables.....but i'm biased as i live in an oil town.... just leave enough o the good stuff for my bike