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Washington.– The United States and Brazil will team up to accelerate research in the area of cellulose-derived biofuels, which utilize inedible plant matter as feedstock instead of crops. 

The two nations are the world's top producers of ethanol. Brazil's foreign minister Celso Amorim and U.S. secretary of agriculture Ed Schafer announced the agreement late Thursday at an international biofuels conference in Sao Paulo.

In a statement they said they would broaden scientific collaboration led by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) and Brazilian oil firm Petrobras' Center for Research and Development (CENPES).

Cellulosic ethanol, also known as "second generation" ethanol, is not yet produced on a commercial scale. It involves breaking down bits of crop waste or plants into sugars to ferment. The method is expected to emit fewer greenhouse gases than cane and corn-based production.

The two nations will also join forces to assist five countries in Africa, Central America and the Caribbean to develop their own biofuel industries.  Additionally, the two nations will invest $4.3 million in biofuel projects in Jamaica, Guatemala, Honduras, Guinea Bissau and Senegal.

Nations such as Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti and St. Kitts and Nevis, which are already receiving assistance in developing biofuel industries, would also benefit from the new collaboration.

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6 comment(s)
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Written by: gouletcolonial, 22 Nov 2008 8:23 AM
From: Canada, Toronto ,Cabbagetown,Parliament and Gerrard
let us see what Brazil can do for us ....But at the this moment ethanol is more expensive than oil
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Written by: anthonyC, 22 Nov 2008 12:18 PM
From: United States
And uses HUGE amounts of water for it's production....Something the DR cannot afford.
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Written by: greenwave This user is banned, 22 Nov 2008 3:38 PM
From: Dominican Republic
One destroy the Amazon and the other raises agriculture prices (corn and its derivatives) just to make ethanol when butanol has better fuel properties (more similar to gasoline in vapor pressure and knocking power). Yet the pollution is incredible (fertilizers, runoff, erosion, ocean/river pollution, lost of CO2 sequestration, changes to the fauna and even flora, etc.).

Now cellulosic feedstock, at least, removes alternative energy technology from attacking agricultural commodities! The enzymes from termites are the only weapon used thus far for converting the diverse sugars from cellulose feedstock! We need improvement quick!
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Written by: ckryptonite, 22 Nov 2008 11:58 PM
From: United States
celluose ethanol is more effcient than it counterpart from corn. It burns and creates more energy and cost less and it also has a less carbon footprint. i think this will be good idea, but they should also look at other energy technologies
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Written by: anthonyC, 23 Nov 2008 12:18 AM
From: United States
HYDROGEN!!!!!
Clean
Efficient
Abundant

All we need is a cheap mode of production.
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Written by: derek, 24 Nov 2008 8:25 AM
From: Dominican Republic
The scam is why the fields from Rio san Juan , Puerta Plata thru Imbert havent been cut in over 2 years???
What a waste of good ethanol.... for rum or gasoline
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