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"Discovery Files" Features from the National Science Foundation
"Garbage to Gas"
Fully produced report in MP3 format:
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(75 seconds)
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READER SCRIPT
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FUEL THAT GROWS ON TREES? THE "DISCOVERY FILES": NEW ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. IF WE COULD PARTIALLY POWER OUR CARS WITH A CLEANER-BURNING FUEL--AND EXTRACT IT FROM DISCARDED WOOD-SCRAPS--WHY WOULDN'T WE DO IT? WELL, WE ARE DOING IT--AT LEAST, CONCEPTUALLY--IN A PROJECT BEING CONDUCTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE. THE FUEL IS ETHANOL--USUALLY DERIVED FROM CORN. THE NEW PROCESS PRODUCES ETHANOL FROM THE WASTE WOOD GENERATED BY THE PAPER INDUSTRY. THE IDEA IS TO BUILD A "FOREST BIO-PRODUCTS REFINERY" THAT, IN ADDITION TO FUEL, WOULD ALSO REFINE POLYMERS, AND PLASTICS FOR ADHESIVES AND COATINGS--ALL MADE FROM THROWAWAYS--LEFTOVERS. THE INVESTIGATORS' RATIONALE GOES LIKE THIS: WHILE WE ARE MAKING THE PULP OR PAPER, CAN WE NOT DO SOMETHING BETTER WITH THE OTHER HALF--INSTEAD OF JUST SIMPLY BURNING IT, OR SENDING IT TO THE LANDFILL? IN THE SEARCH FOR ALTERNATIVE FUELS, IT'S NICE TO SEE WE'RE "BRANCHING OUT". THE "DISCOVERY FILES" COVERS PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT'S NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOU! LEARN MORE AT "N-S-F"-DOT-GOV.
For additional "Discovery Files" features from the National Science Foundation, click here.
