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The Problem
"To make organic chemicals you need a pool of carbon. The question is, where are you going to get that carbon? You can either get it from the Mideast or you can go in the middle of Iowa and pull it out of the fields."

John W. Frost, professor of chemistry, Michigan State University
Chemical and Engineering News, Dec. 14, 1992

Toward a Carbohydrate Economy
The land that produces our food supply can also feed a different kind of hunger – our need for energy. Prior to the 20th century, the necessities of life (food, fiber, fuel, building materials, medicine and chemicals) came primarily from agricultural products. Although petroleum and other fossil fuels became the basis of the world’s economy in the last 100 years, those supplies are dwindling. An increasing number of industries are now exploring a return to agricultural products as an energy source.

Plant Matter — Plant matter is an extremely valuable but underutilized resource for the nation. For example, a renewable resource known as biomass represents an enormous storehouse of solar energy and chemical resources. Studies indicate that the planet’s biomass production is about eight times greater than the annual consumption of energy from all sources. However, the world’s population currently uses only about seven percent of the available biomass for energy.

Increasing the emphasis on biorenewable resources as a prime source for energy and feedstocks for the chemical industry has several advantages, including:

Improved U.S. competitiveness internationally.
Formation of new industries and enhanced economic development in rural communities.
Greater profitability and crop diversity for farmers.
Enhanced agricultural sustainability and viability.
A reduction in net carbon-dioxide emissions and an improved environment.

As a U.S. Department of Energy research facility located in America’s heartland, Ames Laboratory is uniquely positioned to play a key role in the development and use of biorenewable resources as a sustainable supply of energy. We believe the time has come to combine our research strengths with those of Iowa State University to take a leadership role in making biorenewable energy a cost-effective, environmentally responsible source of energy and chemical products.