I think the main hurdle to using biofuels is reducing the cost of
   enzymes used to break down cellulose.  ("cellulases").
   [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulase    Plenty of biomass is
   available, but it is necessary to break down cellulose.  That's hard,
   because nature has evolved cellulose to be very resistant to
   breakdown:  (Why else can 1000+ year old trees exist; their central
   cellulose lasted that long without breaking down.)
    This is first done by mechanical crushing, and then by breaking down
   some of the cellulose bonds employing inorganic acids, such as
   hydrochloric and sulfuric acid.  At that point, enzymes (organic
   catalysts) can be used to further break down the cellulose into simple
   sugars, which are then converted (by yeasts) to ethanol and other
   simple fuels.
   × (BUTTON)
   In other words, a lot of biochemistry.
                       Jim Bell
   On Friday, July 13, 2018, 8:24:53 AM PDT, Steven Schear
   <schear.steve@gmail.com> wrote:
   >A possible alternative is to transition to biofuels, which harvest all
   their carbon from the atmosphere, and can be net carbon neutral.
   On Fri, Jul 13, 2018, 8:10 AM John Newman <[2]jnn@synfin.org> wrote:

     On Fri, Jul 06, 2018 at 05:20:30PM +0000, jim bell wrote:
     >  This article sure sounds foolish.  As I see it, the main driver
     in the increase in "growth"  (other than population) is
     productivity.  Productivity tends to be driven by gradual adoptions
     of automation, which has been a major factor for 50+ years, and
     actually far larger.  Automation isn't going away, and will only
     increase in effectiveness for decades
     > Energy is a factor, but society is well on its way to the
     widespread adoption of solar and wind energy.  Solar is useful in
     most locations, and wind will eventually be useable just about
     everywhere, 24 hours per day, with the use of low-resistance
     materials to conduct that energy, for example metallic carbon
     nanotubes.  (MCNTs).
     >             Jim Bell
     >
     Personally I wish the "progressive left" could get over its deep
     fear of
     nuclear energy, and we could build some modern reactors. Maybe when
     (if)
     they ever get a fusion reactor that can substain a reaction...
     [3]https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/iter-nuclear-fusion-react
     or-halfway-complete/
     Of course, solar and wind power is great :)  Anything to stop
     burning
     more fucking carbon..
     -
     John
     >
     >
     >
     >     On Friday, July 6, 2018, 9:15:13 AM PDT, Steven Schear
     <[4]schear.steve@gmail.com> wrote:
     >
     >  "If we extrapolate this trend forward, labour productivity growth
     would reach zero by 2028."
     >
     [5]https://medium.com/insurge-intelligence/govt-economic-advisor-war
     ns-british-defence-planners-that-growth-is-ending-abf806f17845
     >
     --
     GPG fingerprint: 17FD 615A D20D AFE8 B3E4  C9D2 E324 20BE D47A 78C7

References

   1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulase
   2. mailto:jnn@synfin.org
   3. https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/iter-nuclear-fusion-reactor-halfway-complete/
   4. mailto:schear.steve@gmail.com
   5. https://medium.com/insurge-intelligence/govt-economic-advisor-warns-british-defence-planners-that-growth-is-ending-abf806f17845