Fuel Farming- Growing Crops for Fuel

Fuel Farming

When Dr. Fox was a research scientist with General Electric Corporate Research & Development in Schenectady, New York it was during the 1970’s oil crunch when there were long lines at the gas station.

Dr. Fox was assigned to research the concept of growing crops for fuel, a concept he coined "Fuel Farming."

Man will run out of food before gas for SUVs - Fuel Farming- Growing Crops for Fuel

The popular notion was that if we could grow corn and then covert the corn to alcohol, we could grow our way out of the oil crisis. It was a notion that is very similar to the present day thinking that encourages farmers to produce crops that can then be used to produce alcohol as a gasoline additive.

After researching the concept of Fuel Farming, Dr. Fox concluded that we are more likely to run out of food than we are to run out of fuel. He also concluded that food was much more valuable than fuel and that our ability to grow food was not a renewable resource. The total amount of fuel or food that can be grown is limited by a number of factors, the most important being water, fertilizer and topsoil.

The bottom line is that mankind is likely to starve to death before it runs out of gasoline for its SUVs.

Dr. Fox’s published research can be found in the following publications:

"Fuel Farming - Water and Nutrient Limitations", Proceedings- The Second Pacific Chemical Engineering Congress, August 1977.
"Fuel Farming", CHEMTECH Magazine, July 1976.

Dr. Fox is a chemical expert, fire expert and explosion expert, with extensive experience in OSHA chemical regulations and chemical safety.