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Gasoline was also once an unwanted byproduct and used to get dumped or burned. Many things that were once "byproducts" are now valuable commodities. In reference to we people learning something from Brazil? Learn what? How to monocrop? How to clear-cut forests? How to deplete soil? Think that's all been already one, many times, in the U.S. Sugar cane does have a temporary high engergy yield - but so what? What do you think will happen in Brazil when they become more industrialized and deforested and lose more food producing farms? The U.S. climate does not work with cane except for Hawaii - and in certain areas of Florida. In Brazil, they seem to be quite short-sighted as to the long-term effects of deforestation and soil depletion.
Also, here in the U.S. we use (and waste) a lot more energy and we also have to heat an awful lot of businesses and homes. In the U.S., a crop has yet to be found that can be grown every year - forever - and provide a true positive yield - that if you include the long-term effects on soil, types of herbicides, pesticides, fertizers, transportation, refining, loss of food producing farms, etc. There's a lot of hype and BS written about it - much of which because there's money to made due to all the government subsidies. Much of what is popular in the news in regard to alternative energy is pure nonsense. At present, in the U.S., for any dollar spent on alternative energy - we'd get back twice the yield if the same money was spent on being more efficient. I see few people doing it on a personal level - yet many seem to think government will do for them. Yet, our government is made up of - just people. It seems that in most discussions that relate to energy - certain key ingredients are left out - e.g. the never ending population growth and the constant increase in total energy use. From a logical viewpoint - there are several approaches - use less - or - produce more. Seems the popular remedy is to NOT cut back on any use, and just assume we can make more - from less.
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