Next big thing in Biofuels.

[Rumely]

Algae. Estimated to produce up to 10 times the fuel per acre as corn and other crops. Time to start buying up those stagnant ponds and cashing in on that green gold. Next time you refer to someone as the scum of the earth, it may be a compliment.

[Rumely]

Algae has a lot of intriguing potential as a producer of biofuel. It can use the distribution infrastructure already in place with no modification. Diesel engines can run on the fuel without modification. The algae can use saltwater or wastewater and consumes carbon dioxide. It requires no farmland, and since it is not used for food, there is no competition with food production, unlike crop-based biolfuels. Algae produces fuel at a much higher volume per acre than other plants.

I like the idea of wastewater treatment plants being able to produce biofuel as part of their operations, perhaps collaberating with the local power plant to reduce its emissions as well. Biodiesel may not be the perfect solution to our energy needs, but it looks like a pretty good interim solution while we continue to work on the "perfect" solutions, whatever those may be.

[mcswan]

Rumely,

Algae may not be the "perfect" solution, but it still can be a partial solution. There will never be a perfect, comprehensive solution, only many, many partial solutions.

Oil has been a miracle commodity: fuel, lubricant, chemical feedstock, element of parmaceuticals, synthetic rubber, fertilizer, and on and on and on. We're not likely to find a single source replacement.

[Rumely]

I agree. That's why it annoys me when people complain about wind or solar power, saying it's not enough. Well, certainly it's not enough, but it [i]is[i] something, it does advance us that much more toward clean domestic energy.

What I like about algae fuel is that it can use existing technology, be used in many vehicles already in use, and can use the existing storage and delivery infrastructure, increasing the ease of its adoption and decreasing the cost necessary for the transition. Hydrogen may be a cleaner fuel, but will be much more costly and complex to convert to.