Posted on 07/27/2010 10:47:16 AM PDT by Reeses
SAN DIEGO — In a laboratory where almost all the test tubes look green, the tools of modern biotechnology are being applied to lowly pond scum.
Foreign genes are being spliced into algae and native genes are being tweaked.
Different strains of algae are pitted against one another in survival-of-the-fittest contests in an effort to accelerate the evolution of fast-growing, hardy strains.
The goal is nothing less than to create superalgae, highly efficient at converting sunlight and carbon dioxide into lipids and oils that can be sent to a refinery and made into diesel or jet fuel.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
This liquid fuel source has been investigated and studied for decades. Still has a way to go.
Efficiency and technology...not there....yet....but of course, libtard/progressive idiot-ridden NYT pushing the idiotPOTUS’s ‘green’ agenda....... =.=
A good use for the Salton Sea.
The one piece missing is a world war to redirect socialist spending into developing a solution. The US military is usually the first serious customer and then the price drops.
"But Dr. Venter and Mr. Mendez argue that there are huge obstacles to making algae competitive as an energy source and that every tool will be needed to optimize the strains. "
10X gets one's attention and is a strong motivator, but at this point it's better to drill, baby, drill.
Whaling was essentially the first viable saltwater algae harvesting technology, and that industry had a good run, but now our energy requirements are too much for that method.
Pump it like it's going out of style, because it is. All the world's petroleum resources could become worthless overnight.
I’d be very surprised if this became the primary source of Diesel in the US within 30 years.
When technology leaps happen is more of a function of R&D spending than time. If $30 billion and the smartest minds were spent on this like the Manhatten Project we’d solve the problem in a few years, and the transition from petroleum would happen quickly.
Don't know about "global warming scare" but it could pose a problem.
“New Leak Found on Gulf Coast”...interesting that this article comes RIGHT before this one.
I’m trying to find a thread I read a while back that said there was “talk” of using the Gulf for algae production.
Algae has been on the list for a few years. I hope this doesn’t become the Kudza of the oceans...
Algae can be used for cattle feed, also.............
Obama could save his teleprompter Presidency and go down in history if he read a land-on-the-moon speech about ocean grown saltwater biofuel superalgae, spent $30 billion on it, and put the best non-affirmative-action academics and conservative engineers on the project. That's half the amount spent on foodstamps every year. The leisure class could go on a diet for 6 months. Most of them need it.
Queue teleprompter:
First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of replacing petroleum with ocean grown saltwater superalgae. No single energy project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range energy security of our nation; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish. We propose to accelerate the development of the appropriate superalgae.
And fish food. The water oxygen level problem is caused when the fish food is eaten by bacteria instead. Algae blooms are nothing but a fish food distribution problem.
Oh great, bionic red tide now.
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