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69 Comments
- elliotys, on 07/03/2009, -3/+30Using food for fuel = Epic Fail.
- JDanner3, on 07/02/2009, -1/+20I thought it said "say goodbye to porn" 'bout had a heart attack.
- jerryjamesstone, on 07/02/2009, -2/+19corn bad. algal good.
- splinter09, on 07/02/2009, -1/+17Lets not forget sugar cane, which better than corn as well to produce boifuel, but studies have shown that algae is even more efficient
- martoq, on 07/03/2009, -1/+15But...But...what will all those helpless senators who have been receiving government subsidies for their corn fields do?....Think about the senators people!
- ifruit, on 07/03/2009, -0/+10Seriously, corn is stupid for energy use. Nothing like putting food into your gas tank, while skyrocketing the cost to feed livestock as well.
- JoeHague, on 07/03/2009, -0/+8I bet they kidnap the scientist and steal the secret formula and then build a giant nuclear powered bi-pedal tank that shoots rockets to hold them hostage/
- anaclagon, on 07/03/2009, -0/+8We could always stop subsidizing farmers and grow mandated fuel corn on their unused plots.
- evileddy60, on 07/03/2009, -2/+10SOYLENT GASOLINE IS MADE OF PEOPLE!
IT'S PEOPLE!!!!!!! - newman8r, on 07/03/2009, -0/+7that's fine... but algae-based biofuels are oil based (not alcohols)... generally biodiesel but biogasoline from algae has also become a possibility.
Methanol is used to produce biodiesel from algae oil, however the final biodiesel fuel is safe to use in almost any unmodified diesel engine build after the mid 90s - kahlessreborn, on 07/03/2009, -2/+8Lets not forget hemp which is would not affect consumer prices like corn and cane sugar do. Also it takes very little agriculture because it is basically a weed.
- LordSkywalker, on 07/03/2009, -0/+6Hemp is an excellent renewable, sustainable product to be used for biofuel, as well as biomass, to generate electricity for homes in communities.
- tonmil, on 07/03/2009, -1/+7Good corn prices spiked since Congress passed that stupid law. Perhaps prices will retreat now.
- Bloodwine, on 07/03/2009, -0/+5Part of me wishes corn prices would skyrocket so we can go back to using cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.
- elliotys, on 07/03/2009, -1/+6Alright. All you ***** above knew exactly what I meant. I meant using it in our cars and trucks, and any other machine.
Yes, I understand the human body burns food for fuel, but I didn't think I needed to mention such an obvious point given the context of the article. - magus_melchior, on 07/03/2009, -0/+4And you don't need a rainforest-like environment to produce algae.
Though to be honest, if average temperature and humidity goes up, sugarcane would be a prime way to grow biofuel in the US... but then there's freshwater scarcity. - EddiePotato, on 07/03/2009, -0/+4This is the first case of your semi-trolling ridiculousness I've seen getting positive diggs. Good job!
- atarijedi, on 07/03/2009, -0/+4Algae will always beat out regular crops simply because you can grow it so much faster.
- jaymzdean, on 07/03/2009, -1/+5Let me explain to you's guys how this system actually works.
Something like algae doesn't come along and replace corn. Corn is an industry.
More likely, algae will be declared illegal, like how Dupont stamped out hemp.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiCRwMMh9k8&eur ... - ifruit, on 07/03/2009, -1/+4High corn prices are bad for everyone.
- newman8r, on 07/03/2009, -0/+3I have believed for several years now that algae based biofuels are going to be HUGE over the next few decades - making biodiesel from them via transesterification is simple... but now being able to make gasoline from the algae oil could be the big push to get people to accept this.
- stuffradio, on 07/03/2009, -0/+3EddiePotato I'm surprised to because in all of his comments he writes I'm extremely interested in science and programming and he doesn't ever use any punctuation except for whenever he is done his post so you know I'm just going to keep writing like this and oh I am extremely interested in programming just so you know.
- newman8r, on 07/03/2009, -0/+3I do have one disagreement with this article...few large scale algae farms have been made (PetroSun has a ~1000 acre facility in texas I believe), however the technology/methods to grow algae on a large scale profitably DO exist now.
- scotchw, on 07/03/2009, -0/+3There's nothing in TFA that suggests that anything will be changing RE: ethanol mandate.
Unfortunately - gwinerreniwg, on 07/03/2009, -0/+3Interesting thought, kahlessreborn, not withstanding hemp's excellent potential as a biomass source, one of the major problems of agricultural based biofuel production is that to get significant enough yield to produce sufficient quantities of energy, you need to farm large swaths of land or utilize loads of fertilizers. The appeal of the algae approach is that it could conceivably be produced in smaller, self contained bio-factories, leaving existing land and environment intact, and existing farmland dedicated to agricultural use (corn, hemp, whatever).
- toyotaboy, on 07/03/2009, -0/+2This isn't news, they've been growing biofuel in labs for years now, and I think it's great (wish it were now), but it's going to be a while before we see mass produced biofuel you buy at your local gas station. Biofuel needs lot of regulations to ensure it doesn't pollute the environment. This is why it's taking so long to become reality (our governement has to research it and create entirely new rules).
I believe if it's grown vertically in a closed loop system, not only does it not waste any water, but it would always be contained.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/06/biofuel_pl ... - footbag01, on 07/03/2009, -0/+2I still think they should be growing the algae in the gulf using the runoff NPK from the Mississippi River. This would reduce the amount of fertilizers used to produce fuel. And it would also, remove the excessive nutrients that are harming the Caribbean ecosystems.
- zjbird, on 07/03/2009, -0/+2Do I not want to click on these?
- DarkBlueAnt, on 07/03/2009, -1/+3Don't make titles like that! You almost gave me a heart attack for the split second I thought that corn on the cob was becoming illegal.
- newman8r, on 07/03/2009, -0/+2I'm all for the hemp industry, however atarijedi is completely correct, no plant will ever be able to produce as much oil per area of 'farmland' as algae can.
- scotchw, on 07/03/2009, -2/+4Not the Big Ag lobby
- NiftyG, on 07/03/2009, -1/+3Actually, livestock should be eating grass, not corn.
- inactive, on 07/03/2009, -0/+2"I'm extremely interested in science and programming." Dude is nuts. Crazier than Glenn Beck. Really needs to get back on his meds.
- bdbr, on 07/03/2009, -0/+2FTA: "it has been necessary to turn to alternative resources to traditional crops, such as lignocellulosic biomass and/or microorganisms, amongst these being microalgae."
Switchgrass is cellulosic biomass. The article is entitled "Microalgae As A Source Of Alternative Energy", which doesn't imply that algae is "the next biofuel", just a potential source (among others). People need to be less sensational with Digg titles. - footbag01, on 07/03/2009, -0/+2This is the reason I'm for doing the harvesting in the Gulf. Not only will it use the pre-existing excessive CO2, but it won't require adding any fertilizer, because there is enough in the runoff.
I do agree that carbon capture is currently too expensive to use in closed systems. But it would be stupid to attempt this in a closed system because of all the synergistic benefits of doing it in a more open system. Not that I'd call the earth an open system. - magus_melchior, on 07/03/2009, -0/+2The link you gave isn't surprising, as field corn is devastating to produce, environmentally speaking. The mass media still doesn't understand that biofuel doesn't necessarily mean corn-based fuels.
- IgorUnchained, on 07/03/2009, -0/+22 acres of hemp can make 2000 gallons of fuel in a double (8 month) growing season.
It can do this with very little N/P/K added or taken from the soil...and requires no pesticides.
For those who worry about carbon dioxide "pollution", those 2 acres of hemp will take more CO2 out of the air than corn and give off more oxygen in return.
The seeds are edible and are very healthy for man/fowl/beast....every part of the plant can be used for fuel/food/fiber.
The infrastructure is already in place to do this, requiring more heat and pressure from your average petroleum refinery.
Im all for trying algae, but there is no reason whe shouldnt be growing hemp right now. - billricardi, on 07/03/2009, -0/+2A good step. But switchgrass also doesn't compete with the food sector, and it has the added functionality of preventing surface erosion and acting as a field rotation crop. Both need further exploration.
- EddiePotato, on 07/03/2009, -0/+2@NiftyG: Livestock should be eating grass, but we've gotten ourselves in a bit of a pickle with the whole overpopulation thing. Too many people means we need to strong-arm nature to maximize calories where we can.
- Rantus, on 07/03/2009, -0/+1You get the CO2 from the off-gas from coal fired power plants. This system doesn't necessarily need to be closed loop either, it all depends on what you're trying to do.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0111/p01s03-sten.htm ...
This needs to go mainstream now. - JHarpo, on 07/04/2009, -0/+1And now prices on microalgae at my local grocery store will go through the roof!
- igm07, on 07/03/2009, -1/+2"...it doesn't compete with the food sector..."
...yet. Remember, before Soylent Green was people, it was algae.
http://pharosreview.blogspot.com/2009/02/energy-de ... - EddiePotato, on 07/04/2009, -0/+1I knew exactly what you meant. Many of us consider machines to be nothing less than extensions of the human body, in a very realistic and tangible sense. We feed the meat-machines we call our bodies food/fuel in order to perform work, and we feed our external, metallic extensions food/fuel so they may perform leveraged work at the bidding of our flesh. Both fleshy and metallic machines rely on stored energy, and securing viable sources of stored energy is the greatest preoccupation of our species.
Subscription to a holistic perspective doesn't rightfully earn one the label "*****", in my opinion. - Rantus, on 07/03/2009, -0/+1Damn, its about time someone got a clue. I've been ranting about this forever. You know what else algae does? It scrubs the emissions from coal fired power plants, reducing them by 50-70%, the whole time accelerating the algae's growth rate. Oy.
- diggduggjoe, on 07/04/2009, -0/+1It will take 10 years to reverse that program. The only hope is $10 hamburgers, that would make most consumers wake up and demand this feed for fuel program to be stopped. Welfare, both personal and corporate, is a hard thing to turn off.
- bdbr, on 07/03/2009, -1/+2Remember, Soylent Green is FICTION.
- bdbr, on 07/03/2009, -0/+1Yes, the 1,100-acre facility is near Harlingen, TX. Do a search with the words algae biofuel harlingen and you'll get all sorts of info about it.
- inactive, on 07/03/2009, -0/+1This comment aroused me. It moved.
- inactive, on 07/04/2009, -0/+1smell ya later corn
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