Algae is a promising source of fuel and food.
Studying algae as an alternative fuel source is not a new project, however it has become a more financially attractive project now that oil prices are high - according to the DOE Biomass Program Archives -
"From 1978 to 1996, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fuels Development funded a program to develop renewable transportation fuels from algae. The main focus of the program, know as the Aquatic Species Program (or ASP) was the production of biodiesel from high lipid-content algae grown in ponds, utilizing waste CO2 from coal fired power plants. Over the almost two decades of this program, tremendous advances were made in the science of manipulating the metabolism of algae and the engineering of microalgae algae production systems."
Algae may be a better alternative than using traditional food crops for fuel. We're figuring out that growing corn or soybeans to produce ethanal or biodiesel might not be such a great idea given the impact on global food supplies/prices, the tendency for farmers in developing countries to cut down rain forests or otherwise clear land to grow these crops and the fact that ethanol production using corn uses as much energy as it provides and therefore needs government price supports to be economically viable.
The Clean Energy Scam - TIME
It's reassuring to think about all the new job opportunities, ranging from research and development, to hands-on farming and building projects - as we shift from an oil-based economy to alternatives like wind, wave, solar and algae-based fuels.
