Biotech breakthrough claim: commercial algae fuel now possible

[F22RaptorDude]

Mexico coast?

[Maverick]

I saw the post regarding how much diesel is produced per acre. I wonder if anyone has done the calculation to determine how many acres they would have to convert to the "farm" to replace just half of the millions of barrels of diesel we use each day.

Oh and BTW, the idea to use land not suitable for farming or other uses, keep in mind that they still have an environment and critters that live there. Anyone remember the snail darter minnow? Think EPA and all of those environmental impact studies that would have to be completed for each acre converted to diesel production. Using the desert to create that diesel just ain't gonna happen. Same for the ocean, flipper needs the room to play. Swamps? Not a chance there are lots of gators and swamp cougars that need protection. Lakes? Nope they are needed for the snail darter, trout, bass, snails and other aquatic "stuff" that live in them and they are also a reservoir for fresh water for the cities too.

[Rash]

Desert is a mostly unharvested area to consider.

[Maverick]

Well the desert is neither uninhabited, empty nor available to use to park massive solar farms without repercussions. They happen to be one of the more fragile ecosystems in the country and do not recover well or fast.

Now as to what I posted earlier about the differing agency opinions here is a supporting article from the Tucson newspaper, "affectionately" referred to locally as the Arizona Daily Red Star. This is the only "real" newspaper in the city.

http://azstarnet.com/news/science/environment/article_b11e1389-8d4e-549d-9a6a-52354ed4143b.html

Two government agencies responsible for environmental concerns are already having "words".

[saggs]

My gut tells me that this is one of those countless "too good to be true" deals.  If you do the math on what we consume even their 15,000 gallon a year per acre figure is pretty weak.  It would still take an awful lot of land and water to even make a dent in the market.

While I'm encouraged that people are seriously studying alternate energy production, let me say that if this outfit was selling stock or futures I would definitely not be buying.

Desert is a mostly unharvested area to consider.

Umm... last time I checked it takes water to grow algae?   You plan to make water just magically appear in the desert?

[Tac]

"Umm... last time I checked it takes water to grow algae?   You plan to make water just magically appear in the desert?"

The same infrastructure that would be used to ship the fuel out would be used to ship the water in.


"If you do the math on what we consume even their 15,000 gallon a year per acre figure is pretty weak."

Perhaps...but if you think about it, one acre of the stuff at current tech level can fuel 39 vehicles (avg 14gal/tank being fueled three times a month). IF (and IF) the system can be scaled down to 'personal' kits for the home you'd need a single digit fraction of that land area to have your own personal fuel generator at home.

Or perhaps it could go the way of satellite tv when it first started.. it was too big for each home to have their dish so communities would build one of those big 1-story dishes and people would hook up to it... so perhaps each community would have its own fueling lot.

I hope this tech does take off.. that it does what it says and that the big oil magnates dont try to buy it off and make it vanish.