Oil from algae

[Sabre]

Interesting little look into a bio fuel that could have thousands of times the yield of corn ethenol.

http://cc.pubco.net/www.valcent.net/i/misc/Vertigro/index.html

Impressive claims, if they can be proved and realized, especially the one about replacing all the fossil oil used in the US with only 1/10th of the state of New Mexico.  I've lived in NM, and they can have 2/10ths for all the impact it wouls make.

[oakranger]

 Yea, Bluegreen algae is the most common algae that can be found across the country.  The dam stuff is toxic to aquatic life.  Another bio fuels that has great possibility is native mixed prairie grass.   It has been proven to produce more ethenol than corn.  The tallgrass region of Kansas, where i live, you can have 6000-8000 lbs per acres of grass.  That can produces 10 x more then what a acres of corn can produce.   

[john9001]

bio fuels are out , they produce greenhouse gases when burned, the great leader has said no more greenhouse gases.

[Bodhi]

bio fuels are out , they produce greenhouse gases when burned, the great leader has said no more greenhouse gases.

the great leader said he was for more biofuel subsidies this weekend.

[CptTrips]

Makes more sense to me.  Grow it in big vats rather than use up prime food production acreage.

Regards,
Wab

[oakranger]

the biggest down size of biofuels is the amount of water it needs. 

[Angus]

Water-water everywhere...
And not a drop to drink.....

Seriously, using a herb for bio-fuel instead of something else hardly increases the water demand in the growing process.

[Gixer]

Oil has to be over $100 a barrel for any other form of operations to be cost effective. Currently heading back down under $60 I doubt anyone will be interested in oil from algae projects until after the recession and oil demand/price starts to seriously take off again.

Wonder how they are doing these days at the Canadian Oil Sands? I'd bet they are shutting down operations, like the miners here in Aus, more economic sense to keep it in the ground and wait for a higher price.

Greenies go on about bio-fuels and other forms of oil like they do about power. Problem, under normal economic conditions demand far out weighs the amounts obtainable from any other means other then drilling. The only options are drill to will run out or completely move away from the need of a fossil fuel.

Using land that's badly needed for food crops is just stupid.


<S>...-Gixer

[Angus]

Oil has to be over $100 a barrel for any other form of operations to be cost effective. Currently heading back down under $60 I doubt anyone will be interested in oil from algae projects until after the recession and oil demand/price starts to seriously take off again.

Wonder how they are doing these days at the Canadian Oil Sands? I'd bet they are shutting down operations, like the miners here in Aus, more economic sense to keep it in the ground and wait for a higher price.

Greenies go on about bio-fuels and other forms of oil like they do about power. Problem, under normal economic conditions demand far out weighs the amounts obtainable from any other means other then drilling. The only options are drill to will run out or completely move away from the need of a fossil fuel.

Using land that's badly needed for food crops is just stupid.


<S>...-Gixer

For decades now, in the western world, there have been governent funds for NOT using land for food production.
Paying the same amount for that same area with bio-fuel as a goal is in MHO much better than shopping in the Chavez market...

[BoilerDown]

The whole idea is not to be dependent on foreign oil.  (And Canadian oil doesn't really count as foreign, their ideals are very close to ours, Canadians are good people.)  Just 'cause its cheap again shouldn't mean that alternative sources aren't still developed.

And yeah, corn is better used for feed and food than for gas.  For gas, use other stuff that is way more efficient and easier to grow, some of which have already been mentioned.

[Angus]

...not to mention the potential of cooler areas where conditions may not support corn, but many other herbs.
Lots of possibilities, for instance plants with burnable materials as a side-product.
Brave new world...