Algae biofuels update. Intriguing stuff. I happened to run across this blog today, and it answered some questions I’ve had about creating biofuels for transportation from algae. It’s an exciting prospect which may go a long, long way in helping us meet our energy needs in a sustainable and environmentally-conscious way, but it won’t be easy. The writer explains why it won’t be easy or immediate in a simple, understandable way. Please read the blog entry when you get a chance if you’re at all interested in how we’re going to fuel our vehicles when oil becomes scarce.
Personally, I’d prefer that we derived biofuels from something we generally don’t grow as a major food source, such as corn. And yes, I’m aware that certain types of algae are used as thickeners for food items such as ice cream, but there are 20,000 types of algae. If we can figure out how to grow the right type to produce fuel for a price comparable to petroleum-based fuels, that would be a huge leap forward in gaining our energy independence.
Great link! There is a company doing similar research in Kentucky.
That’s good news. This is something I think we need to support and encourage as much as possible.