Sunday, January 20, 2008

Algae -A Solution to the End of Oil?

clipped from www.dailygalaxy.com
End_of_oil


"All countries must take vigorous, immediate and collective action to
curb runaway energy demand. The next ten years will be crucial for all
countries... We need to act now to bring about a radical shift in
investment in favor of cleaner, more efficient and more secure energy
technologies."

~Nobuo Tanaka, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA)

Big oil had better start worrying. Common algae from ponds and waste-water treatment plants has been found to produce vast amounts of burnable oil, say researchers at the University of Minnesota,  algae produces an astounding 5,000 gallons of oil per acre. Corn, by
comparison, produces a measly 18 gallons. Soybean yields 48 gallons. An
acre of palm trees yields 635 gallons.
Algae has a clear
advantage in other ways as well. Land crops use up more resources and
require more manpower to grow.
Algae, on the other hand, is so hardy
that it grows all by itself in conditions that require little to no
management
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