How Algal Biofuels Lost a Decade in the Race to Replace Oil

[bananas]

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/12/the-lost-decade-of-algal-biofuel/

How Algal Biofuels Lost a Decade in the Race to Replace Oil

* By Alexis Madrigal Email Author
* December 29, 2009 |

For nearly 20 years, a government laboratory built a living, respiring library of carefully collected organisms in search of something that could grow quickly while producing something precious: oil.

But now that collection has largely been lost.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory scientists found and isolated around 3,000 species algae from construction ditches, seasonal desert ponds and briny mashes across the country in a major bioprospecting effort to find the best organisms to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into fuel for cars.

Despite meager funding, the Aquatic Species Program (.pdf), initiated under President Jimmy Carter, laid the scientific foundation for making diesel-like fuel from the fat that microscopic algae accumulate in their cells. Fifty-one varieties were carefully characterized as potential high-value strains, but fewer than half of those remain.

<snip>

Johansen even went so far as to say that “if the Reagan and Bush administrations had not ended” the growth of the algal biofuels program, our country would have algal biofuels now.

<snip>

[izquierdista]

1. Carter should have sent it to Ireland

After all, it was Irish monks who kept the flame of knowledge burning through the worst of the Dark Ages.

[Hello_Kitty]

2. K and R. eom

[clear eye]

3. The Chinese will revive it.

They're planning on going all-out for green technologies, and w/ the financial incentive, I don't doubt they will.

[NNadir]

4. And here I was thinking that it was just garbage thinking devoted to devoting every remaining

open body of water to the car CULTure, a dangerous fantasy that we could only hope would fail, just like the grand solar and wind fantasies.

Happily, today, like Stalin, we can blame it all on "wreckers".

[joshcryer]

9. "Every remaining open body of water"?

Algae is generally grown in controlled conditions in artifically created bodies of water. Some don't even have open bodies, they are big organic solar cells.

Now we're getting algae that can produce fuel directly.

[damntexdem]

5. What's it all about, algae?

Is it just for the fuel oil with you?

[truedelphi]

8. Thank you for the LOL moment of tonight.

K & R the post so I can read it whenmore awake.

And maybe I can come up with an extra chorus or two?

[JohnWxy]

6. recommended!

[progressoid]

7. Oh you libruls, the free market will solve it.

:eyes: