Renewable, carbon-neutral oil - from algae

although it sounds like it may be a step in the right direction, if it is too good to be true it probably is. the problem with algae is that it is carbon neutral that means it doesn't offset any of the carbons we are emitting into our atmosphere and thus only making things worse while prolonging the inevitable; alternative fuels.

if we were to shift our oil based economy to algae it would still cause as much if not more problems than we already have. At any rate if the consumption of oil continues it will thereby propell the rising degree of global warming. an oil based economy is a proponent to the destruction of our earth.

if we use either or then as a result we will have more than our fair share algae coming out our ears. studies show that a rise in temperature is conducive to algae growing conditions and if this is so, imagine our oceans full of it; killing all of our aquatic life. the same thing happened to the dinosaurs and it will happen to us if we don't do something about it and fast.

heatz -
Exactly, don't they have enough? Evidently not!!! They wouldn't feel needed anymore and you know how those sensitive egos are. Maybe they're just devils disguised as humans.
Yea, they've been close to a break through in all those alternatives for 50 years, but it's always about 10 more years and we will have it. Yea, right!!!
It's basically up to us as individuals, but watch out, if you get too good at it, you'll be arrested for something and your lifestyle will be confiscated, legally of course.

lxluigixl -
That is definitely a major problem. I live down here fairly close to the mouth of the Mississippi and the fertilizer runoff problem is terrible. We have these algae blooms in the bayous and lakes that get way out of hand some years. More natural, organic means of farming should be encouraged to an extreme degree real soon. The oceans (gulfs, seas, bayou, streams) are like a persons kidneys. We can't go on destroying them, figuring they will heal themselves.

Plato, mankind spoils everything. I believe some people must think that's their job in life.

It is with great potential. But why is it that we aren't ending the crave for oil entirely. It's time for electrical potential to be realized.

algae for fuel use can be grown, (in labs or huge warehouses if you will), on shelves under controlled environments and would be replenished on a daily bases. no ocean raping needed

Green hash oil?!?!

Plato, it's called "patents" and they can be bought from the patenter for a price that would be very attractive to her and then put it in the vault and refuse to allow anyone else to duplicate the process in the same manner, thus, squashing it. Or they can kill a top person or two or put enough fear into you and your family that the project falls apart.
I had a friend once, he's dead now, murdered, who worked for a long time altering carburetors and was getting nearly 50 miles to a gallon in his Chevelle. It was all confiscated from him, in the name of it was done using some company time and resources and was definitely threatened with his life.
We have all the technology already, but huge money and profits will always win out in our capitalistic society, because the rules can always be manipulated or just changed through lobbyists.
Look at the drug companies. Sure, they spend mountains of money on development, but then charge horrendous prices to hordes of people, thus making a filthy killing. It's all called "legal". You don't want to stimmy entrepaneurship, do you?????

This is just ridiculous. There's a reason we're still powering our cars with primitive fossil fuels. Electric cars were designed and distributed (edit: AND RECALLED) in the late 80's (see: Who Killed the Electric Car?). Sure, Tesla Motors released an electric car this year but it's the price of a Ferrari and virtually impossible to get your hands on even if you do have the money to pay for it.

These fossil fuels we're using are the only way the greedy oil companies can make their money. They are BLINDING the entire world by saying they have all these new forms of energy in the works (Hydrogen etc). These fossil fuels are also conveniently and efficiently destrying our planet as we know it.

Electricity IS (and always will be) the answer to this so called 'Energy Crisis' and there's a reason why most people are too blind to even realize that.

No matter what we do, or how hard we try. We will never see an affordable electric car because the people behind the curtain would never allow it. How would they make their money? Don't they have enough anyway?

...wheat-grass, switch-grass, what's the difference..? I'm, also, wondering if this would lead to the rape of the ocean algae...Mankind has a propensity for spoiling a good thing...

Algae the next jewel of the sea.

If it works out this will be science fiction orgasm.

What a nice healthy dose of hope for humanity at the end of the day. Amazing! And speaking of "doses" that stuff in the photo looks like the smoothest shot of wheat-grass ever.

ObiaMan, not trying to be too critical, but I believe you mean mpg not mph...

anyway, it seems that if you can create the market for it with your own resources, how could they squash it...I wonder how much algae is available...what happens if you drink it..? Is it like spiralina..? If so, you could have a slash while topping up the tank...

Sounds extraordinarily interesting and like you say, has high potential.
The sky is probably the limit. The only problem these days is that certain entities in the world today have so much money and power that they tend to suppress most great ideas due to their excessive greed. Just like 20 and 30 mph for cars. How ridiculous. It's hasn't really improved in 50 years. We should all be getting 60 to 80 mph in virtually the same vehicles we drive and the technology has been there a long time, deep inside someone's vault.

It does look like Nyquil! weird

3rd generation biofuel with no effects on the world food crisis. Sounds like the Sargasso Sea will be the next gold rush.

I think that this is promising, but I also worry that it will delay the development of actual sustainable fuels.

I think i saw the begining of this project at CSU one or two years ago. I really hope this works

i've heard a lot about using algae to make fuel & it seems like an excellent idea. the only thing i wonder is if we can use the bad algae that's been taking over a lot ecologically challenged bodies of water to make oil too???

I'm really hoping this is turns out to be a viable deal, I've been hearing about it for a few months now. So far it seems like the real deal if they can figure it all out.

You can make the same stuff from hemp, but by the time your great grand kids see this type of fuel available it will be way too late.

wow that looks like nyQuil
- good info.