tagged w/ Biofuels
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In his recent book on large-scale strategies for the environment, Mark C. Henderson predicted some of the troubles in the North American automobile industry and the possibility of an environmental revolution (or major turnaround). These predictions are supported by recent events.
Henderson (July 2008) argued, “Wasters, polluters, and those who do not care for the environment or are unable to adapt would only fall behind and see the fate of the dinosaurs.” (p. 83). It almost happened to the North American automobile industry last fall and did so with very little warning. Of course, governments saved the day, but the industry had failed to adapt and would have faced extinction within a matter of only weeks had it not been for the massive amount of help offered.
We saw how abruptly market forces shifted the renewable-energy industry into overdrive last summer. That supports Henderson's assertion that a quick turnaround for the environment is very possible (and even an environmental revolution). Henderson's approache is based on the same forces that caused that sudden three-month shift and forced the auto industry to accelerate the development of hybrids and electrical vehicles (something environmentalists had been trying to achieve for three decades!). Could it be the future for the environment?
David McCorquodale, who is Co-chair of Green Pages (the US Green Party quarterly, http://www.gp.org/greenpages/index.php), wrote, “The book has convinced me that the ETS [the strategy proposed in the book] could be an immensely important tool for the environment....“ -- The full review is currently at http://www.wavesofthefuture.net/index.php and will also be printed in Green Pages (February 2009).
Mark C. Henderson argues that large-scale strategies are our best hope for resolving many environmental issues (climate change, conservation, renewable energy, toxic contaminants, etc.) and sustainable development. The book develops a global strategy which could address major environmental issues at little cost.
Book:
Mark C. Henderson. The 21st Century Environmental Revolution: A Comprehensive Strategy for Conservation, Global Warming, and the Environment.
The review and more details (the introduction, a table of contents, notes, etc.) are available at the publisher's website below.
Publisher:
Waves of the Future is a publisher which focuses on global issues and the environment (climate change, sustainability, etc.). Books are distributed from centers in the US, Canada, and the UK and are available through many retailers. See the website below for links.
Pierre Champagne, Director
Waves of the Future
Email: See the “About Us” page at the website below.
Website: http://www.wavesofthefuture.net
###In his recent book on large-scale strategies for the environment, Mark C. Henderson... more
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For years there's been buzz, both positive and negative, about generating ethanol fuel from corn. But thanks to recent developments, the Bay Area is rapidly becoming a world center for the next generation of green fuel alternatives. Meet the scientists investigating the newest methods for converting what we grow into what makes us go.For years there's been buzz, both positive and negative, about generating... more
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A corn crop to be used just for ethanol? Wasn't it already proven that ethanol does not reduce CO2 emissions effectively and is actually wasteful in its processing? Well, we now know that Tom Vilsack will have a smooth confirmation hearing to be Sec of Agriculture. I am sure he is for the deregulation of this industrial corn crop. Transgenic contamination of corn for human consumption however, will be at risk, and the proper EIS has not of yet been done on this particular GE crop. Once again, Monsanto, Syngenta, and the industrial agriculture lobby wins out over the consumer.
Attached to this link is a form you can fill out and a letter attached regarding the USDA's actions regarding this industrial GE crop. This is not only a threat to human health because it is not designed for human consumption, it is a waste of land that could be used to grow traditional corn to feed people. We now can pretty much access that the lies coming from chemical companies like Monsanto that their GE crops are to feed the hungry world are just that, lies. Profit and now taking advantage of the climate crisis instead of finding ways to mitigate it are what this is all about.
And it would appear that these companies with the help of the Obama administration will now continue to seek profits over fair access to traditional food and alternate methods of producing energy that do not take valuable land away that could be used to grow real food. That is why we must be heard.
You can express your opinion on this at the link and also send any comments you may have on this as well. Comments are being accepted at the USDA until January 20th.A corn crop to be used just for ethanol? Wasn't it already proven that ethanol... more
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The two-hour test flight over Houston, where the carrier's headquarters is located, involved powering one of the two engines with a mix of 50% kerosene and a blend of fuel derived from algae and jatropha, a weed that bears oil-producing seeds. No passengers were on board.The two-hour test flight over Houston, where the carrier's headquarters is... more
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· Report says Bush administration official bullied scientists
· Committee critical of handling of endangered species act
· Politics played a role in 20 endangered species decisions
Politics corroded Bush administration decisions on protecting endangered species in regions nationwide, federal investigators have concluded in a sweeping new report.
Former interior department official Julie MacDonald frequently bullied career scientists to reduce species protections, the interior department investigators found.
"The results of this investigation paint a picture of something akin to a secret society residing within the interior department that was colluding to undermine the protection of endangered wildlife and covering for one another's misdeeds," Congressman Nick Rahall, a Democrat from West Virginia, said late Monday afternoon.
Rahall chairs the House natural resources committee, which has been highly critical of the Bush administration's handling of the Endangered Species Act. Particularly in western states, the environmental law will be one of the biggest issues confronting President-elect Barack Obama's interior secretary.
The Bush administration took office promising to relieve farmers, loggers and developers of some of the regulatory burdens imposed by the Endangered Species Act. MacDonald, a civil engineer who was appointed to serve as deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks, played an especially active role.
"MacDonald caused an incredible waste of time and money," one Fish and Wildlife Service official told investigators.
The 141-page investigation released Monday elaborates on inquiries conducted earlier by the interior department's office of inspector general. The earlier probes into MacDonald's work spurred the interior department to reconsider some of its decisions concerning species.
The new investigation offers additional details and interviews, fleshing out how politics potentially played a role on 20 different endangered species decisions. The decisions in question ranged from the northern spotted owl to the northern Mexican garter snake.
"One fish and wildlife service employee told us that MacDonald's influence was so prevalent that 'it became a verb for us - getting MacDonalded,' " the investigators reported.
MacDonald could not be located for comment late Monday. She has largely stayed out of public view since leaving the interior department in May 2007.· Report says Bush administration official bullied scientists
·... more
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The search for an environmentally friendly fuel for airplanes took a leap forward today with the world's first flight powered by a second-generation biofuel, derived from plants that do not compete with food crops.
An Air New Zealand jumbo jet left Auckland just before midnight GMT with a 50-50 mix of jet fuel and oil from jatropha trees in one of its four engines. The two-hour test flight, which took the Boeing 747 over the Hauraki Gulf, showed that the jatropha biofuel was suitable for use in airplanes without the need for any modifications of the engines. It forms part of the airline's plan to source 10% of its fuel from sustainable sources by 2013.
The flight was completed as the US airline Continental announced its own plans to test second-generation biofuels: next week it will fly a plane over the Gulf of Mexico with fuel derived from algae.
Air New Zealand's biofuel was made from jatropha nuts, which are up to 40% oil, harvested from trees grown on marginal land in India, Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania. The fuel was pre-tested to show that it was suitable for airplanes, freezing at -47C and burning at 38C.The search for an environmentally friendly fuel for airplanes took a leap forward... more
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In 2007, the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association launched a campaign to “change the perceptions about the benefits of biofuels” by linking ethanol production with rising food costs and global food shortages. Ethanol producers defend their product, saying that biofuels do not cause soaring food prices and meal shortages and insinuate that the GMA is the one reaping the benefits of high food prices by scapegoating biofuels.
There is also concern that an increase in ethanol production will decrease grains fed to livestock and more corn would have to be grown on new land in order to support the livestock and doing that would dramatically increase carbon emissions.
Ethanol producers claim that new technologies and higher crop yields will increase the amount of food produced on the same amount of land. They also promise that biofuels will be made cleaner, greener and more efficiently as time goes on.
I don't know who is right, but the arguments of both sides seem to be based on speculation.
Who exactly is telling the truth?In 2007, the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association launched a campaign to... more
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"A Biodiesel manufacturer claims government moves to axe compulsory use of biofuels spells the end of the industry in New Zealand including his plans to employ 46 extra staff at a new plant.
Tom McNicholl, managing director of Auckland-based BioDiesel Oils NZ, said he would mothball a nearly-built Waikato plant that would have produced 60 million litres a year of tallow-based diesel after the Government confirmed it would scrap compulsory biofuel requirements next week."
Question: if BioDiesel Oils NZ's biodiesel was tallow-based, does that mean that it was sustainable and not impacting food supply?"A Biodiesel manufacturer claims government moves to axe compulsory use of... more
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David McCorquodale, Co-chair of Green Pages (the US Green Party print quarterly), just issued a favorable review for Mark C. Henderson's book on large-scale solutions for global warming and other environmental problems. It is currently posted on the publisher's website (Waves of the Future, http://www.wavesofthefuture.net) and will printed in Green Pages (February 2009 issue, http://www.gp.org/greenpages/index.php).
McCorquodale concluded: “The book has convinced me that the ETS [the strategy proposed in the book] could be an immensely important tool for the environment, but the obstacles are sizable, especially in the United States. Greens' support for such a strategy may play a critical role in overcoming the odds.“ (November 2008).
Mark C. Henderson argues that large-scale solutions are our best hope for addressing environmental issues such as climate change, conservation, contaminants, and renewable energy and for achieving sustainable development in the future. His book makes the case that a shift to environmental taxation could result in huge gains for the environment. First outlining several important political and economic requirements for large-scale change, he then develops a global solution which could address many environmental issues (global warming, carbon emissions, contaminants, conservation, renewable energy, etc.) at very little expense.
Henderson, Mark C. (2008). The 21st Century Environmental Revolution: A Comprehensive Strategy for Conservation, Global Warming, and the Environment. Waves of the Future series. ISBN 978-0-9809989-0-0 (0980998905).
The full review and more information (excerpts, contents, etc.) are available at the publisher's website.
Publisher:
Waves of the Future focuses on global issues and the environment. Books are distributed from centers in the US, Canada, and the UK and also available worldwide.
Contact information:
Pierre Champagne, Director
Waves of the Future
Email: See the “About Us” page at the website below.
Website: http://wavesofthefuture.net
###David McCorquodale, Co-chair of Green Pages (the US Green Party print quarterly), just... more
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The algal biodiesel fueling the car is made through Solazyme's proprietary process for manufacturing high-value, functionally-tailored oils from algae. This process, which uses standard industrial fermentation equipment, yields a biofuel that significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and is biodegradable, nontoxic and safe. Solazyme is currently producing thousands of gallons of algal oil and recently signed a biodiesel feedstock development and testing agreement with Chevron Technology Ventures, a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
"Biodiesel from algae changes the landscape of renewable fuels," said Jonathan Wolfson, chief executive officer of Solazyme. "The concept of algal biofuel has been discussed for decades, and Solazyme's technology finally provides a scalable solution based on proven industrial processes. This fuel is just the first example of how algal oil will help the environment through new products that offer attractive economics and performance, as well as environmental benefits."
Soladiesel exceeds both the requirements of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) biodiesel standard D6751 and EN 14214, the European standard, which ensures that biodiesel can safely run any existing diesel engine. The car demonstrating Solazyme's biofuel at Sundance is running on its original, factory-standard diesel engine with no modifications, and is powered by the highest blend of biodiesel that engine manufacturers currently certify. By operating in the typical sub-freezing temperatures for the area in January, it also illustrates how Soladiesel provides better temperature properties than any traditional biodiesel.
"In demonstrating this new fuel alternative, we're responding to the need for a near-term solution that will also be cost effective and sustainable," added Harrison Dillon, president and chief technology officer of Solazyme. "Our technology combines all the key components: low carbon footprint, environmental sustainability, certified compatibility with existing vehicles and infrastructure, and energy security for our country."The algal biodiesel fueling the car is made through Solazyme's proprietary... more
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Record high oil prices, global warming, and an insatiable demand for energy: these
issues will be the catalyst for heated debates and positive change for many years to
come. FUEL is the successor to “Fields of Fuel”, which won the 2008 Sundance Film
Festival Audience Award for Best Documentary. FUEL exposes shocking connections
between the auto industry, the oil industry, and the government, while exploring alternative
energies such as solar, wind, electricity, and non-food-based biofuels.
Josh Tickell and his Veggie Van take us on the road to discover the pros and cons of
biofuels, how America’s addiction to oil is destroying the U.S. economy, and how green
energy can save us, but only if we act now.
http://thefuelfilm.com/sites/all/files/PRESS%20NOTES%20low%20res_0.pdfRecord high oil prices, global warming, and an insatiable demand for energy: these... more
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October 30, 2008
San Francisco Opens Gate to National Biodiesel Conference & Expo
The City by the Bay Will Make Inspirational Host for 2009 Conference
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Spot a city bus, a fire truck, or a double-decker tour bus in San Francisco, and chances are pretty good that it is running on 20 percent biodiesel (B20). The area’s biodiesel enthusiasm even flows beyond the “City by the Bay” into the Bay itself, where the famous Red and White Ferries cruise on B20.
“San Francisco is an inspiration to our industry like none I’ve ever seen,” said Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board. “The enthusiasm for biodiesel is in every corner of the city. The commitment is contagious, and I am eager for our conference attendees to experience it for themselves.”
The San Francisco City Government is the largest known city in the world to use B20 fleet-wide, one of many reasons it is the perfect host for the 2009 National Biodiesel Conference & Expo, Feb. 1 – 4.
The conference educational program will be kicked off by the people who have made the biodiesel program there a success. Mayor Gavin Newsom is anticipated to speak. In 2006, he issued an Executive Directive designed to increase the pace of municipal use of biodiesel. Today, virtually all of the City’s 1,500 diesel vehicles run on B20. The City uses about 5 million gallons of B20 a year.
Other speakers from the City will include Marty Mellera, Chief of Climate Action and Greening – a title as progressive as San Francisco itself. Vandana Bali, Clean Vehicles Manager at the Department of the Environment, Mike Ferry of the San Francisco Fire Department and past recipient of the Eye on Biodiesel Inspiration Award, and Karri Ving, Biofuels Coordinator for the Public Utilities Commission will round out the general session.
The 2009 conference promises to offer its valuable educational and networking opportunities that attendees have come to expect. This year, one new feature is sustainability sessions supplementing existing educational tracks. Meet biodiesel peers at the golf tournament and Super Bowl party. For more information and to register, please visit www.biodieselconference.org. For discounted rates, register by November 14’s early bird deadline.
The NBB is the national trade association of the biodiesel industry and is the coordinating body for biodiesel research and development in the U.S.October 30, 2008
San Francisco Opens Gate to National Biodiesel Conference... more
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A fungus that lives inside trees in the Patagonian rain forest naturally makes a mix of hydrocarbons that bears a striking resemblance to diesel, biologists announced today. And the fungus can grow on cellulose, a major component of tree trunks, blades of grass and stalks that is the most abundant carbon-based plant material on Earth.
"When we looked at the gas analysis, I was flabbergasted," said Gary Strobel, a plant scientist at Montana State University, and the lead author of a paper in Microbiology describing the find. "We were looking at the essence of diesel fuel."
While genetic engineers have been trying a variety of techniques and genes to get microbes to create fuel out of sugars and starches, almost all commercial biofuel production uses the century-old dry mill grain process. Ethanol plants ferment corn ears into alcohol, which is simple, but wastes the vast majority of the biomatter of the corn plant.
Using the cellulose from plants — the stalk instead of the ear, or simply wood from poplars — to make liquid fuel is a long-held dream because it would be more environmentally efficient and cheaper, but is far more difficult.
First, the cellulose must be broken down into its constituent parts — sugars bearing carbon — and then those pieces must be synthesized into more complex hydrocarbons. Both steps have proven difficult to do without applying large amounts of heat, pressure or chemicals.
"Traditionally that's been an energy-intensive process that also involves lots of chemicals," said Andrew Groover, a plant geneticist studying cell wall formation at the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station. "So, one approach is to look for situations in nature where there are organisms that can break down wood as part of their natural lifestyle: wood rot, fungi, termites."
What's exciting about the Gliocladium roseum fungus, however, is that it can both break down cellulose and synthesize the liquid fuel.
"A step in the production process could be skipped," Strobel said in a press release.
That said, the paper's authors admit that the technique is far from any sort of industrial production.
"This report presents no information on the cost-effectiveness or other details to make G. roseum an alternative fuel source," they write. "Its ultimate value may reside in the genes/enzymes that control hydrocarbon production, and our paper is a necessary first step that may lead to development programmes to make this a commercial venture."
The genome of the fungus is being analyzed at Yale University under the direction of Scott Strobel, a molecular biologist and Gary Strobel's son.
But beyond the biofuel implications, Strobel said that because the fungus can manufacture what we would normally think of as components of crude oil, it casts some doubt on the idea that crude oil is a fossil fuel.
"It may be the case that organisms like this produced some — maybe not all — but some of the world's crude," Strobel said. A fungus that lives inside trees in the Patagonian rain forest naturally makes a mix... more
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The biggest working sanitary landfill in the United States, located right outside Los Angeles, is so much more than a garbage dump: it is an environmentally-safe recycling haven where even unrecyclable waste can be turned into clean bioenergy fuels and lots and lots of power (it is one of the largest power generators in the state of California).
Landfills are the nation's second largest source of manmade methane pollution. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and a contributor to the smog air pollution.
While landfills such as Puente Hills in Los Angeles are realizing the economic benefits of capturing and utilizing the energy from methane, there are still hundreds of landfills across the nation missing this critical opportunity.
See what can de done and do pass on the good news :)The biggest working sanitary landfill in the United States, located right outside Los... more
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Wayne Keith is headed to Las Vegas in an old Dodge pickup that runs on, of all things, wood. He gets about 1.6 mpp (that's miles per pound) and reckons he needs about 1,000 pounds to get there. No problem. He's carrying a chainsaw and a list of lumberyards along the way.
Such are the provisions you need for Escape from Berkeley, a madcap alt-fuel race that mashes up Mad Max and Cannonball Run with a touch of the Darpa Challenge and Burning Man. If the rules are simple -- no petroleum allowed, and fuel must be scavenged along the way -- the challenge is anything but.
"The basic premise is build a vehicle out of junk, we'll give you the equivalent of one gallon of gas and you have to drive 600 miles to Las Vegas. Oh, and you can't buy any fuel along the way," says Jim Mason, the artist and inventor behind the race. "That's a pretty heavy stone to carry."
That isn't keeping the 10 teams lining up for this weekend's race from giving it a try in everything from a veggie-oil Lotus 7 to a steam-powered three-wheeler that looks like it rolled right out of the 19th century.
The race has drawn geeks and gearheads, artists and academics and even a rancher from Alabama, none of whom are waiting for General Motors or Toyota to lead us beyond oil. They've cobbled together an impressive fleet of street-legal and roadworthy cars, proving automakers aren't the only ones who can make autos. "I think energy will be our next hacking culture," Mason says. "If there's any goal here, it's to see how we can move energy from a commodity culture to a hacker culture."
Mason started hacking World War II-era Imbert wood gas technology three years ago. He's developed a DIY gasifier kit (he's sold 35 of them, at two grand a pop) and installed it in the 1989 Honda he's making the run to Vegas in. "A gasifier isn't a practical solution for urban transit," he concedes. "But it shows it can be done."
Still, if there's a favorite to take the $5,000 grand price, it's Alabama rancher Keith Wayne. He's making the run in a 1987 Dodge Dakota pickup truck, which is the fourth truck he's converted to run on wood gas. He's already put 30,000 miles on it, so he knows it works. "Gasification is a little tricky to grasp, but once you understand it, it's pretty simple," he says. "It takes a lot of rigging and welding and doing and redoing. But it's a cheap ride, and it's carbon-neutral. The scientists at Auburn (University) tell me it's cleaner than an electric car."
Those scientists oughta know, because one of them -- Dr. David Bransby -- is Keith's teammate. They're making their way across the country in a pair of wood-gas pickups, spreading the gasification gospel before making the run to Vegas. "We've been in touch with Lowe's and Home Depot and other places that will have scrap, and we'll be getting wood from them along the way," Keith says. As for those stretches of road where there's nothing but scrub and brush, well, Keith's got a chain saw and the rules allow him one gallon of gas, so he figures he's got it covered.
"We're looking forward to it," he says. "You get a group of people together, give them rules like this and tell them to drive from Point A to Point B without gas, well, there might be something come out of it you've never seen before."
Wayne Keith is headed to Las Vegas in an old Dodge pickup that runs on, of all things,... more
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Tri-Rail will start operating on a much more environmentally friendly blend of bio-diesel, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority announced Wednesday.
The aim, Tri-Rail officials said, is to run eight of 10 Tri-Rail locomotives on a 99-percent blend of either palm or soy oil, depending on the availability.
Thanks to South Florida's comparatively temperate climate, Tri-Rail is one of the few commuter rail systems in the country that can operate on such a pure blend of bio-fuel.
The nation's top transit regulator praised the authority for taking an important step toward energy independence at a press conference Wednesday morning in West Palm Beach.
''The Federal Transit Administration is committed to encouraging the use of alternative fuels in the nation's rail and bus systems,'' said FTA Administrator James S. Simpson.
Biodiesel will be used in Tri-Rail's eight conventional train sets. The two Diesel Multiple Units will continue to operate on standard diesel fuel, due to warranty restrictions.
The FTA paid for the locomotives and for research tests at the Southwest Research Center in San Antonio.
While the Tri-Rail locomotives use 7 percent more fuel when operating on biodiesel, the fuel costs approximately 30 cents per gallon less than diesel.
Other environmental benefits: Bio-diesel produces less carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon emissions and less likelihood of soil pollution in the event of a fuel spill. Tri-Rail will start operating on a much more environmentally friendly blend of... more
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By now, both candidates agree that global warming is a reality but they don't necessarily agree on what to do about it. In our Collective Journalism special "U.S.: Killing the Earth?" we look at the affect climate change has on the environment and on the Presidential election. We investigate alternative energy sources, the growing green collar job sector, consequences of dramatic climate change and potential solutions to the crisis.
This special features the work of Collective Journalism contributors around the country, from Missouri to California, from Florida to Minnesota.
Collective Journalism, Current's citizen journalism program, works by combining perspectives from contributors like you around the world. All month until Election Day, CJ will be airing special investigations into the most important issues of this election.By now, both candidates agree that global warming is a reality but they don't... more
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The promise of commercial algae fuel is getting closer to reality with GreenFuel Technologies announcement of a $92 million deal to build algae greenhouses. The projectwill capture CO2 emissions from a cement plant in Jerez, Spain and use them to grow algae for food, fuel, and feedstock.
Currently, GreenFuel and partner company Aurantia SA have a 100 square-meter prototype plant running. GreenFuel hopes to have a full-scale 100 hectare plant ready by 2011. The larger plant is expected to absorb 50,000 tons of metric carbon and produce 25,000 tons of algae each year. For some perspective, 25,000 tons of algae will produce 1.3 million gallons of algae oil annually. The prototype plant began testing six weeks ago. If all goes well, GreenFuel wants to ramp up the project to 1,000 square meters.
More here http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/greenfuel-grows-100-square-meters-of-algae--5031.htmlThe promise of commercial algae fuel is getting closer to reality with GreenFuel... more
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