Can Algae Turn Into A Workable Source Of Fuel For Our Automobiles In The Future

I grew up in Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes. Naturally, I did a lot of swimming. It was not uncommon to be swimming and to come across some algae floating in the water. yuck.

While the subject of algae as gas for our cars may be relatively new, algae themselves are not new. Research workers calculate that they have been around for billions of years. Besides being old, they are also certainly not. In fact they can be located in every part of our planet from the very coldest to the hottest areas. They are able to double in a matter of hours and are the largest suppliers of vegetable oil on the planet.



Oil is rather low-priced today, but in the recent past it has sold for more than $100 a barrel. Its continued use also raises the fear of on-going carbon dioxide pollution levels and the unrelenting impact that this will have on climate change. It we want our future to be green, there is not anything more green than algae.

Algae is quick growing and for the purpose of being used as a fuel, it can be farmed in municipal wastewater, processed at existing oil refineries and then distributed through existing gas stations. As cited before, algae feeds on carbon dioxide, and this is a great added benefit. As a probable future fuel source for our motor vehicles, algae offers us a number of reasons to be excited.

As mentioned before, algae feeds on carbon dioxide. The more in the future that algae is commercially farmed as a source of fuel for our motor vehicles, the more it will do to trim down the amount of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere. The farming of algae will not encumber conventional farming or take up any present farmland since it is done using wastewater, freshwater or saltwater.

The collecting of algae will be able to be done on a daily basis because algae is able to grow in amount so quickly. This capability means that it possesses the potential to produce a great dealof biofuel for commercial use. Algae also is able to generate up to fifty times more oil per acre than more conventional plants have been able to do in the past for the production of vegetable oil.

In addition to being used as a future basis of biofuel for our motor vehicles, algae can be developed to contain high levels of oil and protein content which can then be used as a basis of feedstock as well. In addition, algae is a frequent element in skin care products and cosmetic products Iodine, Omega-3 fatty acids and chlorophyll are all found in algae. The disgusting green stuff is actually good for you. I do not advise, however, snagging a handful out of a lake in Minnesota and eating it raw.



So then the question turns into, when will we see algae based biofuel being sold at our area fuel stations. As a workable biofuel, algae is still under development. Making use of wastewater, sea water and fresh water, tests are being conducted constantly to improve the farming process.

It will be a while before all these types of pieces come together, but the outlook seems bright for algae as a substitute gas source for the future.

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