Algae creates hydrogen fuel

5/20/2011 5:07 PM EDT

It's my impression we are seeking renewable energy alternatives in different investigation lines. Solar cell, bio-mass, nuclear fusion, hybrid cars, alcohol, ethanol. Which will win?
Perhaps one good thing of gasoline is that is used on almost everyplace in the world. But in the future... will one technology win and everybody use it or will different technologies achieve maturity at same time and be adopted by different regions?

5/21/2011 2:22 AM EDT

The statement - "to re-purpose algae" - brings up questions of control and un-intended consequences.

For example, the aquarium strain of Caulerpa taxifolia -a green fern like plant- is an extremely invasive seaweed.

Selective breeding under exposure to chemicals and ultra-violet light made the Caulerpa even hardier and it was intended for aquarium use because it stayed green very long and grew well in the colder aquarium water. You may have one in your aquarium.

But it got released into the ocean and is currently infesting tens of thousands of acres in the Mediterranean Sea and has now been found in two coastal water bodies in southern California.

It spreads by fragmentation, grows very rapidly up to 1/2 inch per day, and has toxins that prevent almost any marine organism from eating it. As such, where it is found, it displaces normal oceanic plant life, and displaces the food sources of aquatic marine life.

Efforts are underway to find a way to safely eradicate it, but so far no such luck. The Mediterranean infestation is now considered beyond control without creating an undersea wasteland. California has a task force set up to try and get rid of it here.

California law prohibits the possession, sale, and transport of C. taxifolia throughout California and establishes the same restrictions on several other species of the genus Caulerpa that are similar in appearance to C. taxifolia and that are believed to have the ability to become invasive. Federal law specifically prohibits the importation and sale in any form of the Mediterranean strain.

Can you imagine an ocean of hydrogen producing algae? The above information should be a cautionary tale.

5/21/2011 3:57 AM EDT

Low cost is important to make use of the produced Hydrogen. If they can findout a low cost nano particle metals thereby potentially creating a systems cheap enough to produce hydrogen from water and sunlight on an industrial scale. Speed up the research and launch it soon

5/21/2011 12:58 PM EDT

I have to agree with kd, at least in part. There are far too many instances where good intentions have completely upset the natural balance. So, while I applaud their results, I hope that enthusiasm will not overwhelm common sense and full testing of/for side effects.

5/22/2011 4:31 AM EDT

With all these efforts to produce alternates to gasoline, I wonder if a serious attempt has been made to produce gasoline itself in the lab. Since Gasoline ( its source the crude oil reserves) is so abundant in nature and is made by the natural process, it is quite likely that we can crack this natural process and produce the gasoline itself. The idea may sound funny but obviously somebody must have given serious thought to this option. I wonder what has been the outcome of such efforts.

5/22/2011 3:38 PM EDT

Energy production using algae without the need for exotic materials should be feasible - after all, the algae seem to be managing the process for themselves without importing special materials. It certainly is necessary to ensure that the energy production is contained and does not adversely impact natural habitats. Maybe as a bonus, the "energy farms" will be able to produce food with their excess biomass.

5/23/2011 12:54 PM EDT

We may end up in a "the devil you know..." situation.

Petroleum is ultimately limited and takes long stored carbon and puts it in the air. Hydro hard fish runs. Wind harms bird migration and may do other things we haven't discovered yet. I'm sure there are some unintended consequences with tide based generation. Nuclear, is, well.. nuclear. Hydrogen today is largely produced from fossil fuels. Algae-based hydrogen production may cause an invasive species invasion like none before it. Ethanol may lead to the decimation of food staples.

Okay, maybe we'll end up in a "the devil we know isn't workable and neither are any of the devils we don't know."

5/23/2011 1:18 PM EDT

The current problem is so severe that an alternative fuel will help. The potential issues coming from Algae generated hydrogen fuel may be just 1 among all. The storage of hydrogen fuel is very important that we can't ignore. We don't want to see a hydrogen bomb ignition whenever there is a car accident somewhere.

7/23/2011 10:04 AM EDT

Suspect technical msm altenergy articles

http://www.prosefights.org/pease/pease.htm