Future alternative to Crude Oil?

[Rosebush3]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science...oil/index.html

I would love to see more research done in this field!
I have cut and pasted some parts of the article below for quick reading (though the article in full itself isn't very long)

*Algae are among the fastest growing plants in the world, and about 50 percent of their weight is oil. That lipid oil can be used to make biodiesel for cars, trucks, and airplanes.

*Kertz said he can produce about 100,000 gallons of algae oil a year per acre, compared to about 30 gallons per acre from corn; 50 gallons from soybeans.

*"Even the Aztecs knew it was beneficial; they used it as a high protein food," said Pinowska.
The other common commercial use of algae today is as a health food drink, usually sold as "Spirulina."

some more reading on it..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algacul...lution_Control

[mommy4ever]

THAT is very very cool! That would be wonderful if they can make it work!

[IntlMom]

I for one would love to see this become available!

[Jskell911]

I had heard about this last week, too. Sounds maybe promising. Have to see.....

I know they are talking coal, but like oil that has finite resources. SO, I am not thinking that's a great option.

[dianne9106]

I am so glad new ideas are being put to work! Like the article said - it didn't look very appealing in 1996 when crude was cheap. And this is def a renewal resource.

[MomToTwoBoys]

I am very excited to be reading about this. It goes up there with using used cooking oil as a fuel resource and my goodness, there's oodles of used cooking oil out there!

[Nishu]

I don't know, I've had my heartbroken too many times.

Ethanol isn't what's it's cracked up to be, my super-awesome lightbulbs apparently have mercury in them, the prius takes so much energy to construct that you might as well get a used Hummer and call it good...

I just don't think I can bring myself to trust again.

[ukbb]

Novel sugar-to-hydrogen technology promises transportation fuel independence

The hydrogen economy is not a futuristic concept. The U.S. Department of Energy's 2006 Advance Energy Initiative calls for competitive ethanol from plant sources by 2012 and a good selection of hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles by 2020.
Researchers at Virginia Tech, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the University of Georgia propose using polysaccharides, or sugary carbohydrates, from biomass to directly produce low-cost hydrogen for the new hydrogen economy.


Solves the storage issues with hydrogen.

The vision is for the ingredients to be mixed in the fuel tank of your car, for instance. A car with an approximately 12-gallon tank could hold 27 kilograms (kg) of starch, which is the equivalent of 4 kg of hydrogen. The range would be more than 300 miles, Zhang estimates. One kg of starch will produce the same energy output as 1.12 kg (0.38 gallons) of gasoline.

http://www.physorg.com/news99109409.html

UKBB