Comments on: Algae Biofuel Could Make UAE Deserts Bloom

By: Ivor O'Connor

Ivor O'Connor — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:45:00 +0000

Methane is a much better solution than biofuels.

By: Rae McRae

Rae McRae — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:29:00 +0000

You have to think about this, I have been researching about algae oil for fuel for months.
EV doesn’t t really work in northern Canada winters, -35c weather, no electric vehicle would last long and it would take over a hundred years for every buy EV’s and we don’t even have 100 years. New EV stations and whole new cars will be highly expensive and using algae oil for fuel, no engines will be remodelled, no damage to the ecosystems like what dirty oil and gas does ( my uncle has a farm and the gas rig is causing cancers in his cows)
If you think algae oil for fuel is a bad idea, en we would keep pumping oil out of the ground and the only clean energy to stop it, is algae oil, please wide open you mind, if we don’t jump start and quickly grow this stuff, more oil spills will cause soo much damage to food sources.
Yes, solar, wind and geothermal is important, but it will NOT replace dirty oil, please think about the northern climate.

By: Ivor O'Connor

Ivor O'Connor — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 04:31:00 +0000

Thank you for your feedback Tina. I also see the need for liquid fuels however I have a different take on the future. I think solar and wind will continue growing at about 30% per year. Sure it could grow much faster like in China but still 30% is breathtaking. Within a single generation all our electrical needs will be met with solar and wind. Yet wind and solar will continue to grow. The continued growth which there will be plenty of will be used for the production of liquid fuels. Our current dirty liquid fuels will easily last until they are priced out of the market.

All of this can best be done by eliminating all subsides. Especially the hidden ones. Let the economics make us a clean renewable society. The longer we let government subsidize the energy sector the longer we will have fossil and nuclear. If biofuel can compete with no subsidies then I’m for it.

By: Tina Casey

Tina Casey — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 15:01:00 +0000

Ivor, thanks for bringing up those other points. Solar, wind and transmission are also the focus of federal support, and it seems likely that in the future, the role of liquid fuels will be relatively small compared to electricity (including advanced energy storage and fuel cells). However, liquid fuel will still be important in the foreseeable future and algae presents a promising opportunity to get it without the risks of gas and oil drilling. Compared to other biofuel crops algae also offers the potential for less impact on other croplands, natural habitats and water resources.

By: Ivor O'Connor

Ivor O'Connor — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 04:43:00 +0000

“It’s pretty clear that from the Administration’s perspective, a strong domestic biofuel industry, including algae biofuel, is going to play an essential role the ability of the U.S. to compete globally”

I sure hope not! I want our government to put it into solar, wind, and HVDC power lines. Technologies that are ready to give our country immediate long lasting dividends. Not subsidies to technologies like biofuel that will never pay off.