Sludge of the Pond: Fueling a Better World
Most of the world's fuel-driven machineries use fossil fuels. Cars and other motor vehicles use gasoline and diesel. 80% of the world's electricity is supplied by coal power plants. It is well known that these gaseous emissions are endangering humanity. According to the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change, concentrated man-made gasses are the culprit for the rising temperatures experienced around the world.
Simply reducing fossil fuel usage is not the best idea, since most of humanity's energy sources are derived from them. Energy must come from somewhere. Nuclear power is a potent option, but the dangers a nuclear power plant poses are very real; Chernobyl isn't something we'd like to repeat. Renewable energy sources in the form of wind, solar, and geothermal are also available for exploitation, but even with the latest technology, these renewable energies are not enough.
One of the solutions, according to biofuel experts, is lying on the bottom of stagnant ponds.
Algae, tons and tons of algae, can provide millions of gallons in biodiesel. In the United States alone, three companies have claimed that they are close to producing algae-based biodiesel for commercial purposes. In an article from DomesticFuel.com, PetroAlgae of Florida says that they will be ready to test a system running on biodiesel by next year, while GreenFuel Technologies and Solazyme state that they are nearing test status as well. Another company, the California-based LiveFuels, declares that they will be able to produce 100 million gallons of biodiesel harvested from algae. A better-known company, Boeing, has also expressed its desire to produce large quantities of algae-based biodiesel. According to Dave Daggett, Boeing's chief for energy and emissions, Boeing leaders have been skeptics at first but after studying the possibility of algae producing large quantities of biodiesel, they have turned into algae proponents. Now, high-profile companies like Chevron and Honeywell are also looking to join the growing ranks of the supporters of the alterative energy source.
The potential of algae-based biodiesel looks promising. First, it is denser than soybeans (another source of biodiesel) in terms of energy density. That translates to less land required to produce the fuel. On other hand, algae are a non-food crop that grows fast. Algae cultivation and harvesting is easy. Plus, more algae mean less carbon dioxide in the air.
Of course, although there has been a lot of hype associated with alternative fuels, biodiesel production is still in the experimental phase. However, according to climate experts, the impending dangers of global warming are imminent. The need to replace fossil fuels as an energy resource is important. Although using alternative fuel to run land vehicles may be far from reality, the important thing is that there are people who are making things better, despite the odds stacked against them.
As the great American President Franklin Roosevelt said during the Great Depression, "It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something."