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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated
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To: longnshort who wrote (473710)2/24/2012 2:09:26 PM
From: SteveinTX  Read Replies (1) of 794323
 
Krauthammer Mocks Obama's Algae Plan

This subject does lend itself to humor but eight or ten years ago I read a serious study advocating oil production using an ocean borne algae that is 50% oil by content.

The theory was that with 110 thousand square miles of algae ponds in the Sonoran Desert the U.S. could supply 100% of the oil now used for transportation purposes. That would comprise about 10-15% of the total desert area which, for the most part, isn't being used for much now, has plenty of sunshine to grow the algae, and is close enough to the ocean to supply the needed seawater for the ponds. One of the problems with the theory is that the algae needs a feedstock (probably sewer content) normally available around large population centers. Also, with sunlight being the key energy input, if we ever had another Krakatoa blacken the sky for a year, we would have no oil.

But it's still an intriguing idea, the thought of becoming independent of Mideast oil at permanently predictable and reasonable prices. If we ever did such a thing it would change almost everything in the world for better or worst.

I'm surprised the empty O would tout this source of energy after recently vetoing the pipeline from Canada. A pipeline uses almost no land and damages almost nothing, but algae production ponds require large amounts of land that may never be reclaimable after somebody finally invents the Mr. Fusion reactor to power transportation.
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