Reply #11: You just keep repeating the same stuff, and it doesn't mean anything [View All]

[cprise]

These GM algae look like a way for industries like cosmetics to capitalize on sugar subsidies. The Nature article did not even consider the possibility of using them for fuel; That you had to reach for THIS one puts your argument in a prety weak position.

The solar energy for the sugar has to come from somewhere. You should be comparing the land-use for algae photosynthesis with the land-use for sugar production, and the energy yield from both.

$1.88 /gallon is pretty damn good under those conditions, I'd say. Even if they can only sell it for $2.00/gallon, that is still a waste treatment system producing a return on investment. The system would also produce glycerine and significant amounts of organic fertilizer, reducing the fuel's cost. Will Jersey see such an algae farm? I kinda doubt it. There is no need to push for all or even most of the land use cited as an example in the UNH paper. Microalgae may displace some of the soy and corn production in certain places. Mostly likely, we'll see it used to handle agricultural run-off along the Mississippi river, and in the Sonora desert. And when petro-diesel goes over $2.00/gal, even Jersey may seem like an attractive place for algae farming.