Algae - The Solution to Energy Crisis & Climate Change?

As the world mulls over the conundrum of how to
satisfy a seemingly endless appetite for energy and still slash
greenhouse gas emissions, researchers have stumbled upon an unexpected
hero: algae. So-called microalgae hold enormous
potential when it comes to reining in both climate change, since they
naturally absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, as well as energy
production, since they can easily be converted to a range of different
fuel types.

“This is certainly one of the most promising and revolutionary leads
in the fight against climate change and the quest to satisfy energy
needs,” Frederic Hauge, who heads up the Norwegian environmental group
Bellona, told AFP. The idea is to divert exhaust spewed from carbon
burning plants and other factories into so-called “photobioreactors”,
or large transparent tubes filled with algae. When the gas is mixed
with water and injected into the tubes, the algae soak up much of the
carbon dioxide, or CO2, in accordance with the principle of
photosynthesis. The pioneering technique, called solar biofuels, is one
of a panoply of novel methods aiming to crack the problem of providing
energy but without the carbon pollution of costly fossil fuels — with
oil pushing 140 dollars a barrel and supplies dwindling — or the waste
and danger of nuclear power...

http://geoenergy.wordpress.com/2008/08/01/algae-%e2%80%93-the-solution-to-energy-crisis-climate-change/

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