Do you know that oil derived from algae is an exciting renewable fuel possibility? - see Oilgae for more.
December, 2006 issue of Scientific American, Via REUTERS/Deborah Zabarenko, Environment Correspondent
Scientists drill back in time in Antarctica
The article reports on an Antarctic drilling to find clues to a time when Antarctica was warm and wet. The reason for this research is because the researchers are convinced that a warmer age is in prospect as a result of human-spurred global climate change, they want to know what things were like 10 million years ago, when warmer periods tended to wax and wane on the southern continent.
While this is not directly related to biodiesel from algae, there is one piece of input I found interesting:
To do this research, they examine core samples taken from the seabed, layer after layer of what looks like solidified gray-green muck....
Recently, the scientists found a 200-foot (60 meter) length of core that was loaded with microscopic algae called diatoms. The sediment was so rich in tiny algae skeletons that they dubbed this material diatomite.
Interesting, isn't it? Diatoms also happen to be one of the candidates explored for suitablity for oil/biofuel. Seems like where nothing else can grow, there are always algae!
ANDRILL stands for Antarctic geological drilling and is a multinational collaboration among Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the United States.
More information is available online at http://www.andrill.org.
Full article here
Oilgae - Oil & Biodiesel from Algae
Oilgae Blog
algOS - Biodiesel from Algae Open Source
About Oilgae - Oilgae - Oil & Biodiesel from Algae has a focus on biodiesel production from algae while also discussing alternative energy in general. Algae present an exciting possibility as a feedstock for biodiesel, and when you realise that oil was originally formed from algae - among other related plants - you think "Hey! Why not oil again from algae!"
To facilitate exploration of oil production from algae as well as exploration of other alternative energy avenues, Oilgae provides web links, directory, and related resources for algae-based biofuels / biodiesel along with inputs on new inventions, discoveries & breakthroughs in other alternative energy domains such as solar, wind, nuclear, hydro, geothermal, hydrogen & fuel cells, gravitational, geothemal, human-powered, ocean & wave / tidal energy. We hope Oilgae proves to be useful as a research information & inputs resources, and as a source of news & info for business & trade of algal oil, algal fuels & new alternative energy products - specially with regard to new feedstock / feedstocks, production processes and uses, and market info such as price / prices, data & statistics
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