An Introduction to Algae

Among the many topics that divide America both politically and economically is the issue of alternative energy.  There are many different attitudes and opinions in regards to the solution of creating a sustainable, reliable energy to fuel our lives.  Some believe that oil and coal can continue to support our fuel needs while others suggest the need to move towards radically different sources of energy.  One such alternative fuel is – of all things – algae. Now, you may think that relying on algae to power our lives sounds like nothing but science fiction, but in reality scientists and major corporations have already begun work on developing the technology to make algal power a real part of our future. 

            While algae seems like nothing more than a scummy nuisance to most, it is beginning to appear as a savior to environmentalists and as a moneymaker to algae-investing corporations. While it may not be an energy cure-all (at least not in the near future), algae can certainly lessen America’s dependence on oil and may prove to be an excellent supplementary energy source to help America transition into relying on cleaner energy.  Algae grow extremely quickly, and can be pressed and processed to extract biofuels that can be used to fuel vehicles.  Algal power may not be as efficient as the energy created via fossil fuels but it is safe to say that algal power is certainly cleaner and more sustainable. A reliable and valuable source of energy may be the spark needed to rejuvenate our trust and confidence in an economy that is unsound at best. 

Why Algae? Why Now?

            Most Americans – if not all of them – have undoubtedly felt the hardships and strains of relying of on fossil fuels in recent history.  Steep oil prices and environmental concerns have become grand issues in the political and economic spectra of late and will certainly remain there until major strides are made. 

            Fossil fuels have powered our country since its industrial boom and have unquestionably helped us develop into the international power we are today. But, along with the beneficial aspects of fossil fuels, there are certainly dreadful consequences that go along.  According to essortment.com, the burning of fossil fuels is the highest contributor to greenhouse gases – harmful gases that alter the natural state of our atmosphere, causing global climate change.  Furthermore, scientists agree that we will run out of fossil fuels in the relatively near future.  The exact date is questionable, as no one knows for sure the exact amount of oil still trapped underground or the rate at which it will be used. According to the Discovery Company’s website, howstuffworks, scientists have predicted dates that realistically calculate the peak of oil production – sometime between now and the middle of the 21^st century.  This suggests to me that we must begin to look for alternative sources of fuel, or else face grave consequences when oil supplies do become scarce.

One such alternative is algal biofuel.  ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics Inc have also recognized the potential of algae and have partnered to make the concept of algae biofuel a reality. It seems ironic that one of the world’s largest oil companies would invest in a product that would lessen our dependence on oil. But in fact, they too realize the depletion of oil and the reliance we will soon have on alternative energies. ExxonMobil has devoted a branch of their website to some of the advantages and facts about algae biofuel. It suggests that algae can grow where no other plants thrive, it requires photosynthesis (which consumes Carbon dioxide), and is more efficient – acre per acre – than all other biofuels, along with many more benefits.

            It is clear that alternative energy is a necessity for the future.  We just have to find a happy medium.  That is, we have to find a balance between cost, supply, and effects. I believe algal power will be a key player in this compromise and plan on investigating further its benefits and disadvantages. 

But How Does It Work?

We are mostly all aware that algae biofuel is a real alternative to fossil fuels. But, the question is: how do we actually move from idea to reality? How do we utilize the knowledge and technology that we have (and that we don’t yet have) and turn algae in fuel for cars? Solix Biofuels has been investigating these questions along with many others with regards to refining the processes needed to advance algal fuel beyond its infantile stages.

            Although algae seem to be plants, they are in fact classified in the kingdom Protista. What does that mean exactly? Algae are similar to plants in that they use photosynthesis to synthesis food.  They use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make sugars in order to live and reproduce (these sugars can be fermented into ethanol). However, they differ from plants mainly because they are single celled and do not have cells specifically for reproduction; rather, they make tiny spores that replicate the parent cell.

            

           Now that the biology of algae has been taken care of, we can further understand the workings of scientists to advance algae usage. The algae are grown in photobioreactors, which are triangular or cylindrical structures made of thin strips of plastic-like material. This allows the regulation of gas content and temperature to create the most favorable growing conditions.  According to Popular Mechanics, algae can double their mass overnight, allowing daily harvests rather than monthly or annually harvests required for all other biofuels today. Approximately fifty percent of alga’s weight is oil, which is used to make the biofuels. This means that in theory, algae can produce 10000 gallons of oil per acre per year compared to the 650 gallons per acre per year of its nearest competitor, the oil-palm tree. As put by Solix CEO, Douglas Henston if we replace all the diesel fuel we use in the US with “an algae derivative,” we could do it on one half of one percent of our farmland.

            Such powerful information cannot be taken lightly. I believe that we are truly on the brink of drastically altering our means energy production and consumption. It is obvious that alga is a realistic option for alternative energy. But, is it true that things that appear to be too good to be true usually are? 

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/biofuel/4213775 and http://www.naturegrid.org.uk/biodiversity/plants/crypalga.html#feed were used as sources in this post.

So What’s the Debate?

If the pros for using algae for alternative energy are so great, then why are algae not fueling my car already? Why are we still dependent on fossil fuels to power our lives? Many have pondered these questions and have discovered the complexities that really lie beneath such a simple sounding solution.

The debate over algal biofuels and most every source of energy goes beyond political party lines.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a democrat or republican; an environmentalist or an economist; or a liberal or a conservative; chances are that you have a rather strong opinion on what we should do regarding energy sources.

Although somewhat biased, Helium.com’s blog entitled “Fossil Fuels and the Environment” presents some of the scientifically proven ill effects of using fossil fuels.  The author of the blog writes that the burning of fossil fuels releases “greenhouse gases.” The gases alter the composition of our atmosphere and contribute to the cause of global warming. Furthermore, fossil fuels are a nonrenewable resource. That is, we will eventually run out of them. The question is when.  Also, we must consider other environmental effects of fossil fuels, like the Gulf Oil Spill. But, fossil fuels also have their benefits. The technology for processing oil is already developed for the most part, so this helps keep prices down. Fossil fuels are also extremely efficient sources of power compared to alternatives. This allows our world to keep up with the demands we have set forth.

So what about algae? Algae are organic organisms that require photosynthesis to grow. This means that they consume carbon dioxide (a harmful greenhouse gas) and release oxygen. But, when they are burned they release carbon back into the atmosphere, as they are organic. This net release, however, is less the release of carbon while burning fossil fuels.  Algae are also renewable. If we grow and harvest them properly, we will not run out. This is a major factor when comparing fossil fuels to algal biofuel.

The debate between money and environment, and belief and disbelief is huge right now.  It seems that because most people have such strong opinions, we are slow to come up with a real plan for future energy production. How will we cope with the changing desires and demands of the world in regards to fuel?

Analysis of Algae

     While most Americans do not yet know the potential for algae-based biofuels and therefore are not very opinionated on the matter, it is not debatable that most have views and thoughts on alternative energies in general.  Alternative energy is one of the many issues being debated by politicians and citizens alike right now.  It seems that we are torn between the economic stresses that developing new technology for alternative fuels will bring and the environmental and international issues that go along with relying on fossil fuels. Policy makers are fighting for a fair balance that will satisfy the greatest number of voters; after all, this is the main objective of their jobs. We have seen campaigns based on the slogans, “drill, baby, drill” and of course on “going green.” Both present extreme challenges as well as rather obvious benefits. 

     The technology for harvesting and processing fossil fuels is already developed and oil is extremely efficient in proving a reliable source of potent energy. But, at the same time, the burning of fossil fuels has been scientifically proven to contribute greatly to global warming by releasing greenhouse gases, more specifically carbon into the atmosphere. And, since the beginning our commercial dependence on oil, we have seen other large environmental misfortunes such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill and more recently the BP Gulf oil spill.

     Alternative energy, more specifically algal biofuel, generally presents the opposite benefits and problems.  The technology for effectively growing and processing algae to create an efficient fuel source is still undergoing relatively expensive research and development.  However, many large companies such as Solix Biofuels and ExxonMobil are investing in the technology that could eventually lead to the dominant means of energy production in America.  Alga’s environmental relations are generally considered to be much more positive than fossil fuels’. Algae, which are plantlike single-celled organisms, use the process of photosynthesis to grow and live. This process consumes carbon dioxide and water and releases oxygen. This consumption of carbon dioxide is somewhat offset when the burning of the oil produced by the algae takes place. Even so, the ill effects of burning alga-based biofuel are less severe than the ill effects of burning fossil fuels. Furthermore, algae are a renewable resource, if used correctly, whereas fossil fuels are not. This means that the problems we will encounter when we run out of oil will not be experienced if we rely predominantly on algae based sources of fuel.  

     With midterm elections nearing, politicians are fighting particularly hard to protect and gain representative positions that are influential in the construction of local and national policies. These politicians generally represent the mindsets of their districts as well as the interests of lobbyists and activists.  But what do the people generally want in respect to fuel sources? It is considered that conservatives are more in favor of depending on oil until it is more economically reasonable to invest in alternatives because oil, for now, is less expensive, as it is already developed. Furthermore, conservative candidates are often more associated with oil companies than their liberal counterparts.  According to thegrio.com’s post, “Oil spill leaves both political parties in the muck,” the oil industry gave $2.4 million to the McCain-Palin presidential campaign and only $900,000 to the Obama-Biden campaign. They gave more money to the conservatives in this case because they thought they would better represent their interests. But, there are many conservatives that are more concerned with well-being of the environment; hence, the alternate meaning to the word “conservative.” A prime example of this philosophy is conservative president, Teddy Roosevelt’s conservation of numerous national parks and game lands.

     Liberals seem to be a bit more united in their stand against fossil fuels.  Many, not all, believe in the development of alternatives rather than the reliance on the “standard.” They seem to take more of a precautionary stance, as they feel that planning for the future needs of the country in terms of energy will actually be cheaper than continuing reliance on oil.

But, regardless of political views, it seems that everyone weighs in on the scientific and academic aspects of alternative fuels. There are those that refuse to believe in global warming entirely, while others believe that humans do not contribute to the phenomenon at all.  Further, there are those that believe the opposite is true; they believe global warming is a direct result of man-made and man-used materials like CFCs and fossil fuels, respectively. Some choose to believe scientific observation and theory, while some believe that this particular portion of the scientific world is based on insufficient evidence, greed for fame, and of course money-related principles.

     More specifically, when dealing with algae as a real source of significant power supply, some citizens believe we are not ready for such advancement for logistical and monetary purposes while others believe such a shift is long past due.  Those fighting for alternatives to oil, like algae, argue that the development of such a large industry could only create more jobs, thus “killing two birds with one stone.” While those in opposition to the energy reformation say that our economy is already unstable enough; we should let it recover fully before investing such time and resources into something we are still unsure of.  There are always skeptics that believe “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” While this phrase may certainly be the case for many issues, algal biofuel can only help us in decreasing our reliance on oil from foreign countries and slow our continuing pollution of the atmosphere and environment. Regardless of political affiliation, scientific belief, or personal values, substitute forms of energy are inevitable. With the benefits algae can provide, and the relatively few disadvantages, it is likely that our lives will soon be fueled not by the oil beneath our feet, but by the algae in our ponds. 

Below is a video clip from YouTube that further demonstrates and explains the rather incredible use of algae to potentially power the world.

Making Algae Work

It should not be surprising that with every new technological advancement, there are always certain negative drawbacks. Cars pollute the atmosphere; the Internet has altered human brain function; electricity alters our environment, etc. In order for such large advancements to be made, their advantages must outweigh their disadvantages. Well algae are no different. In order to make algae a real, viable option for fuel in the future, the skeptics will have to be put at bay—well most of them anyways. Their concerns about costs and environmental issues will have to be dealt with head-on and alga must prove to them that it is a real contender.

Some of these concerns are already being addressed. One aspects of algae growth under fire is its dependence on carbon dioxide. Large amounts of algae require large, concentrated amounts of C02. The solution to this demand is to place algae growing plants near waste treatment facilities. By doing this, we could also use the wastewater to water and fertilize the algae; these two aspects are also concerns of those in opposition to algal power. But, if it is unreasonable to place the algae plants near wastewater plants, the good news is that algae can grow well just about anywhere. From desert to tundra, algae can thrive if they receive appropriate amounts of sunlight, water, and CO2.  Furthermore, algae wastes can be composted to make fertilizer for itself, making the whole process quite “green.”

Lastly, skeptics question the economic repercussions algae may have. While these concerns cannot be fully addressed yet, as no one knows the future or direction of our economy, we can only review the facts regarding the processes and the usefulness of alternative biofuel. We can only imagine how our economy will look when the time comes for fossil fuels to step down as the leading supplier of fuel in our nation.