http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/2011/09/16/researchers-seek-gain-alternative-energy-algae
Do you think there will be any problems with this alternative energy that is extracted from algae?
Will the costs of these oil extracted from the algae be a lot more than the costs of nonrenewable sources, if so, how will that impact our economy?
Will this alternative energy from algae eventually solve our problems?
Do you think there will be any problems with this alternative energy that is extracted from algae?
Will the costs of these oil extracted from the algae be a lot more than the costs of nonrenewable sources, if so, how will that impact our economy?
Will this alternative energy from algae eventually solve our problems?
I think the only problem with using the algae as a resource is the fact that it is nonrenewable. It would be slightly more beneficial to find a renewable resource to replace nonrenewable ones. I think that if scientists cannot figure out a way to increase the volume of algae, then the cost will be higher than the nonrenewable resources that we are currently using, such as oil, coal, and natural gas. If this does not occur, then the economy would take a greater hit than it already has. I feel that if the volume of the algae can be expanded and the oil extracted properly, then it could possibly become a helpful source in solving some of our environmental problems.
ReplyDeleteI think that while this idea might have potential further down the line, it is currently nowhere close to replacing oil. I believe that our country should focus on further evolving more progressed alternative energy sources such as ethanol. Ethanol has already been proven to work in cars, production isn’t as expensive as th available to the is algae method might be and is much closer to being a real solution. I think America should work on mass producing ethanol and making it cheaper and more readily available to the public. I think this algae idea is innovative and may have potential to be looked into later, but currently it is not the answer to our energy problems.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the main problem with this energy source might be storage. From researching biomass energy for my project I have found that the biggest issue is storing the materials that will be burnt instead of coal. I also think that at first the oil might be more expensive because there will not be many people with the technology to produce the algae oil and because it might be more expensive to set up but I do believe that if the oil is in high demand and a better source of oil is not found then it has the potential to replace a percentage of our use of nonrenewable resources. I don’t believe that this will solve all of our problems but since it can possibly be used for biomass to replace coal, oil to replace natural oil, and biofuel to replace some other nonrenewable resources then it may help out the environment. Also since it does not emit as much CO2 it is cleaner than many other energy forms.
ReplyDeleteI think right now, there is no need to worry about the effect that it might have on our economy because it won't be a major energy contributor anytime soon. Again its sort of the immediate vs long-term price, the immediate always takes priority.
ReplyDeleteWill it help us in the future, its hard to say. It seems like the amount of oil produced to compared to the population of bacteria is really small therefore it would be expensive to have huge plants that only produce small amounts of oil. Conversely, if and when we do run out of oil, we will have to turn to alternatives such as this. So will it save us from oil crisis? Only time will tell.
Before we start to think about algae replacing oil, we first need to figure out whether it could even be a valid substitute, and if it can, we need to know if we can even find a way to extract the oil. Since this seems far off, algae is certainly no short term answer to a dwindling energy source crisis. We still need to find something more efficient as soon as possible and gradually begin to use other methods that are a work in progress, just like this one. Because they can reproduce the algae in an unlimited amount, their should be no problem with costs further down the road and it should certainly be a lasting source of energy if we take proper care of the population and don't use to much to quickly. So if it works, it could be a great alternative to many fossil fuels, however for the moment it should simply be a hopeful thought in the back of our minds.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the algae idea could be a good one but would not be possible for a long time. I think that right now, we should focus most of our energy and money on nuclear, solar, wind, or other alternative energy sources that we are currently closer to achieving. This does not mean that we should totally put the algae idea on the back burner. The article does raise some interesting points. The algae can be grown rather easily and fast. The ideas are there and just have to be tested and the wheels need to be put into motion. Who knows? Algae may end up being the alternative energy source that saves our planet looking back in 100 years.
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