The use of algae for fuel creates the most fuel at the least costs compared to all other processes of creating fuel. This will resolve the need for drilling for similar fuel, which saves costs, and it ends dependency on regions where oil exists which may have positive geopolitical consequences for the United States. Using algae for fuel does not harm the environment as drilling does. Algae has a tremendous environment advantage in that it consumers carbon dioxides and it produces oxygen. The increased use of algae may solve climate change problems created by the increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
How is it that this simplest of solutions to some of our most serious problems has not happened? Well, make it happen. Yeah, you, reading this. If this has not happened by the time you are reading this, then contact your member of Congress or write a letter to a newspaper (if they still exist) or whatever media is around. Post something on Facebook (if that still exists, or whatever is big then, which I presume won’t be MySpace, although post something there for the one historian who reads MySpace) or whatever social media there is.
The reason why this easy solution has not been enacted is because we look believe the problem is complex and believe there is only a complex answer. There has been massive investments in the more expensive methods of finding fuel. Wars with physical deaths and economic wars with massive monetary amounts at stake have been fought over drilling. Therefore, we presume that a problem so complex that people go to wars over it therefore must have a solution that is complex.
Whoever develops large scale algae fuel wins. The U.S. Defense Department wanted to develop algae fuel for their self-interest in developing a low cost fuel for military use. Congress cut off funding of algae research. I wasn’t there, so I don’t know what whispers went on that I couldn’t hear (although I admit I wasn’t even trying to listen in: I am not that type of busybody), yet I suspect that oil companies (who I’ve heard rumors have been known to donate money to campaigns of people running for and elected to Congress, and these contributions have been notice by those accepting them that they develop a sympathetic feel for their struggles to further increase their usually decent profits...although I could be wrong...probably not).
We have a belief that trees contribute oxygen, and we like to breathe oxygen, because we would die otherwise, and most of us are pro-life on the continuing to live issue, and that therefore we need to halt cutting down so many trees. I am not stating that I dislike trees and don’t support that who want to save trees. I personally like trees, have respected them for years, and accept for the branches that knock down the power lines that cause me to lost powers, I like trees. Yet, trees are not the leading source of our oxygen. Algae is. Algae creates the majority of the oxygen we breath. It is fine to save trees, yet if you really want your oxygen, make more algae.
Algae can be converted into more gallons of energy than using any other method, including, in general order of what gasoline yield, palm oil, coconut, jatropha (which is a bunch of plants in case you never heard of it, because there aren’t too many Jatropha Growers Society members in the United States), rapeseed (a plant, honest, I didn’t name it), sunflowers, soybeans, ethanol, and drilled oil. Algae actually yields far more energy than any of these methods. The problem is the method we mostly currently use is the least productive method.
Now for the good part, especially you readers who like to save money (see, you learn to save money by buying this book. Buy more copies.) Algae is the least costly of these methods. Algae grows easily in all kinds of water, even icky water, so there is not much to it to grow algae. Plus, algae grows year round. The fuel sources from plants can only be harvested after growing for some time, usually once or maybe twice a year. Algae grows all the time.
The increased use of algae may create some cultural changes. Algae may become a new prestige item. Swimming pools will be not just for swimming but for growing algae. People will engage in algae growing competitions. Moonshiners will quit making moonshine and switch to algae, ending an era of people going blind drinking poorly made alcoholic beverages. People will demand perfumes scented with algae as the new “in” item.
The prevalence of algae in our lives will alter how we live. For instance, instead of jokes such as "why did the algae cross the road?. They're algae, they have no idea what a road is" and "how many algae does it take to change a lightbulb? They're algae, they can't change a lightbulb." Suitors will tell their dates "your eyes look like pools of algae". Parents will name babies "Algae", with multiple spellings of the name such as "Al G", "Allgaee", and "Al Gore".Movies and historic novels will be produced about the great algae pioneers, causing future generations to dream of those exiting days when people first grew algae for fuel. Children will dress as algae on Halloween.
There will be two large organizations that will fight the movement towards using algae for energy, One will be the current energy producers. There is a lot of money to be made drilling deep into the ground, Large investments have been made into drilling deep into the ground. Once people realize they can make fuel more cheaply by a process that does not involve drilling into the ground, there exists a possibility (not that I can predict the future, but the potential here strikes me as decent) that people will prefer to pay for the less expensive method than for the more expensive method. There is something about human nature that this often occurs that people pick two things that are similar and choose the one that costs them the less. Studies have shown this.
The people who drill into the ground will not be happy that someone has developed a cheaper and more efficient method of doing what they do. This will make them sad, They made some hugs. They are apt to get angry, though, and realize they have lots of money to try and prevent this from happening. Personally, I would advise them to take their money and invest it elsewhere. There are lots of ways to keep making money, such as developing better computers or flying cars or filming movies about the difficulties vampires have fitting into a new high school. Our enterprise system encourages making money. If it could be made in a way that does not destroy land, waterways, and wildlife, as drilling does, so much the better. Even werewolf teenagers are apt to agree with that. If it can be seen that sending money to countries that often work against our national interests (assuming the reader is American, or at least Canadian, or perhaps European, or Asian, or African, or a vampire), and that instead we may make more movies about vampires asking teenagers to the proms (see, vampires do have an interest in this), than we may keep more money in our economy (unless the reader is from an oil producing country, in which case, let me please state, “sorry”), than we may spend less on energy and more on other goods such as flying cars and movies about talking race cars.
A second group that will oppose using algae for fuel will be the People for the Ethical Treatment of Algae or PFTETOF, which, frankly, makes for a lousy acronym. Granted, more algae may be brought to life, which should be a plus for algae lovers. Yet, admittedly, more algae will eventually be turned into flue, which will very likely not be the highpoint of an algae’s day.
I know there are algae lovers who collect and admire algae. I don’’t condemn such people, though they should be open to criticism. If someone spends great amounts of time admiring algae, perhaps that person should consider other hobbies. They don’t have Best Algae awards at horticulture shows. Or, at least, as of this writing,, I know of none.. I will stand corrected, and a bit horrified, if such an award is established. I will wonder what the criteria would be in awarding a more distinguished algae over all others. Will the award include a talent section?
The PFTETOF crowd will be a problem towards using algae for fuel. They may well defend algae by throwing algae onto those seeking to use algae for fuel, although they would likely realize the hypocrisy of such an action. They might seek legal restraints. Is algae, like a corporation, a person under the law? They might have protest marchers, with signs reading slogans lie “Give algae a chance”. “In your heart, you know algae’s right”, and “Tippecanoe and Algae Too”.
If you help join the fight to use algae for fuel, you will help make this a better world.
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