Articles tagged with: Algae
Posted in Automobiles, Car, Eco-Friendly, Eco-friendly products, Energy, Environment, Fuel, Renewable, concept on 4 August 2008
You want to save the earth? Ask Mondo-green mermaid Daryl Hannah how. The pretty lass nurtures a deep love for bio-fuels and leaves no stone unturned to make it a part of her life. She has been using the fossil fuel alternative for over a decade in her converted El Camino and bio-diesel for buzzing around her farm. She even founded the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance. Wow, it is indeed very cool to see people and celebs go the extra mile to save the earth.
Daryl’s mantra is simple. She uses fuel from waste vegetable oil, and not ethanol which has received a lot of flak for rising food costs. In Daryl’s words, “There are plenty of fuel processing techniques and feed stocks that bio-fuels can come from—for both bio-diesel and ethanol— like garbage, hemp, algae, cellulose waste, prairie grasses, moringa and jatropha.”
So don’t give up on bio-diesel just because some corporate sharks are promoting otherwise!
Via ecorazzi
Posted in Eco-Friendly, Efficiency, Energy, Green on 27 July 2008
I was amazed to know that one of the very first oil droplets formed on our planet came from a pond scum! So far as I knew it, I remember learning about pigment producing algae in my junior science classes but this piece of news is quite good to note down. Why because algae could run your car in near future!
Some really hi-fi research is going on in Solazyme corporation-synthetic biology company that specializes in producing biodiesel (diesel oil produced from algae).
Jonathan Wolfson and Harrison Dillon at Solazyme have intriguing information to share about algae- like the mucky pond scum has a dynamic reproductive ability to double its cell mass within no time! Besides both have discovered how one can extract oil and pep up oil production by feeding algae with lots of sugars instead of sunshine! (Wow!) At the research centre of the company, small fermenters are already producing clean-burning biofuel from these microalgae. Dillon & Wolfson’s success at this procedure raises hope of large scale production of this neat, efficient and clean renewable energy source. And this is not all; industrial chemicals and household cleaners can also be produced by this algal oil which tastes like peanut oil!
You don’t believe me? Have a look at the video then!
Via: goodcleantech
Posted in Earth, Environment, Pollution, World on 9 July 2008
The corals of atolls in island of Kiribati republic are facing danger from something beyond global warming. In Butaritari, a well-known island of Gilberts chain of Kiribati and land area of 13.6 km², the coral reefs are now becoming a victim of algae Eucheuma, introduced by humans for commercial aspects. In Hawaiian Islands, 3 kinds of algae are farmed currently, one of them being Eucheuma which has already destroyed the coral heads of Kaneohe Bay. These algae were brought here during early 70’s by Max Doty, a professor of botany at the University of Hawaii. He developed the techniques of algae cultivation which are now followed by farmers in Kiribati, the Solomon Islands and Tonga.
The algae s harvested for commercial purposes. Eucheuma is seaweed which is cultivated by poor local people of the above mentioned islands. It is not edible seaweed but is grown in huge number to extract carrageenan (a sought-after binder & fat substitute in food industry, used as an emulsifier in ice creams!).
Eucheuma has a low content of carrageenan; hence, needs to be cultivated in large quantities.
The issue now at face is that this sea weed has infected the coral reef of Butaritari. The bushy seaweed nestles itself in the reef’s crevices thus driving out the tropical fishes that once housed these coral reefs. Moreover, this seaweed is so tough that it is avoided by algae-grazing fish also. Besides disturbing the reef’s ecology, the large numbers of weed (Eucheuma) are also fouling the nets of local fishermen. These poor people are not able to catch enough fishes for their survival. Thus the seaweed is indirectly hitting the topmost occupant of the food chain as well! The sad story doesn’t end here. These seaweeds grow at a rate of 7 percent a week; meaning, if this goes on like this for a few more years, the entire coral reef of Butaritari would be destroyed by it!
According to Dr. Jennifer E. Smith of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Eucheuma is one of the most damaging seaweeds known today. She has studied the Hawaiian invasion for eight years.
Alarmed by the seaweed population, she said, “If there is that much Eucheuma in Butaritari, it proves it can destroy a healthy reef as opposed to a degraded one like in Kaneohe.” Addressing her concern on the increasing coral mortality rates Dr. Smith also said, “Introduced species have had large impacts on marine ecosystems around the world”.
The local fishermen, ecologists and government are still trying to figure out some concrete solution to relieve the stress faced by the corals by this seaweed. What is required is a synergistic move by all the three bodies. But so far the scenario is disheartening only. The world community should take a lesson or two from what is happening in Butaritari that, intentional introduction of species in any ecosystem can cause more harm than imagined by people.
Via NYTimes