As National Geographic (10/07) quotes: “there is no magic-bullet fuel crop that can solve our energy woes without harming the environment says virtually every scientist studying the issue, but most say that algae…comes closer than any other crop…”. Moreover, I believe that the important point is to make sure that we have reliable options available to us earlier than later- so that the air can become cleaner sooner and a reliable option (not a debate) will exist when petroleum begins to run critically dry.

Algae is promising, but it can only work in a controlled environment. Blume suggests growing algae in nets off the coasts and in rivers, and harvesting the carbohydrates from the algae for ethanol, NOT biodiesel. Biodiesel from nuts or castor beans is cheaper anyway. As Blume writes, in looking at kelp for methane production, the American Gas Assn estimated 23 quadrillion BTU a year of methane from kelp from just the California coast. If it’s fermented first to make ethanol, then a second time for methane, about a third of that energy would be recovered as alcohol. The remaining two thirds as methane would proviie alcohol plant process energy plus a surplus of gas/electricity. No farmland needed. Then send digested liquid kelp to farms to fertilize the heartlands of America. Who needs petroleum based fertilizer?
Quite a system, eh?