Gasoline production now has a long list of alternative raw materials to replace crude oil. Fuel substances now range a variety of vegetables—all which are used as food sources. Seeing as how these plants have so many great uses, it is a shame to use them for fuel production in light of how little fuel they actually produce. An acre of wheat produces just 277 gallons of fuel—and that’s not taking in consideration the costs it takes to manufacture the wheat alternative fuel. Bottom line: the pupular alternatives to date are just not cut out to replace crude oil as a mass marketed source for power.
What Algae Can Do
Who would’ve thought a plant so seemingly useless would turn out to be a great source of energy. As it turns out, Algae is more than double the second place for gallons per acre of fuel at 1,800 (second place is sugar beets at 714). It is the most substantial alternative by far. The question on all developers’ minds now is if the material can cost-effectively be mass produced to aid fuel consumption globally. A select few companies are making strides to make it possible, and investors are taking notice. Bill Gates and the Rockefellers are a couple of the men that recognize the potential and are heavily investing in these companies.
If more publicity and conscious effort can be aroused, I do think algae may be just the stuff we’ve been looking for.
What Will Likely Happen
If algae stands a chance in the real-world market, everyone is gonna try to make a profit from it. Companies like Chevron and Exxon—the gasoline companies at large—all want a share if it’ll pay off. The sad twist of algae’s fate may be that the gasoline companies that we all know and loath may very well take over control of the algae production and control the supple and demand for their great gain. While it is true algae is abundant and easy to produce, gasoline companies may very well play the market for it the same way they manipulate the available oil.
And there is the environmental ills to consider. Mass production of algae could very well be just as harmful as oil production on the natural environment. Not that I’m a tree hugger, or that I think this should stop us. I can only hope that good men will rise up to responsibly take the reigns of the industry and find a successful balance. As stewards of God’s green Earth, we must maintain a healthy balance of what He has given us. That being said, we should also be good stewards and use the natural resources God has given us to the fullest, and meet the needs of mankind. Making the world a better place now and for future generations is a win/win. We should not worship the creation nor neglect it.
So with a little hope, prayer, and hard work, we shall see what will become—of all things—of algae.
