Harnessing the Fuel from the Gods (Algae) | GOOD

Harnessing the Fuel from the Gods (Algae) GOOD


Among the fastest growing plant species in the world, certain strains of algae grow so rapidly that they can double in size every day. Similar to how humans might sweat when mustering the courage to ask someone out on a date, certain strains of algae—when stressed (either from a lack of nutrients or sunlight)—produce large amounts of lipids (oils). These oils have chemical compositions similar to petroleum molecules called hydrocarbons. Scientists have figured out how to easily transform these algae oils into “Third Generation” biofuels that mimic gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel.

Algae are so prolific at producing oil (7,500 gallons of fuel per acre per year) that you could displace 100 percent of the petroleum that the United States consumes for transportation in a given year on a little more than 1 percent of our total landmass. Soybeans, the main source of biodiesel in the United States, produce only 50 gallons of biodiesel per acre per year—roughly 150 times less than algae