Mean Green

One of the most exciting and promising new technologies in the search for new ways of fueling the vehicles of the future is definitely algae oil. Many people are quite surprised by the fact that the oil found in “pond scum” known as algae actually holds a lot of promise for being a potential new source of fuel. Indeed, with the growing concern over gasoline and its ever rising costs, as well as the amount of pollution it generates, researchers are turning more and more to algae oil as a real possibility and an answer to this sometimes troubling question.

Many people do not realize that almost 50 percent of algae’s weight is made out of oil. The oil is essentially a lipid form, and can easily be used to create biodiesel that can fuel many different kinds of vehicles, including cars and trucks. While electricity is very popularly talked about as a replacement for gasoline and regular oil, algae oil is considered to be potentially more feasible, as it is so abundant around the world and would not require people to have to recharge their vehicles.

Algae oil is a truly renewable energy source, unlike gasoline. While average, every day algae is found in ponds and other bodies of water all over the world, it can actually also be grown and farmed quite easily. Many people are already experimenting with growing algae in a much more efficient manner. While ponds have a set limit to how much of its surface is exposed to the sunlight needed by algae to grow, commercial farming techniques are being developed that can grow amazing quantities of algae in relatively little space.

Corn and soybeans are other examples of potential sources of biofuel; however, more algae can be grown and produced per acre than either one of these plants. The oils needed from algae are easy to extract, and they are much better for the environment that gasoline. Thanks to the exciting potential of algae oil, researchers are working at a feverish pace to try and come up with efficient applications of it so that the general public – and the world – can soon enjoy its benefits.

Most people know that it is very critical for the environment and the economy to come up with alternative energy sources than gasoline; indeed, exhaust from cars running on gasoline are one of the biggest contributors to pollution on the planet. It is hoped that algae oil can become a viable solution for this vexing and worrisome problem. Maybe some day, extracting oil from algae will be the most common method for obtaining fuel for our vehicles. It is certain that the benefits to the environment – and our wallets – will be huge.