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Algae That Cleans Emissions and Produces Fuel

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the nature-already-efficient-enough-for-production dept.

**$tarDu$t** writes "Isaac Berzin, a rocket scientist at MIT has come up with an idea for using algae to clean up power-plant exhaust. His research began 3 years ago in an experiment for growing algae on the International Space Station. His idea consists of building algae farms near power plants to provide a means to reduce CO2 and nitrous oxide emissions. Emissions are filtered through the algae. Then the CO2 saturated algae is harvested and squeezed to produce a combustible vegetable oil (biodiesel) and a dried green substance that can be further processed into ethanol."

8 of 275 comments (clear)

  1. Obligatory 'Soylent Green' reference by trailerparkcassanova · · Score: 4, Funny

    Isaac Berzin's algae IS people!!!!

  2. OILIX by HunterZ · · Score: 2, Funny

    Nice, they've invented OILIX from Metal Gear 2 (MSX, not PS2)!

    --
    Arguing about vi versus Emacs is like arguing whether it's better to make fire by rubbing sticks or banging rocks.
  3. New advertising campaign by eclectro · · Score: 4, Funny


    Now -- With the cleaning power of Slime!!!

    --
    Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
  4. Nitrous? by drewzhrodague · · Score: 2, Funny

    I will personally take care of any spare nitrous oxide gas you happen to have. Please contact me via the email address attached to this account.

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    Zhrodague.net - I do projects and stuff too.
  5. Re:Alright, another idea that will go nowhere! by idsofmarch · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah. Comes nothing good ever comes from research, we should just stop trying.

    --
    Anyone who whines about being modded down should be.
  6. Re:Still Not "0x00ff00" by Gzip+Christ · · Score: 2, Funny
    The fact that innocent algae have to be subjugated to digest our waste will still irk some environmentalists.
    Can this MIT guy perhaps develop a separate strain of algae that will feast on hippies?
  7. Re:Better Strains and Algae Zeppelins? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I don't have a biology degree but it seems to me that there might be faster ways of creating strains more efficient at harvesting/reducing CO2. I have seen lectures given where Alzheimer's susceptible genes were spliced into the genes of mice neurons using a strain of the herpes virus that had previously infected neurons of Alzheimer's patients.

    Isn't mutant, herpes-ridden, demented algae one of the signs of the apocalypse?

  8. Re:while these veggie environmental cleanup storie by NoMoreNicksLeft · · Score: 2, Funny

    You really think we can best algae at converting sunlight to useful energy? The little buggers have been around billions of years. We've been screwing with photovoltaics for decades. There's this thing known as "expertise"...