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Boeing Helping to Develop Algae-Powered Jet

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the powerful-pond-scum dept.

jon_cooper writes "Air New Zealand, Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation and Boeing are working together to develop and test a bio-fuel derived from algae. Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation began operating in May last year after it met a request from the local council to deal with excess algae on sewage ponds. Boeing's Dave Daggett was reported this year as saying algae ponds totaling 34,000 square kilometers could produce enough fuel to reduce the net CO2 footprint for all of aviation to zero."

7 of 326 comments (clear)

  1. And in response... by Kohath · · Score: 5, Funny

    And in response, General Dynamics developed a cloud-powered submarine.

    The irony wars have just been joined!

    1. Re:And in response... by Red+Flayer · · Score: 4, Funny

      Bah, we all knew that the airlines were scum anyway.

      What I really want to see is a mushroom-powered Air Force. If you thought those Hellfire missile explosions were pretty before...

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
  2. Re:Only by solevita · · Score: 3, Funny

    Coincidently, the Netherlands has an area of 34,000 kilometres squared... Now I'm not suggesting we turn one of the most densely populated places in the world into a big pond, but think of the airline potentials! Of course we'd lose all that great stuff that the Netherlands provides, like...

    Well, someone must be able to think of something.

  3. Opening Line by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Funny
    I love the opening line of the article

    Air New Zealand and airliner manufacturer Boeing are secretly working with Blenheim-based biofuel developer Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation to create the world's first environmentally friendly aviation fuel, made of wild algae. Not so secret anymore.
    --
    Looking for a C/C++ job in Silicon Valley?
    --
    Qxe4
  4. Re:Save the Fish by zippthorne · · Score: 3, Funny

    Killing birds with rocks doesn't sound very environmentally friendly to me...

    --
    Can you be Even More Awesome?!
  5. So... they run on pond scum? by markbt73 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Can't the planes just burn politicians? Same thing, and FAR more of a problem...

    --
    "Oh boy! Are we going to try something dangerous?"
  6. Typical human arrogance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Has anybody even bothered to ask the algae how they feel about being herded into crowded pools--some smaller than the state of Maryland--and force-fed CO2 so we can use their fat to fuel our planes?

    If we're going to subjugate a species for our conveniences, we should choose a less sentient form of life with easily harvested fat. I suggest we start with NASCAR fans.