There was an incredibly important news story that appeared in the British newspaper The Guardian over the weekend, one that probably appeared in zero American newspapers or television news reports. I know it wasn't mentioned yesterday, as the media was too mesmerized by the Hamlet act put on by Evan Bayh. The article was linked to in this diary from Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse, but I still don't think it got the attention it deserves. And it's not an exaggeration to say that this news is a game changer.
From the Guardian:
The brains trust of the Pentagon says it is just months away from producing a jet fuel from algae for the same cost as its fossil-fuel equivalent.
The claim, which comes from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) that helped to develop the internet and satellite navigation systems, has taken industry insiders by surprise. A cheap, low-carbon fuel would not only help the US military, the nation's single largest consumer of energy, to wean itself off its oil addiction, but would also hold the promise of low-carbon driving and flying for all.
Fuel from algae is no longer a pipe dream folks. It is a reality, and according to the article, The Air Force wants its entire fleet to test fly a 50-50 blend of petroleum/alternative fuel by next year. Now, the motivation for this development is not altruistic. Again, from the article:
The switch is partly driven by cost, but military commanders in Afghanistan and Iraq are also anxious to create a lighter, more fuel-efficient force that is less dependent on supply convoys, which are vulnerable to attack from insurgents. Give the military the capability of creating jet fuel in the field, and you would eliminate that danger, McQuiston said. "In Afghanistan, if you could be able to create jet fuel from indigenous sources and rely on that, you'd not only be able to source energy for the military, but you'd also be able to leave an infrastructure that would be more sustainable."
There has been much frustration, myself included, about the continually rising budget for the Pentagon. But, one side effect of this budget is the agency has money to spend on expensive, time consuming research private companies simply can't afford. This site would not exist if not for the Pentagon's creation of the internet.
Algae based fuel would be far more effective that corn based biofuels. As mentioned in the article, algae does not threaten food supplies. It can be grown on waste or in dirty water. Recently, the EPA declared that algae based diesel reduces emissions by 50% compared to conventional diesel fuel, and the Obama administration has awarded $80 million in research grants to algae and biomass fuels.
The algae oil is projected to cost $2/gallon, heading towards $1/gallon. A large scale refining operation capable of producing 50 million gallons a year could come on line in 2011. The costs could drop further, ensuring that the algae-based fuel would be competitive with fossil fuels.
Exxon-Mobil recently announced plans to spend $600 million on algae research. Commercial airlines have looked into using algae based jet fuel, as has the Chinese government. We beat them to it. We are tantalizingly close to leading a fuel revolution. Cheer up guys. The world isn't falling completely apart.
UPDATE: I wanted to add this video from Reuters suggested by marina in the comments: