June 17, 2012 - References to algae as a source of biofuel have been on the upswing, so I thought it might be time to find out if there's anything to it. Climate skeptics have done the requisite piling on, accentuating their disbelief with snide comments alluding to "pond scum." Funny thing is, that's exactly the kind of algae that renders the best fuel! With over 100,000 species to choose from - kelp is one of them - it's fortunate indeed that the one that seems to work best can literally be found in just about everyone's backyard. When we lived in North Carolina, we had a portion of a former farm pond on our property, which extended into our neighbor's yard. Because we left the trees and grasses surrounding the pond in place, we had no problem with algae. Our neighbors, on the other hand, had cleared away trees and undergrowth, allowing the sun to shine directly on their pond for hours. Algae loves sunshine, and they had a pondful to prove it....
Understanding the global-warming world: causes and ramifications.