On the algae conference in Bangkok this year I met two Israeli scientists with deep knowledge and experience from algae research. No doubt – I think they are among the absolute top-league thought leaders globally. The issue I have with this article, however, is that the Israeli researchers I spoke with were very reluctant to the hype and over-optimistic projections made by industry participants.
TODAY, TEAMS of Israeli cleantech scientists and engineers are inventing the tools necessary to make deserts bloom with energy crops while mitigating the worst of the electric power industry’s greenhouse gas emissions. They are combining their cutting-edge knowledge of biochemistry, water management, desert agriculture and solar power to create this new industry.
We believe that algae farming in the US holds the promise of recycling one-fifth of its electric power industry’s greenhouse gas emissions, slashing its need for imported oil by 2 million barrels a day, and spinning off significant quantities of sustainable feed for growing fish and livestock to support the caloric needs of the world’s 6.5 billion people.
And the opportunities are even greater in China.
Algae is one of the world’s fastest-growing plants, and can thrive without fresh water or fertile land. Unlike many other biofuel feedstocks, it would avoid conflict with food production and rain forest conservation. And, of course, algae eat CO2 in vast quantities.
Solar energy turns two tons of CO2 into one ton of algae. And the industry is learning to stand on its own two feet.
As President Obama spoke at the UN, the experimental vehicle Algaeus rolled into New York City. The Algaeus’s 10-day inaugural trek showcased the ability to use today’s automotive technology – hybrid engines and algae-derived energy – to cross North America on 25 gallons of fuel, getting 148 miles per gallon.
The trip served as the capstone to the “Summer of Algae,” when energy giants Exxon Mobil, Pinnacle West and Dow Chemical each teamed up with corporate, university and government scientists to announce the launch of nearly a billion dollars’ worth of algae farming projects. None of this would have been possible without the toolkit developed by Israeli scientists and entrepreneurs.
via Israelis at the forefront of the green industry | Jerusalem Post.
