Running Your Car on Hydrogen - From Photosynthesis to Bio-fuels
With the ‘Post-gasoline Generation’ fast approaching ... Gas Growers like University of California, Berkeley’s, Professor of Enzymology, Tasios Melis, already lives with the realisation that tomorrow’s cars, will have to run on alternative fuels. This is - in fact - the truth, that fuels the dream behind Professor Melis’ glistening new hydrogen farm, down on the barren, sun-baked, salt-beds of southern California.
Without a single windmill in sight, Melis has literally found a way to make the desert blossom with green, creating Hydrogen as a by product, simply by placing water-filled polythene tubes out into the midday sun. Not the usual crop, these little containers of water, swarm with millions of microscopic algae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii – purposely engineered to soak up the sun’s rays all day and then when deprived of it; switch to an alternative lifestyle by producing bubbles of naturally ‘grown’ hydrogen, to survive.
Although the growing is easy, there are still problems in the cycle of the production as night falls - causing biochemical havoc - as the plants convert everything back to sugar through a thing called the Calvin Cycle, limiting production by about 10%.
As a result of the latter, the collection process itself is also still in the early prototype stages, but undaunted the scientists say the projections look good economically. Once perfected, conservative estimates show that by 2015, the production will cost no more than US$3 per kilogram, making it cost effective and on par with today’s gasoline prices.
Melis goes even further to say that, ‘…the good news is that farmed Hydrogen might eventually be able to go as low as $1.40 per kg.’
Crucially, the biggest potential of this kind of ‘farming’ is that it can produce ‘crops’ where conventional harvests wouldn’t otherwise stand a chance. In fact, the best areas are the unused, isolated, sun-drenched deserts and salt flats, like those Melis and his team are experimenting on at present.
With his shining farm of neatly placed rows of tubes stretching for miles across the salt flats, Melis says:
“We’ve done some calculations and to offset gasoline use in the US (about 400 million gallons of gasoline per day) would take algae-growing hydrogen farms covering around 15,000 square kilometres.
To put that into perspective, that’s less than a tenth of what the US devotes to growing Soya beans alone.”
To put that into perspective, that’s less than a tenth of what the US devotes to growing Soya beans alone.”
That’s good news for the rest of us, because once perfected, and with some sensible and rational decisions made by governments around the world, Hydrogen farming has the potential, ‘..to set the stage for a whole new breed of energy companies, staffed by people with a different outlook from the engineers and geologists that have dominated the oil industry for so long.’
Certainly it offers us all a possible pause, for a future in which we’ll all be able to breathe a little easier.
View a full Power Point presentation of Melis’ seminar, showing his findings and projections.
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Awesome post, thank you
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I agree, but I also feel that the implementation of technologically sound alternatives still lies, very much in the hands of the policy makers within governments. Particularly when bottom line profits are on the line from existing 'models;' where vested interests in the reamining thirty years of oil profits, care nothing for the future generations...although I am mindful that, that too will eventually give way.
I'd like to think my scepticism is healthy and hopefully unwarranted.
Lilla ...
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Glad it is something new for you to explore.
It is relatively new inall aspects and still has some teething problems to work through, but it's getting there I think and (I think) it is really exciting.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Lilla ...
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Australia being as arid as it is....finally maybe we can use parts of this land.
Love & stuff
Mrs M
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It really gives hope doesn't it, especially the wind farms, although it is murder on the bird population and along with continued land clearing, spells the end of many species, although I think there are many who will adapt too...perhaps as someone suggested new species will be born as well. Evolution is an interesting process.
It is good to see you again, I hope things are improving...
Lilla ...
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You are reading my mind again
It could spell a marvelously prosperous future for our youngens, and as Candice says, with windmills and uranium on offer, a whole new future dawns for Australia, certainly a lot cleaner than the one we are leaving behind I think?
My only remaining hope is that they can iron out the little glitches in the production of Hydrogen, and that as a nation, we clean up our act BEFORE the haze becomes as bad as it is in other places. I always cringe when people say, "Ooh it's still not as bad as LA airport, or India, or China, etc etc..." I keep thinking that because we are such a young country, great advantage of being able to learn from other's mistakes and not go there in the first place.
Bigger, Better, Best isn't always best in my book, just look at what that kind of thinking has done for the US, now they have so much mess to clean up ...God I hope that they really do go ahead and ratify the Kyoto, no matter the hidden agenda ... I agree with those who feel it will cause the US administration to consider it too.
Great chatting to you, as always...
Lilla ...
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Anyways, I read somewhere that after the 9/11 attacks and all the planes were grounded, LA's temperature spiked up a few degrees because the planes weren't sending any omissions into the air to act as a barrier against the sun. Crazy when you think that the very toxic thing that's killing you is also saving you at the same time.
Hopefully our next PM will get onto this. Australia is largely useless for traditional crops so let us be the first....for once.
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Mrs M
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Wonderful thought provoking post! Thanks for your hard work researching this info for us!
Mis
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Very well spoken! In fact the amount of wasted time and energy that goes into traditional 'solutions' when it is obvious we are not dealing with traditional problems anymore, really gets my goat. I'm also thinking that a younger government might see it's way clear to think forward...just a smidge?
Mrs M, it's the black particles in the air that cause the sun's rays to be blocked. but increases the lung-killing haze too, so it's a bad fix for the warming problem. To me it's like Coffee or alcohol, even ciggarettes (well any addiction really)... you start taking it because it has a nice caliming, stimulating, relaxing, or exciting effect. But prety soon you are hooked and need more and more to feel "well." Eventually, the same thing that makes you feel well, is now taken in such large doses, as to become harmful to you - usually through adverse side effects.
I agree with you about the Nevada being used and every desert on the planet, what kudos for the millionarie that sees the potential and invests in this one... well, providing they can iron out the few little problems left in production?
Either way, I agree that this is a hopeful solution to a potential problem and a really clean solution too. There is the added bonus, that if things were to go wrong, an explosion in the desert is not going to bother much population either...
An all round winner I think.
cheers
Lilla ...
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Really glad you enjoyed it.
Hugs
Lilla ...
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I read The Ethanol Alliance first.
Good news at last and I echo Mis' words.
Thank you Lilla.
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This information was positively charged for me to write about it... it was an exciting post to create.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Lilla ...
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QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
saw a short doco on this recently and boy, do we ever need to put money into this little beauty!
Get those little microbes movin...(to the tune of "Get those doggies movin"...(sound track for 60's TV show Wagon Train...sorry...on a cowboy kick at the moment.. I blame MNG!)
trouble is, the big nasty oil company directors etc are not going quietly and will definitely try and corner this potential market too....maybe it doesn't matter if they control it in the end, if what they produce doesn't kill us...for once!!!
cheers and heres to tiny green thingies!!!
fog
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I'm sorry I missed the doco. It would be fantastic to see this one 'in motion'... *chuckle* in all ways, as you say. I think it doesn't matter who controls it, as long as it goes forward and creates a cleaner future for our children's children.
Keep 'em rollin', rollin,' rollin' (I can only think of Rawhide, particularly the Blues Bros version)...<LOL>
Hope your mists keep on rollin' too darlin'.love your work..
Lilla ...
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I'm sorry I missed the doco. It would be fantastic to see this one 'in motion'... *chuckle* in all ways, as you say. I think it doesn't matter who controls it, as long as it goes forward and creates a cleaner future for our children's children.
Keep 'em rollin', rollin,' rollin' (I can only think of Rawhide, particularly the Blues Bros version)...<LOL>
Hope your mists keep on rollin' too darlin'.love your work..
Lilla ...
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Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed it.
I believe it is important because the 'system' we have at the moment is top heavy and cannot stand for much longer. Our affluence is so based on non renewable resources... well they are renewable, but not within the time frame from which we are taking them.
The way it is set up at the moment likens us to a cancer, which will eventually eat and kill the organism which supports it. There is just no need to take this route as we have renewable resources given to us too. Things like wind, water and the sun, magnetism, natural photosynthesis like this hydrogen production, cold fusion and a host of other means ... things that can just as easily see us living in total harmony with the organism which sustains us, regardless of population growth ~ things that can revolutionise the entire energy industry and turn pollution around in a decade ~ but that would spread the wealth and alter the status quo and the current system doesn’t want change.
Unfortunately, those that we have elected to govern, support the short sighted (get rich quick), top-heavy system. They ignore inventions, hide truths and change history to suit their own agenda; ravenous, like a pack of hungry wolves.
Amongst them, sadly, the Australian government remains behind in clean technologies, continuing to pour billions of dollars into antiquated systems which we know cannot last, despite the hard cold facts.
The point is that the world is changing without their consent anyway. There are 600 million cars on the road today and the number is growing out of control. Who or what will power them? Nuclear power is a God given, but I'd like to think it will only corner about 50% of the market, with clean energies supplying the rest?
Personally, I feel it will take a younger government with more progressive ideals for Australia than those of the past, a government who doesn’t feel we have to copy another lifestyle to be able to trade and play in the global market. A progressive government who wants to explore the unique diversity that is Australia and how it suits Australian's best regarldess of global trends. A progressive government like those in Germany and many European countries, willing to subsidise and support new energy infrastructure as a means to end national debt and possible hardship.
Gosh! *getting off the soap box*
*chuckle* I guess you could say that to me, it is very important Krystal and I hope it becomes important to you (and everyone) too, not for us, but our children's children, my great grandchildren who will reap what I have sown.
*giggle* The thing is, we the people are not as powerless as we think, because in the end, we either buy the product and support a 'wrong,' or we don't. It’s all about the little things that add up too, like how we use and abuse those luxuries we have been given … either way, we and our progeny will have to face the consequences of our actions, and our votes.
Thanks so much for your comment, it’s always the shortest ones that illicit the longest responses
Hope your day is special,
Lilla …
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NOTHING would give me greater pleasure than to see the deserts made useful in this way, and to be able to reap the benefits by running the 600 million cars in the world on this stuff!!!
Lilla ...
There are so many alternative source of energy that can run a car. Sun and water are the most useful since we got plenty of it. 600 million cars running with this stuff will help the environment and lessen pollution about 60% I think.
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Thanks for your thoughts on this ...