New Technology Uses Algae to Provide Power and Cleanse the Air of Excess Carbon Dioxide—Good Idea or Hype?

by Heidi Stevenson

24 November 2009

Could humble pond scum be the key to solving both the energy crisis and climate change? Scientists at Ohio University think it's possible. They've developed a technology using algae that they believe is a sustainable solution.

Like any other plant, algae takes carbon dioxide out of the air or water and uses photosynthesis to create its own food. Oxygen and nitrogen are released as byproducts and the carbon is stored in the algae. The scientists envision huge buildings the size of Walmarts filled with tanks of vertically-hanging membranes with algae growing on them.

The algae could be converted into biodiesel and animal feed (or perhaps human food). They believe that they could have a full-sized plant, which they refer to as a bioreactor, up and running during the coming year. It would be, as noted, the size of a Walmart and contain 1.25 million square miles of hanging algae screens.

Gaia Health is, frankly, suspicious of the claims for algae. There remain some rather suspiciously unaddressed questions. What are the carbon costs in producing, converting, and transporting the resultant fuel? How much land area would be required? Since that's an issue in photovoltaics, it must also be one in algae production.

Before looking at algae as a panacea to solving energy and climate change issues, we should be examining all costs involved. Right now, big corporate money is behind its production—just as it's been for the disastrous ethanol push, which is devastating croplands and forests, and causing more hunger.