Taswegian, I don't know if this interests you, but here is a new blog that that has just started on Tas, http://thetasmanianindependent.blogspot.com/
I have just had a quick look as it only seem to have started today. I follow a couple of blogs and this new one was sent to me today. I hope it is better that the Tas times, which is seriously flawed in its presentation and access.

Roger that Alchemist, I'll bookmark that site. Sorry Roger K. to get so sidetracked from algae. Now we're off topic I'd have to concede that News Ltd papers in Tassie do at least cover green issues; today's paper has a story on David Bellamy revisiting the Franklin and a critique of the Basslink electricity cable.

I too, apologise for sidetracking the discussion on algae. Population management is a matter for another thread.

What I would like to know is how the proposed algal farms would deal with the issue of evaporation. Would it be at all viable to position them within the reasonable proximity of say, the Ord River? Environmental Impact studies aside, maybe a pipeline could be built to feed their water requirements.

Does the author or other contributors have an alternative solution in mind? This matter must have been discussed by those "in the know". What were the opinions expressed?

Good point, enough rope, am surprised you are not hanging out on the death penaly posts. Seriously, there are vast tracts of low lying desert that is close to the sea and where the cost of the water is not much more than the pumping cost over the dune.

Evaporation is one serious issue, as is fertilizer to run the process.
There are other serious issues to Algae, as addressed by Ted Trainer at...
http://socialwork.arts.unsw.edu.au/tsw/D90.RE.Ch.5.Liquids.html
(Try about a third of the way down the page.)

"One difficulty is that the conditions which increase growth rates reduce oil content. Starving the algae of nutrients raises their oil content. Another is that the sunlight conversion rate and therefore efficiency of the process is highest in low light levels, e.g., 10% of full sun. However Mardon points out that water depth must be around 30 cm to ensure that enough light reaches the algae, so pond areas must be large. This rules out sealed ponds for large scale production, and thus increases seepage losses, contamination and weed problems. Mardon says algae grow best in the tropics, but heavy rains can wash out shallow pond contents. Ponds also require mixing and aeration, difficult where very large areas are involved.

A major consideration is where would inputs come from for very large scale production of this biomass? Some advocates refer to use of nutrient rich waste water from agriculture, but far greater quantities of nutrients would be needed to make a significant contribution to replacing fossil fuel dependence. Around 40% of the input material must be carbon dioxide. In addition inputs of NKP would be required in large volume. This sets the pro blem of transporting ver large volumes of these inputs to the best growing sites, and the associated energy costs. World petroleum production is around 2.7 billion tonnes per year, so if algae is expected to replace much of these very large quantities of these inputs would have to come from somewhere."

Perhaps these guys could help...

http://www.csbp.com.au/csbp-corporate/index.php