The following abstract is taken from the Oilgae Blog (see: http://rpc.blogrolling.com/redirect.php?r=fb4152af3198c677a6e3ddff91adc4c3&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oilgae.com%2Fblog%2F )

"Australia is preparing to introduce technology that allows algae to capture half or more of the greenhouse gases emitted by a power station. The micro-algae thrive on carbon dioxide, producing food for livestock as well as biofuels and material for plastics.

The idea is to pump emissions from power stations into photo-bioreactors, which are large tubes filled with algae. When carbon dioxide from the power stations is mixed with water, the algae soak up much of it, using it as a nutrient. Once the algae are removed from the tubes, scientists say they can be buried in the seabed, where they could store indefinitely the carbon they have ingested. The algae can also be processed and used to create biodiesel fuel and fertilizer, as well as food for farm animals.

Kirsten Heimann at Queensland's James Cook University developed the technology.

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Three of Australia's biggest coal-fired power stations are building algae farms to help them reduce pollution in a country where 80 percent of electricity is generated by burning coal."

It would be interesting to know which coal-fired power stations these are, and whether they are ones that are presently still in public ownership. It is even more interesting to see the convergence of projected continued use of coal-fired electricity generation capacity with algal oil production. One would only have to add the use of waste heat powered reduced-pressure desalination to this grab-bag of new technologies and the oil cartel and privatised water utilities could face some pretty fearsome competition, at least here in Australia.

Chevron corporation TV advertisements stress its capabilities in geothermal power. Chevron holds 50% of Australian natural gas rights. $450M of taxpayers funds are budgeted for geothermal development this year. Why are we seemingly putting Chevron in the box seat of a power monopoly? Are Australians' interests being sold out by our politicians yet again?

This topic is intended as a follow-up to Belly's 'Power without pride' topic of last year. See: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=2103&page=0

Good start FG I have always held hope we could find answers like this.
It sounds great and the future may well bring true excitement in this area, well it will we all know that.
Let us hope it is not driven of shore because of lack of interest.
We did drive a great deal of solar away to other country's.

The thing we have to realize is that Almighty God is nobody’s fool. The invention of Carbon Dioxide, by the Good Lord, for the express purpose of providing food and shelter for humans and animals, was no accident. If you look at the universe, consider Almighty God as the best civil engineer ever. Carbon Dioxide is a fertilizer. As the world’s population is increasing, it is going to need more food, and in fact more of everything, and this thread simply shows that it’s what we don’t know, that is holding us back.

The only way that the necessary energy can be transported from one part of the globe to another is carbon dioxide. Add the necessary thirty odd minerals, to the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and the Good Lord’s little helpers grass, trees, vegetables and grains, get going at full pressure, and whip billions of tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere as necessary. We call it food.

All matter is energy. As a young student the maxim was matter can neither be created nor destroyed. That was before the full import of the atom bomb was understood. Now the maxim is energy can neither be created nor destroyed, and as we get to understand more about energy, we realize that all matter is simply a form of energy. Little particles in motion; Circles within circles. The Earth circles the sun, the solar system circulates in the milky way, the milky way circles other galaxies, they say millions of them.

Back to my hobby horse. State of Fear by Michael Crighton, is a work of fiction for Australia because the scenario he writes about, where the facts must be found by a jury, does not exist in Australia. State of Fear is a book about political manipulation by lawyers. In the United States its harder for them but in Australia it is easy. Trial by media is no substitute for a good old fashioned jury trial, and while carbon dioxide is hung drawn and quartered in the media, it could stand a jury trial and be acquitted

FG,

As I understand it it has the added qualification of "scientists believe the algae might". Until it's tested I wonder. I've also read scientific concerns for longterm dumping it in the less than infinite sea and side effects. (acidity has been mentioned)
What's the point of jumping on this straw only to find it's a another biological (micro toad) pollutant.

I still maintain that "business as usual just add algae" is a limited solution we need to address the issue as source "consumption" as well.

I'm not anti the idea just wary and want to see more research...quickly.

Sounds pretty cruel to me.

>>Once the algae are removed from the tubes, scientists say they can be buried in the seabed, where they could store indefinitely the carbon they have ingested. The algae can also be processed and used to create biodiesel fuel and fertilizer, as well as food for farm animals.<<

Next thing you know, we'll be going around beating algae to death with clubs, and no-one will lift a finger.

It sure is tough being algae these days, just because they're not as cuddly as baby seals.

Yes Pericles, it's not easy being blue-green ;)

Interesting stuff, Forrest. I'll watch developments with interest.

Peter the Babbler: << The invention of Carbon Dioxide, by the Good Lord, for the express purpose of providing food and shelter for humans and animals, was no accident. >>

Bizarre.