There's Oil in That Slime
November 29th, 2007 By STEVE KARNOWSKI, Associated Press Writer
University of Minnesota scientist Dr. Blanca Martinez works with different varieties of algae at the Center for Biorefining at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, Minn., November 9, 2007. Driven by renewed investment as oil prices push $100 a barrel, Ruan and scores of scientists around the world are racing to turn algae into a commercially viable energy source. (AP Photo/Thomas Whisenand)
(AP) -- The 16 big flasks of bubbling bright green liquids in Roger Ruan's lab at the University of Minnesota are part of a new boom in renewable energy research.
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ronwagn - Dec 03, 2007
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There is are billions of tons of sediment in rivers, lakes and deltas around the world. The sediment is a problem because it fills up reservoirs, pollutes rivers with nitrogen etc., and pollutes the ocean. If we could use this sediment to grow algae for fuel, we could afford to do the dredging needed to save the reservoirs and clean up the pollution. The silt could be redistributed on agricultural land, and low delta areas that are disappearing. We could also create delta islands for growing sugar cane, while deepening the channels.- flag
