Blatant Reality

I really don’t understand why people are so pessimistic about algae technologies taking 5-10 years until it can be produced in large quantities. I mean, I’ve seen two articles (here and here) just in the past day that mentioned the time it will take before algae technology will “mature.”

Now, I know that 5 to 10 years seems like a long time and thus a negative, but can you honestly say that is a long time in the grand scheme of things? Do you think hydrogen or even ethanol would be any faster? I don’t think so.

Everyone has to remember that algae oil, once produced in large enough quantities, will easily fit into the current fuel infrastructure. This means that we won’t have to change the cars we drive or the planes we fly; the oil from algae can be made compatible with current engines. This in itself will save yeas if not decades from having to completely alter the fuel structure like a hydrogen economy would demand.

So the next time you read an article that mentions that it will still take 5-10 years before algae becomes a major player int he fuel market, remember that their will be no quick fixes. Any solution to our energy independence problems is going to take years to develop and implement.

Therefore, while algae may take a decade to fully commercialize, the benefits it offers far outweigh the little time we are forced to wait.

So take heart, advances in the algae field are happening every day.