DomKen
Posts: 19457
Joined: 7/4/2004 From: Chicago, IL Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: njlauren I wouldn't bet on this process, it is similar in some ways to how the Germans created synthetic gasoline from coal during WWII, if I recall correctly, and it isn't particularly efficient. I would be more on synthesizing gasoline and oil from genetically modified algae, it has been done in the lab. Photosynthesis could be altered to create gasoline or oil or you could modify bacteria that would 'eat' waste and turn it into oil or gas. Craig Vettner is working on it (not sure of the spelling of his name) and I wouldn't bet against him, working with VC money he and a small team broke the human genome before the Human Genome Project did it. This would be a true carbon neutral fuel, and likewise would also likely not take a great deal of energy to process the output.In theory, it could produce an unlimited amount of gas or oil, and would be carbon neutral. Still pollutes, though, but that is relatively minimal as long as what is burning it is set up right. My brother worked on one of those projects. The bacteria mutate a lot. It was hard to keep the colonies in the sweet spot for energy production. Gasoline is effectively a waste product and is still toxic to the bacteria so they adapt to produce less or produce a different waste material. Someone else may still lick the problem but the company my brother worked for gave up.
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