# Biofuels from the Ocean **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [June 11, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169 "2008-06-11T17:29:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fulla\_Gasse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b77776/32.png) [@Fulla\_Gasse](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Fulla_Gasse)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/1 "2008-06-11T17:29:38Z")
So why are they using up the farmlands to make bio fuels when the earth is 71% covered by water. Why not use sea snot or pond scum? ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 5:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/2 "2008-06-11T17:36:20Z")
There are several companies looking into that already. The main reason is…right now it’s NOT cost effective. It costs a LOT more to harvest the Ocean floor then a corn field in Iowa. ---
**Author:** ![Fulla\_Gasse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b77776/32.png) [@Fulla\_Gasse](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Fulla_Gasse)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/3 "2008-06-11T17:38:30Z")
Bio Fuels from the ocean will not be harvested from the ocean floor. ---
**Author:** ![Craig58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@Craig58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Craig58)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/4 "2008-06-11T17:43:06Z")
Not all bio-material is an interchangeable source of bio-fuel. For example, corn is generally used for ethanol while soy is used for bio-diesel. It is not simply a matter of using whatever material is commonly available. There is considerable research being done to identify alternate sources. ---
**Author:** ![SteveF](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevef/32/2_2.png) [@SteveF](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveF)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/5 "2008-06-11T18:26:26Z")
Corn is rich in sugars and starches which are readily fermented to alcohol. Kelp, seaweed, and other algae are too stupid to help us out this way. ---
**Author:** ![Beefy\_Norm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a4c791/32.png) [@Beefy\_Norm](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beefy_Norm)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/6 "2008-06-11T19:44:20Z")
Why not do away with Clintons self-defeating Presidential mandate that no oil drilling can be performed on American soil or surrounding areas? Do you realize that nations such as Mexico, China, UAE, etc are drilling for oil just a few miles off our shores because NATO says that it is OK and Clinton didn’t consider this loop hole (Or did he?)? As long as we support politicians who cater to the needs of glassy-eyed, tree hugging, hippies of the sixties who make us feel guilty just because we exist and consume God-given resources, we will continue to be a dependant society - dependant on people like the Chinese, Mexicans, and Arabs who have no respect for individual freedoms. I’m not saying that ethenol and other alternative ways of fueling our way of transportation is wrong, but I am saying that as long as the voting people are apathetic, or vote for someone for a sigle, self-serving ideal our freedoms as we know them will slowly and steadily fade away. I swear if Obama is elected president I’m taking my retirement and my wife and I’m moving to Canada because Canada will be the only free land left in the world. I’m not a redical who lives in the hills, I just think it is time for people to turn off the evening news and really think about what is good for the country. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/7 "2008-06-11T20:58:22Z")
> Why not do away with Clintons self-defeating Presidential mandate that no oil drilling can be performed on American soil or surrounding areas? This has NOTHING to do with Clinton…The big oil companies do NOT want the oil drilling mandate lifted. Their profit is much much higher the way it is. Every single oil company here in the US are experiencing RECORD BREAKING PROFITS. So why do they want to change. > I’m not saying that ethenol and other alternative ways of fueling our way of transportation is wrong, but I am saying that as long as the voting people are apathetic, or vote for someone for a sigle, self-serving ideal our freedoms as we know them will slowly and steadily fade away. You’re so right…That’s the ONLY way our current President/Vice President got elected. You want to talk about a self service administration…WOW. ---
**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/8 "2008-06-11T21:02:52Z")
Here’s something about certain species of algae that can be converted into biodiesel: [http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/article\_alge.html](http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/article_alge.html) ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/9 "2008-06-11T21:07:22Z")
Actually, the research I’ve read about has been working with oceanic plant life. It’s readily renewable. But it’s a long way from being viable at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Craig58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@Craig58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Craig58)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/10 "2008-06-11T21:30:46Z")
Norm, I think it’s time to get past the clinton administration. Are you still upset about the spanish-american war too? It sounds like you’ve decided that leaving is good for the country if you don’t like the outcome of the next election? So what are you going to do if Ms. Clinton ends up as VP? BTW, according to this “freedom ranking” the US is number 8 and canada is number 3, so it looks like you have a few other choices: [http://www.stateofworldliberty.org/report/rankings.html](http://www.stateofworldliberty.org/report/rankings.html) ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 11:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/11 "2008-06-11T23:25:01Z")
You should read about Hillary and who she aligned herself with in the 60s. I was suprised ---
**Author:** ![Skipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@Skipper](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Skipper)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 12:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/12 "2008-06-12T00:17:32Z")
Norm, I think you and I are the only 2 non-liberals on this board. It appears the rest of them are glassy eyed tree hugging hippies of the 60’s who want to fix the world but have no idea how it works. Skipper ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 1:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/13 "2008-06-12T01:18:05Z")
I agree that we should allow drilling in areas where it isn’t allowed. I don’t think that Norm is winning any friends with that attitude. Influencing people, yes, but not in a positive way. Norm, tone it down an order of magnitude (or two) and maybe some of the board visitors will be more receptive. Just deal in information, not blame for the world’s problems. ---
**Author:** ![mconn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@mconn](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mconn)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/14 "2008-06-12T01:53:34Z")
“I swear if Obama is elected president I’m taking my retirement and my wife and I’m moving to Canada because Canada will be the only free land left in the world. I’m not a redical who lives in the hills, I just think it is time for people to turn off the evening news and really think about what is good for the country.” You mean that Ctry to our north filled with “conservatives” who prefer National health care…why wait. Go now and tell us what it’s like. Maybe we “liberals” will follow. ---
**Author:** ![Craig58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@Craig58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Craig58)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/15 "2008-06-12T01:54:20Z")
I agree, actual information is useful, political rants are just silly and don’t accomplish anything except causing the sane people to tune out. I still don’t understand what offshore oil drilling or bubba clinton have to do with aquatic sources of bio-fuels. Someone should also tell Darrell and Darrell that they are not doing real conservatives a service with these silly rants, somehow I don’t think they would be elected as the official spokesmen. ---
**Author:** ![mconn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@mconn](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mconn)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 2:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/16 "2008-06-12T02:00:05Z")
Besides…we have this obsession with burning something…why not extract energy directly from from deep sea currents and tidal/wave power which is much closer to reality. Experiments have shown greater energy than previously thought with undersized test generators being “destroyed” in early test runs. ---
**Author:** ![Fulla\_Gasse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b77776/32.png) [@Fulla\_Gasse](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Fulla_Gasse)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 11:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/17 "2008-06-12T11:56:12Z")
Yes. The plant life you are speaking of are phytoplankton. Not the macro-algae on the floor of the ocean. This is for economical reasons and ease of transport through the processing system. To harvest them, simply let them flow to the processing place. No uprooting or raking. ---
**Author:** ![Fulla\_Gasse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b77776/32.png) [@Fulla\_Gasse](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Fulla_Gasse)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 11:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/18 "2008-06-12T11:57:08Z")
What do you mean by stupid? How much fresh water does corn for fuel take away from human consumption v. phytoplankton grown in water pumped from the ocean. ---
**Author:** ![Speed\_Bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Speed\_Bump](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Speed_Bump)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 12:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/19 "2008-06-12T12:04:05Z")
Where’s the beef? (I miss that commercial) Norm! Unfortunately Canada is a puppet of the US government. Harper who is a Bush yes man will quickly loose power if McCain fails to win. But don’t worry, he won’t loose. Obama has the unforntunate past to have launched all those terrorist attacks against the US. And when Osama won the nomination, it was clear that the Republican party will try to mix up Osama and Obama’s name and generate fear in the general population and swing the election. And poor Obama will have to hide deeper in his cave until this election is over and they stop the huge hunt for him with extensive media coverage. ---
**Author:** ![Speed\_Bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Speed\_Bump](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Speed_Bump)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 12:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169/20 "2008-06-12T12:07:01Z")
[http://www.shell.com/home/content/aboutshell/swol/jan\_mar\_2008/algae\_13022008.html](http://www.shell.com/home/content/aboutshell/swol/jan_mar_2008/algae_13022008.html) Shell is taking steps and BP has made a huge research institute at Berkley. It will take time. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/biofuels-from-the-ocean/15169.md?page=2)