MUSIC

>> My name is Harrison Dillon. I'm the president and chief technology officer and co-founder of Solazyme, and what I do is make renewable oil production technology a reality. music I got interested in algae because algae is the most efficient organism in the world at making oil renewably. And you can manipulate that production process to make it even more efficient using biotechnology. This process works by taking renewable resources -- biomass like sugarcane and cellulose -- and feeding it to algae in a way where the algae convert that biomass directly into crude oil. If you think about everything in your house that's made out of oil, it's not just the gas in your car, it's the, the cleaning supplies under the sink, cosmetic ingredients, polyester, lubricants, the oil in your car, those things are all made from, from fossil oil, and we can do it renewably using this technology. This will have a major impact on where we get crude oil and, and the, the carbon footprint of the crude oil that we use as a raw material to make all of these products that you use in everyday life. It's really surprised me how fast the technology has come along.

MUSIC

==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====

 
Reply to Story

SmartPlanet TalkbackShare your ideas and expertise on this topic

Subscribe to this discussion via RSS

  •  
    1

    Lynn110

    08/25/09 | Report as spam

    RE: Growing the next 'green' fuel

    Since algae is a plant, I don't understand the concept of using biomass
    such as sugar cane and cellulose and "feeding it" to the algae to create
    crude oil.
    Lynn

  •  
    2

    MADMAX711

    08/27/09 | Report as spam

    RE: Growing the next 'green' fuel

    AGAIN
    SAME REPLY AS IN TURNING THE NASA WAY
    This is what I have been talking about. Some of these scientists have good ideas and intentions, but let's get real.

    Why do we need some special manufactered plastic container?

    What about using re-cycled plastics, and even what about harvesting algae that already exists, tons and tons upon tons, in our lakes and oceans.

    I hate the phase "of course this would take some time".

    Algae actually grows very fast, and replenishes itself even faster from harvested areas. If algae is already dense then the sunlight that it takes to make it grow faster, does not get to the base of the plant, just like a tree deep in a dense forest that gets no sun.

    And excuse me Mr. scientist, but could you not make MUCH more methanol from algae than oil?
    Is not methanol a cleaner, and modern fuel?

    C'mon America!








  •  
    3

    dasprem@...

    09/01/09 | Report as spam

    RE: Growing the next 'green' fuel

    I believe there are many many technologies out there that would have made more efficient use of the oil we have.
    But the petromafias would have none of it. Any and all attempts to dilute their stranglehold on global power, with alternative energy source, will not see the light of day.
    Fabulous wealth will win out everytime. First order of the day, destroy the oil cartels. Only we, the consumers, have the might to do that.

  •  
    4

    guayabapr

    10/20/09 | Report as spam

    RE: Growing the next 'green' fuel

    I believe algae can be an important source of oil which can be used effectively to supplant fossil fuels. The problem lies in companies like Solazyme who use genetically modified algae (for better production, they say, for safer profits, I say), when there is no need to have genetically modified algae.

    The whole point of having all of these crises (economic, environmental, social, political) is a wake up call. We cannot continue to do business the old way; we cannot continue to have 1% of the population own 50% of the wealth created by multinationals.

    There is a safer, better way to do business and to live sustainably. Bio-Lipidos de Puerto Rico is an algae aquaculture business that is certified organic, needs no external feed for the algae, and produces, as a by-product, organic Tilapia and Shrimp. Oh! and it consumes the nearby industrial production of CO2 as well. Google Replenish Energy, find out! (their website is just coming online, so be patient if it is not fully functioning yet!
    Monica
    Communications Director
    Bio Lipidos de Puerto Rico

The following tags are supported in Smartplanet comments:
<b></b> <i></i> <u></u> <pre></pre>

Leave a Reply

  1. Name: You are currently: a Guest |
advertisement

Quick Poll

advertisement
Click Here
advertisement
Click Here
advertisement