Comments on: A California Station Tests Out New Biodiesel Made In Part By Algae http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/11/21/california-tests-out-a-new-biodiesel-made-in-part-by-algae/ Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:34:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Eddie Powers http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/11/21/california-tests-out-a-new-biodiesel-made-in-part-by-algae/#comment-34770 Eddie Powers Thu, 22 Nov 2012 17:57:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=41571#comment-34770 Is it gov't subsidized? At $3.25/gal and if it runs without a loss of power I hope it spreads. Is it gov’t subsidized?

At $3.25/gal and if it runs without a loss of power I hope it spreads.

]]> By: John Lerch http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/11/21/california-tests-out-a-new-biodiesel-made-in-part-by-algae/#comment-34769 John Lerch Thu, 22 Nov 2012 14:18:11 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=41571#comment-34769 I used to be a fan of ethanol; but my son-in-law pointed out that ethanol is hygroscopic, a characteristic which can have its advantages in the gas tank (they used to put it in the tank in the winter just to absorb condensate) but seems to have a lot of disadvantages in the distribution of water to unwanted places. And who would have thunk that plain ol' hootch is a better solvent on a lot of things than gasoline? I used to be a fan of ethanol; but my son-in-law pointed out that ethanol is hygroscopic, a characteristic which can have its advantages in the gas tank (they used to put it in the tank in the winter just to absorb condensate) but seems to have a lot of disadvantages in the distribution of water to unwanted places. And who would have thunk that plain ol’ hootch is a better solvent on a lot of things than gasoline?

]]> By: Chuck Currie http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/11/21/california-tests-out-a-new-biodiesel-made-in-part-by-algae/#comment-34768 Chuck Currie Wed, 21 Nov 2012 19:53:51 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=41571#comment-34768 Do they even talk about the environmental cost of producing the sugar they feed the algae? Couldn't they just use the sugar to produce ethanol like they do in Brazil? I think we should just stick to drinking ethanol and run our cars on oil - but not at the same time - drive responsibly. Cheers Do they even talk about the environmental cost of producing the sugar they feed the algae? Couldn’t they just use the sugar to produce ethanol like they do in Brazil?

I think we should just stick to drinking ethanol and run our cars on oil – but not at the same time – drive responsibly.

Cheers

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