The blue-green algae found in Willand Pond that prompted a health advisory notice from the City of Dover on July 11th, 2007 could actually be used to create bio-fuels such as bio-diesel to supplement the growing concern over renewable energy. Blue-green algae, like that was found in Willand Pond, could save the country billions of dollars in money spent on overseas oil, not to mention save the world from global warming.

The pond scum could alter the way we talk about energy. There has been U.S. Government research on using algae to create bio-fuel in the past; however funds were cut to the program on November 18th, 2005 under the House of Representatives Deficit Reduction Act, 217-215. The legislation included $3.7 billion dollars in cuts to the national farm bill, and low and behold the prices of food are rising due to the excessive over-production of corn for ethanol – land that cannot be used for other crops, and corn subsidies that are actually paying farmers more to drive up the price of corn.

Bio-fuel made from algae may yield between 10 to 25 times the amounts of energy that the same amount of bio-fuel made from corn does. This is primarily because algae quadruples its mass in a day, and naturally produces oil. Algae also absorb carbon dioxide from the air, as well as nitrogen from the water. Blue-green algae could be extremely valuable in the bio-fuel production market. Some types of algae sell for thousands of dollars per pound.

Pond scum to the rescue
GreenFuel Technologies Company
Environmental and Energy Study Institute