Random Thoughts of Chris Tilley

I have always thought that the solution to global warming needs to be commercially viable. When I saw Sir Richard Branson Virgin Earth Challenge I though this will have a positive effect, we will get a number of new technologies. Of course this lead me to thoughts of how it could be done. My first thoughts were blue-green algae. At the same time I was watching some show on TV that was showing off something called a Solar Tower. This is an innovative solution to generating solar power. They basic idea is a tall chimney of a tower surrounded by a huge greenhouse. As the greenhouse heats the air flows up the chimney turning turbines. So my thoughts were would it work to put blue green algae in the tower or the greenhouse and how much CO2 would it remove. That led me to the question of how much CO2 does blue green algae remove for a given amount. I never did find that out. As I searching for that I came across a bio-reactor developed at Ohio University and licensed by GreenFuel. They don't just have the idea they have it all worked out and licensed out. The bio-reactor hooks into the smokestack of coal fired power plants and the algae uses the CO2 in the its photosynthesis process. The excess algae can be used in a number of products including bio diesel.