There may be a revolution blowing our way: The Israeli company Seambiotic has found a way to produce biofuel by channeling smokestack carbon dioxide emissions through pools of algae that clean it. The growing algae thrives on the added nutrients, and become a useful biofuel.
For the last two years, the company has done something that other alternative fuel companies have dreamt about and are only starting to do now: theyve tested their idea with an electric utility company – a coal-burning power plant in the southern city of Ashkelon operated by the Israel Electric Company IEC.
Looking high into the sky, it is far too obvious how badly power plants and factories are polluting our environment. One of the most worrying gases produced by power plants today is carbon dioxide, which is believed responsible for global warming.
In Israel, as in the US and the rest of the world, it is estimated that power plants produce about 40% of all greenhouse gases. By employing tactics designed by nature, however, Seambiotic believes it can lock up carbon dioxide emissions through a process called biofixation. And they have employed a slimy plant from the algae family to do the job.
Algae are marine-derived plants that thrive on carbon dioxide and sunlight.
