This is cool.
When San Antonio researcher Kyle Murray peers into the future, he sees the land of black gold turning bright green. Algae green.
Murray, an assistant professor of geology at the University of Texas at San Antonio, thinks the city is perfectly poised to become a research and production hotbed for literally one of the greenest fuels around, mined from the slippery marine life that thrives in the shallow ponds and warm, sunny weather that are hallmarks of this region.
Rather than punching holes into the ground to find petroleum, Murray envisions a shift to commercial production of native algae species and processing that harvest into biodiesel, which then would power the massive trucks that roar through San Antonio along the NAFTA corridor from Mexico.
Most species of algae are very efficient at producing oil. Unlike corn or other feedstocks for biofuel, algae can be grown year-round in warm climates, and an abundant crop can be produced on a relatively small amount of land, Murray noted.
“I think the potential is huge for San Antonio to get into this, and everybody would benefit,” Murray said. “Biofuel is something we should be studying in San Antonio.”
Makes more sense than corn, that’s for sure. Hope it works out.