[RightWhale]

Enough talk. Do it.

[DuncanWaring]

Here's a better idea: Thermal Depolymerization.

Makes use of existing waste. Don't have to grow anything new

[randog]

Enough biodiesel to replace all petroleum transportation fuels could be grown in 11,000 square miles, or roughly nine percent of the area of the Sonora desert.

Enviros will never let it happen. They will declare the Sonora desert "pristine" and that's all she wrote.

Next idea.....

[BMiles2112]

Great idea. This will be huge.... as soon as it costs less than regular diesel.

[ex-Texan]

One major problem with Biodiesel is over-pricing ! Just last month I called their local dealer and was quoted a price of $ 2.25 a gallon (compared to $ 1.86 for regular diesel). Last week I drove out to their station and saw a posted price of $ 2.46 for Biodiesel and $ 2.25 for diesel. I refuse to be overcharged for a product just because it has a "Green" label.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I missed the part where they specified the price they need for a gallon of biodiesel to make this proposition pay a positive return on investment.

[graycamel]

Theres' only one Al-G I don't want:

[TADSLOS]

Cool! I could create my own fuel in my shower stall!

[Moonman62]

The operating costs (including power consumption, labor, chemicals, and fixed capital costs (taxes, maintenance, insurance, depreciation, and return on investment) worked out to $12,000 per hectare. That would equate to $50.7 billion per year for all the algae farms, to yield all the oil feedstock necessary for the entire country. Compare that to the more than $100 billion the US spends each year just on purchasing crude oil from foreign countries.

If this really is such a good idea the venture capitalists would have already done it. My suspicion is this paper was written by hippies smoking too much dope.

[Rodney King]

There are two steps that would need to be taken for producing biodiesel on a large scale - growing the feedstocks, and processing them into biodiesel. The latter step would perhaps be best accomplished by existing oil refineries within the US being converted to biodiesel refineries, but could also be accomplished by new companies building new plants.

Hmm. Build a new refinery? Good luck.

[randog]

You were wondering about alternative fuel sources. Here 'ya go--Soylent Oil.