Scientists find bugs that eat waste and excrete petrol

The Times (UK) ^ | June 14, 2008 | Chris Ayres

[Dog Gone]

Stop the exploitation of algae now.

We fought a Civil War over this very issue of oppression.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

LOL!

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

When I posted, I was thinking that this is the stuff of “hubris” — in the classic Greek tragedy sense. I also thought that it might be fodder for a Michael Crichton novel. I suspected that there were already books based on a similar premise — but, I didn't know about the ones mentioned here (thanks). I was also thinking about Bill Joy's essay in “Wired” a few years back, wherein he mentions the danger of the world turning into “gray goo” if self-replacating nano-bots are allowed to run amok.

Then there's OSHA’s scenario — which tops finding a pony in the bottom of a room full of manure.

[UCANSEE2]

OR

[AndyJackson]

The professor's algae produce oil that not only yield more energy than they consume

This is not just a minor editorial detail. Unfortunately, the downfall of many of these biofuel schemes is that the entire SYSTEM is not thermodynamically efficient. There is a lot more to getting useful energy out of biofuels than just bugs and feedstock. There is the input problem, the refining problem and usually the WATER problem.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Ernest, and “whoops”.

Renewable Petroleum: Microbes Eat Waste and Excrete Crude Oil
DBKP | June 15, 2008 | Mondoreb
Posted on 06/15/2008 6:34:27 PM PDT by mondoreb
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2031618/posts

Scientists find bugs that eat waste and excrete petrol
Times on line | June 14, 2008 | Chris Ayres
Posted on 06/16/2008 3:48:27 PM PDT by Born In America
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2031983/posts

Scientists find bugs that eat waste and excrete petrol
The Times of London | June 14, 2008 | The Times of London
Posted on 06/16/2008 4:50:53 PM PDT by aclusux.com
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2032028/posts

[SunkenCiv]

This one is oldest, I believe.

[SunkenCiv]

Anything into Oil(solution to dependence on foregn oil?)
DISCOVER Vol. 24 No. 5 | May 2003 | Brad Lemley
Posted on 04/21/2003 5:57:41 AM PDT by honway
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/897232/posts

Anything into oil!
Discover magazine online | May 2003 | Brad Lemley
Posted on 04/21/2003 8:40:46 PM PDT by AlextheWise1
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/897667/posts

Anything into Oil (Change trash & sewage to oil for $15@barrel)
DISCOVER Vol. 24 No. 5 | May 2003 | Brad Lemley
Posted on 08/20/2003 6:34:41 AM PDT by ckilmer
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/967192/posts

Anything into Oil
DISCOVER Vol. 27 No. 04 | | April 2006 | Brad Lemley
Posted on 04/08/2006 3:51:10 PM PDT by ckilmer
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1611689/posts

-and-

Anything that grows ‘can convert into oil’
WorldNetDaily.com | 19 Mar 2008 | Joe Kovacs
Posted on 03/20/2008 6:00:38 AM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1988699/posts

Anything that grows ‘can convert into oil’
World Net Daily
Posted on 04/21/2008 1:14:28 PM PDT by VLDdeSan
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2004875/posts

Anything that grows ‘can convert into oil’
WorldNetDaily | March 19,2008 | Joe Kovacs
Posted on 05/06/2008 8:04:44 AM PDT by Republic Can
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2011947/posts

[eccentric]

you would need a facility that covered about 205 square miles, an area roughly the size of Chicago.

Put the facility in southwest Kansas on the new ethanol plant and it's 250 square miles of drought plagued, irrigated corn fields.