Bacteria converts carbon dioxide into liquid fuel

salegurus

14 years ago

I'm still working on a microorganism that can convert
Lead into Gold...

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ThomM 14 years ago

I'm kind of split on this.
On the one hand I think it's a cool idea.
On the other, what if the bacteria get loose?
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- KimW 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by ThomM
  
  I'm kind of split on this.
  On the one hand I think it's a cool idea.
  On the other, what if the bacteria get loose?
  
  Exactly my first thought Thom.
  
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Dave Patterson

14 years ago

Did we not learn ANYTHING from kudzu...?

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ThomM 14 years ago

Originally Posted by Dave Patterson

Did we not learn ANYTHING from kudzu...?

The scourge of the south
That reminds me of a story my father used to tell me.
When he first got out of the service he moved to Long Island to be the gardener for the Vanderbilts. When he moved back here he brought some Parthenocissus quinquefolia with him that he planted in the corner of my current property. Well naturally it spread and naturally he started noticing it all over the place (it's a pretty common plant here).
Till the day he died he swore he was responsible for all the Virginia Creeper in upstate NY
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MoneyMagnetMagnate

14 years ago

Attack of the killer Kudzu -
We can chop that up for biofuel...

and hey, the Chinese use it as a cure for alcoholism, so that would be killing two birds with one stone -

If some of these plant biologists could just make nice stuff that grows like kudzu, crabgrass, and weeds...we'd be all set...

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MoneyMagnetMagnate

14 years ago

But, then again - stuff like this happening aren't getting us anywhere...we have to apply an alternative viable source of energy to support engines currently using fossil fuels.

I'll be interested to see how much of this story 'leaks' out in US media...

BIG oil companies, lead by BP, Total and Shell, have polluted the North Sea with 69 oil and chemical spillages over the last three months, the Sunday Herald can reveal.

Licensed to spill | Herald Scotland

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seasoned

14 years ago

Originally Posted by MoneyMagnetMagnate

A team at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) have genetically engineered a microorganism that converts carbon dioxide into isobutanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol, both of which could be used as a fuel source for cars, or other combustion engines.

Bacteria converts carbon dioxide into liquid fuel | ExtremeTech

It will NEVER work! World governments want to destroy the planet by getting rid of Co2! If they achieve the goal, YEAH we and all other animal and plant life will be dead, but where would the carbon dioxide be to power the cells?

OH YEAH(hit's self on head and says STUPID!), I FORGOT! The bacteria will live longer, eat the decaying matter, and create CO2! EVENTUALLY, maybe those batteries will get powered up. But WHO will be around to use them?

Steve

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MoneyMagnetMagnate

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill

Looks circular to me. What power source generates the electricity?

Good question. They are working on perpetual facilities, for instance, there is a research facility at univ. of Missouri (I think, I can't remember exactly right now) but it is an algae biofuel plant that is practically perpetual, where the plant generators that power the creation of the fuel are fed by the fuel they power...it is self-sustaining in that respect.

As for Steve's argument above, they do say:
Finally, it’s important to note that while converting carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) into fuel sounds like a good idea, remember that you then have to burn the fuel to use it (thus releasing CO2 again). Still, with the price of crude oil continuing to rise, biomass refinery (using bacteria to convert waste into useful chemicals) is definitely an important endeavor.

it's more of an alternative solution - not a solution to the problem...

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seasoned

14 years ago

Originally Posted by MoneyMagnetMagnate

Good question. They are working on perpetual facilities, for instance, there is a research facility at univ. of Missouri (I think, I can't remember exactly right now) but it is an algae biofuel plant that is practically perpetual, where the plant generators that power the creation of the fuel are fed by the fuel they power...it is self-sustaining in that respect.

Actually, electricity could be used to charge cells AND power the cell, and gas seems to be a more efficiet powersource.

As for Steve's argument above, they do say:
Finally, it's important to note that while converting carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) into fuel sounds like a good idea, remember that you then have to burn the fuel to use it (thus releasing CO2 again). Still, with the price of crude oil continuing to rise, biomass refinery (using bacteria to convert waste into useful chemicals) is definitely an important endeavor.

it's more of an alternative solution - not a solution to the problem...

You really only get the carbon out that you put in, so it has no impact. Again though, people don't seem to understand the concept. For PLANTS, the carbon is taken to build the plant and create sugar, so it actually REMOVES carbon. BUT, again, the hypocritical nature demands that that be ignored.

Steve