3 ms·

permanently converting their East Bay refineries to produce renewable, bio-based diesel fuel from plant-based materials I bet there is a bunch of plankton and

by adolph 3y ago

permanently converting their East Bay refineries to produce renewable, bio-based diesel fuel from plant-based materials I bet there is a bunch of plankton and underwater growth like kelp they could use to make bio-diesel. Maybe even use some of those really large red trees too.

steve76 3y ago
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nradov 3y ago
There is nowhere near enough kelp in the ocean to produce a useful amount of fuel. It grows only in relatively shallow water, and serves as a critical habitat and food source for many species. Some kelp is already harvested for other purposes.
- idontknoworcare 3y ago
  [dead]
- adolph 3y ago
  It isn't the existing volume that matters; it is the growth rate. Can it outperform other biological sources? If kelp is a good source then expand its range to beyond the limited habitats in which it exists currently. They are known for their high growth rate—the genera Macrocystis and Nereocystis can grow as fast as half a metre a day, ultimately reaching 30 to 80 metres (100 to 260 ft). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelp https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelp
  - nradov 3y ago
    There is no practical way to expand the range of kelp. It already grows everywhere it can.
    - adolph 3y ago
      The range of what is practical changes with how something is valued. If kelp became a higher value crop for biological derived fuel, then some things not practical today may become practical. For example, kelp may not grow in some areas because those areas are especially hospitable to the "Invertebrates that eat kelp include snails and shellfish such as crabs, sea urchins, and abalone." [0] If some of the increased value of kelp were directed towards decreasing those species then it might become practical to grow kelp there. 0. https://earthlife.net/what-eats-kelp/ https://earthlife.net/what-eats-kelp/
      - nradov 3y ago
        Nope. Purple urchins eat kelp. There's no practical way to clear them out of large areas.

by adolph 3y ago

steve76 3y ago

[dead]

nradov 3y ago

There is nowhere near enough kelp in the ocean to produce a useful amount of fuel. It grows only in relatively shallow water, and serves as a critical habitat and food source for many species. Some kelp is already harvested for other purposes.

idontknoworcare 3y ago
[dead]
adolph 3y ago
It isn't the existing volume that matters; it is the growth rate. Can it outperform other biological sources? If kelp is a good source then expand its range to beyond the limited habitats in which it exists currently. They are known for their high growth rate—the genera Macrocystis and Nereocystis can grow as fast as half a metre a day, ultimately reaching 30 to 80 metres (100 to 260 ft). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelp https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelp
- nradov 3y ago
  There is no practical way to expand the range of kelp. It already grows everywhere it can.
  - adolph 3y ago
    The range of what is practical changes with how something is valued. If kelp became a higher value crop for biological derived fuel, then some things not practical today may become practical. For example, kelp may not grow in some areas because those areas are especially hospitable to the "Invertebrates that eat kelp include snails and shellfish such as crabs, sea urchins, and abalone." [0] If some of the increased value of kelp were directed towards decreasing those species then it might become practical to grow kelp there. 0. https://earthlife.net/what-eats-kelp/ https://earthlife.net/what-eats-kelp/
    - nradov 3y ago
      Nope. Purple urchins eat kelp. There's no practical way to clear them out of large areas.