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Algae Action

The answer to cleaning up carbon dioxide emissions may lie in pond scum.

Or so believe researchers at the Ohio Coal Research Center, where scientists have designed a system that uses blue-green algae to devour the toxic chemicals belching from high-polluting power plants. Not only would the chemical-eating algae reduce emissions, they could then be turned into fertilizer, ethanol, or vegetable oil, making the entire process both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

The process has yet to be tested on a large scale, but a few companies in Ohio – which produces more sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide than any other state in the nation – are willing to give it a shot. Ohio also ranks second in the nation for carbon dioxide emissions, one of the largest contributors to global warming, so it provides an excellent testing ground for a system that holds promise for cutting back on fossil fuel-burning pollution.

The system works by filtering toxic emissions through the algae, which uses photosynthesis to turn the chemicals into food. The more the algae eat, the faster they grow. When the algae die, they can be turned into vegetable oil or starch, and the oil can be processed into biodiesel fuel. Researchers say the system has the potential for reducing carbon and other emissions by 50-80%.

The need to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions has been driven home in recent years as evidence mounts that the consequences of global warming, such as polar ice cap melting, could soon become irreversible if actions are not taken to prevent it.

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To learn more about how you can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions, go to: www.cleartheair.org or www.fightglobalwarming.com

To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org