Gems of Opportunity: Environmental Concept: "Harvesting Unwanted Algae Blooms As A Green Biofuel Source"

Hello All,

Recently here in my State of Florida where I reside our Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in 4 Florida counties. (ie Martin, St. Lucie, Lee, & West Palm Beach) That run east to west of Lake Okeechobee leading to estuaries and beyond to coastal waterways. This has been a chronic problem made worse by the crony politics our Billionaire governor has instituted by gutting our State Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP). Florida is made up of 5 regional water districts. A Tampa Bay Times news editorial sums it up best from Sept. 5th 2014. Editorial: The Rick Scott record: an environmental disaster

Enforcement

In his first year, Scott forced the state's five regional water management districts to reduce their budgets by $700 million and filled their appointed boards with developers, land use lawyers and others more interested in granting permits than preservation. That triggered cuts to water supply, restoration and other projects, and led to widespread layoffs at the water management districts that turned them into shells of their former selves. The Scott administration undercut enforcement and dampened public input on development as it eliminated the state's growth management agency. DEP offered bonuses to employees to speed up permitting, and its departing regulatory chief boasted this year that the agency cut wait times for permits by two-thirds.

(Back in April 7th, 2014 here at "Atrayo's Oracle" blog site. I offered another environmental conceptual design to help alleviate the Lake Okeechobee water overflow dilemma with a sustainable kinetic power generation reservoir system. Ecological Infrastructure Concept: "Reservoir Replenishment Aqueduct System" (RRAS) )

We've met I'm sure many people in life perhaps relatives or even friends that don't take responsibility for their mistakes. Maybe adding insult to injury they blame someone else when they are personally at fault. Unfortunately our Florida Governor is such a man blaming the Obama Federal Government Administration for our environmental woes entirely. The Army Corp of Engineers that administrates the overflow discharges from Lake Okeechobee are partly responsible. Since much of this current natural phenomena of algae bloom came from Lake Okeechobee. As it was discharged east to Martin and St.Lucie counties and west towards West Palm Beach and Lee counties. The domino effects to cause to our Florida economy is tourism cancellations and fisheries being impacted negatively.

(The above photo is from St. Lucie in the city of Stuart as a result of human aggravated pollutants ending up as runoff into Lake Okeechobee. Photo: Greg Lovett, Associated Press)

However Florida isn't alone in this human aggravated phenomena of runoff as sewage, agriculture, and lawn care wastes leaching into our waterways. The State of Ohio in Toledo by Lake Erie and along the coast of Central California up north towards British Columbia have reported algae blooms in the past. This isn't just an American problem even Qingdao, China has had a 7,500 square mile event washing up on coastal beaches. Although these events are occurring with increased frequencies during the wet summer seasons. I'll go as far as to predict that this may in turn become a year round event as a blight to coastal regions where cities congregate.

Before we throw up our hands in disgust thinking there's nothing that can be done about it. There's Hope I say! When life hands you lemons you make lemonade. Well this conceptual design from myself is here to inspire others to turn this into a billion dollar plus industry. Although I'm not the first to espouse that algae can be used as a carbon neutral fuel source since its plant based off the seaweed family of plants.

Here is a Energy.gov video (running time 2:33 minutes) how they have scientifically been experimenting with various strains of algae to yield the best nutrient rich crop as a biofuel.

Although what I'm proposing won't happen overnight due to the mile length of bureaucratic red tape with permissions and licensing appropriate technologies. Instead of waiting for that special bumper crop algae strain to farm in particular. Why not begin harvesting these mega tonnes of excess algae blooms showing up world wide? Many municipalities that do harvest it as a clean up effort usually just toss it into a land fill or incinerate the stuff. Here it can be considered as an eventual commodity to end up being financially traded at mercantile exchanges globally as a fuel source. Not unlike the Big Agriculture crops of Corn and Sugar which can be used in the creation of Bio-Ethanol. Heck here in Florida the citrus of orange peels has been found to create ethanol as a gasoline fuel source.

Whomever starts this ball rolling like the U.S. Dept of Energy video above stipulates that algae produces oils that can aid or even replace petroleum for any manner of vehicle. Much like aqua culture farming has various kinds of fish ending up on our tables via grocers and restaurants. There can be a day I can envision algae farms producing quality algae blooms on purpose for harvesting! However until that time the next best trade off is to harvest these unwanted human caused algae blooms off our coastal waterways. Since humanity is in no hurry to alter its behavior in terms of flushing our wastes into local waterways and regional outlets into the ocean like our toilet.

Workers that do harvest this mechanically I predict will have all manner of respiratory problems, if not given masks or respirators to breath properly. Since the foul stench from algae blooms such as "Red Tide" off the west coast of Florida for extended periods can land one in the hospital. So workers and companies harvesting this stuff from waterways in lakes or coastal regions will need to be insured for this trend under workers compensation. There will also be the issue of drying out the once harvested algae under the natural sun. So it can be later machine processed for the oils the video above spoke about. Whether this is later piled up in mounds waiting for an industrial manufacturing or utility buyer is another matter. Since such storage of raw dried algae can't be near any residential districts since it'll be an air quality matter.

I do see that utilities and manufacturers will be the chief buyers of this commodity green biofuel source. To power their turbines for electricity generation and/or into industrial furnaces to help power manufacturers on or off site. Historically "Henry Ford" used seaweed in his Model T vehicles as a stuffing for the seats of his first cars. Going back to use what is on hand naturally is preferable than having to whip it up by some other means. This is a Win / Win scenario if I have ever seen one by hauling away unwanted environmental blight of excess algae blooms.

To only have it to be processed as a biofuel source aiding national security. From having to import oil from unstable global regions like dare I say present day Venezuela. If you're following the news Venezuela is experiencing economic depression with food shortages not unlike just before the fall of the former Soviet Union in the early 1990's. Besides the Narco drug war Mexico has been experiencing amongst its criminal cartels is another troubling matter geo-politically. America imports more petroleum from Central (ie Mexico) and South America (ie Venezuela) combined than we do from the Middle East. It's a sobering thought although no oil import disruptions have occurred from Central and South America to date. (Knock on wood)

I hope you've come to appreciate the opportunity right under our noses with algae blooms. As you look at the man-made natural disaster of global algae booms only going to get worse due to global warming. Because with global warming places that are wet globally will be seeing century records broken nearly every year in saturation. With the opposite dry places of the Earth receiving record high heat index waves from now on. If a carbon neutral source of biofuel that is readily growing everywhere that you don't want it to grow. Wouldn't private industry have figured out just to grab it and use it to power the world, I guess they lack Imagination and willpower to add 1+1 to equal 2.

Ivan "Atrayo" Pozo-Illas, has devoted 21 years of his life to the pursuit of clairvoyant automatic writing channeling the Angelic host. Ivan, is the author to the spiritual wisdom series of "Jewels of Truth" consisting of 3 volumes published to date. He also channels conceptual designs that are multi-faceted for the next society to come that are solutions based as a form of dharmic service. Numerous examples of his work is available at "Atrayo's Oracle" blog site of 10 years plus online. Your welcome to visit his website "Jewelsoftruth.us" for further information or to contact Atrayo directly.