Algae: Saving the World in Baby Steps Alex Doyle Emilia Miller Dan Downs

introduction  Researched Algae Species.  Found the social impact for them  jobs

Why?  One ton of algae can produce about 100 gallons of oil.  Algae can produce up to 300 times more oil per acre than conventional crops such as rapeseed, palms, or soybeans.

Why?  Oil we use now is non-renewable resource, and eventually will run out  Algae is renewable and grows at a fast rate.

Why?  This method of getting oil is much cheaper then other renewable resources such as:  Hydroelectric  Wind  Solar  It is also more dependable because it can be in a controlled environment

History  First thought of in 1950s  Originally tried to use outside ponds  Decided to move inside to avoid contamination  had trouble getting enough space to mass produce algae; or had trouble getting artificial lighting  Their solution was called “Vertigrow”.

Anatomy  There are many different types of algae and each is made differently in structure but similarly in cellular structure.  Different types include  Filamentous (stringy algae that can cling to rocks)  Planktonic ( Microalgae that floats throughout the water  Surface Blooming ( clumpy algae that floats)

Anatomy  All cells are encased in a cell membrane, and all plant cells are encased in a cell wall in addition to the cell membrane.  The cell membrane is made up of lipids.

Anatomy  The cell wall is outside of the cell membrane. This protects the cell.  This hard shell gives the plant rigidity.

Anatomy  To extract the oil the cell must be pressed and the cell wall smashed. This will allow the oils in the cell membrane and cytoplasm to be released.

Identifying Algae  There are millions of algae species in the world.  Each species has unique and subtle differences.  The most optimal algae to use is what is known as “Pond scum”.

Identifying algae  Identifying algae is no small feat.  First you must gather the algae from its source.  Make sure there is a lot more water than algae, closely packed algae will decompose  Place the algae in a container and take it to your lab.

Identifying Algae  Now you must examine the algae for distinct traits.  Compare your findings with an online guide

Industry leading algae  Botryococcus braunii is one of the highest oil content algal species around. But there are some problems with it.  Thick Cell wall  Fats are triterpenes instead of triglycerides.  Impossible to use same way of biodiesel to convert.

Beneficial Social Impacts  Increase in jobs  Engineers, maintenance workers, gardeners, etc.  Leads to more money in the economy  Economic boost  Potentially expand the job creation globally

Social Impact Hardships  Change  Changing cars from gasoline to diesel  Expensive  Some may view this as unnecessary  May take years before everyone agrees

Beneficial Economic Impacts  With more jobs, there is more money being circulated back into the economy.  Without biofuels, “crude oil would be trading 15 percent higher and gasoline would be as much as 25 percent more expensive.” (BIO)

Economic Impact Hardships  America is depleting the Earth’s oil  Within 60 to 80 years, most of the usable oil will be gone  Within 60 years, oil prices will either double or triple  Prices will skyrocket overnight

Conclusion  With the algae we have researched, we believe we have found the best local algae.