Seems like oilgae is the most practicle solution to our energy issues, question is why are we not pursuing it?

For it to become profitable.

 Bascially, yep. Dereck hit the nail on the head. When people can produce algae biodiesel and compete with veggie bio and petro-diesel, it'll become widespread. But until then, it just ain't gonna happen in a market economy.

I guess youre right...but no product no profit.

What product? Algoil is a test tube dream. You can have it if you like $20 or more per gallon. However in Alaska where you hardly have any state fuel tax (lowest in the USA), Hell will freeze over before any Algoil or any BD product  shows up there.

 Meh. If you told me people with HIV were doomed 25 years ago I would of said so what (did), lets look (Research). That a manageable affliction now?

 If you told me 25 years ago Lupes was an incurable disease I would still say so what let's look anyway (Research). Stem cell research has shown  very real possibilties of slowing down and improving the quality of life of those afflicted.

40 years ago Lukemia was a death sentance. Is it now, (Research). 

50 years ago the Intergrated Chip that is the processor on a Texas Instuments TI-35 (solar powered by the way) Calculator was not possible until the Deptarment of Defense (US with much help from other Nations) paid $10,000 a piece for them. Thousands of them. I'm not even sure if you can still buy them, mine cost $10 in 1980, still works.

 The US Department of Energy ceased theire efforts towards algaeoil research because crude oil sold at $10 to $18, Unitied States Dollars, (USD) a barrell (I think that would be $60 UDS now, don't quote me). I still don't have access to much of that research but I will. From what I can speculate it has been proven by that research that algaeoil is doable (my speculation is useless with out facts, working on it).

You don't have to be a tree huger to pursue algaeoil, or any other alternative energy. If Enron was able to suck $90 billion out of BS I'm pretty sure somebody could make something tangible out of $90 billion. You think they were selling those calculators at a loss? There is no dishonor in profiting from a good thing, a noble effort.

Before they deposit you in that box below ground take a moment or three to think outside of it. Are you willing to pay 1% more of your income out  of pocket to find out? What if if we're wrong? At least we know we're wrong.

Yes a little research can go a long way as modern civilization has proved countless times. But I think the greatest stumbling block is the extreme lack of informed people, seems every where I go, and mention biodiesel I get a dumb look or a whats that about 98%of the time. Another factor seems to be lack of willpower to do anything more than bitch about high energy cost,while we all sit and wait for the government or big corporations to fix the problem. Im thinking that if enough people got together something could get started.

There is already big money being spent on the R&D. 

I believe it's coming. 

Sorry, I also believe we're past the point of no return. Sound sick? I'll always do my part and I'm an upbeat optimist for the most part but there are just too many peple.

 Derek,

where do you get twenty dollars per gallon to produce biodiesel from algae?  dont go by government numbers, they are based on mistaken premises ...probably on purpose

.Alaska has been using biodiesel for years ,it leads the way in using fish oil for the production of biodiesel which is used extensively for fueling fishing boats all over alaska...

Marc

There is a huge interest and an international race on the go right now, for a company to produce economic, reliable and commercial quantities of biodiesel from algae.

Some have claimed to have done it already - proof is lacking. There is no doubt that it can be done, but at the moment only in the lab, or in some Nigerian's back office.

Some, like me, have a dream of achieving commercial production and have started small independent research programs. Despite all the nay sayers and doom and gloom spruikers and the "$20 a gallon" price tags, we are prepared to take that step at our own cost and see for ourselves.

More people need to be brave enough to step out of the box and run their own experiments but share their results so others can see where we are going and offer thoughts on improvements and alternatives. 

I have been hamstrung by the essential needs of a job and essential weekend farmer chores around my block of land. My PBR is practically ready and I will now order my algae thus forcing me to put the final touches on the basic system.

 Within a few months I will have a better understanding of what this will mean in the long term and I will be showing my results - good or bad - after all Froggy and a couple of others have an open bet that I will fail miserably.

I just gotta disappoint them and earn Nate a couple hundred donation.

I have an idea that would help with the current oil prices, and help us out of this depression we are in.  Our economy relies on one major thing, diesel power.  No matter what you eat, drink or buy one way or another a diesel motor got it to you.  It was on a boat, a train or a truck at some point, and no matter the mode of transportation the motor was a diesel.  Other people are pushing for motors that use other fuel.  Someone is pushing to make a motor run off natural gas.  Well that’s a good idea until my gas bill comes in for my house.  My heat and cooking is run off natural gas, and yes right now my bill is low until some idiot makes a motor that runs off of it, and now more people want that “low cost” fuel to dive to work.  Natural gas is not an answer.  Biodiesel comes to mind.  Well the current biodiesel that is sold is made by using plant oil.  Yea the same plant oil that is right now under 8 foot of water.  Biodiesel is a good answer to our problem and needs to bee addressed, but not in the form as we know it.  If you research any homemade biodiesel website you will run across machines that will convert used cooking oil into diesel fuel.  The machines will make somewhere around 80 or 100 gallons in a batch.  Why could we not start to do that on a larger scale?  Get some big fast food chain like Jack in the Box or Burger King etc. and collect all their used cooking oil.  We take their oil and “refine” it into biodiesel.  It cost about $1.20 a gallon once the machine is paid for.  You put pumps all across America (truck stops, civilian gas stations, train yards and ports) with used cooking oil biodiesel in them; sell it for a small profit.  The fast food place gets rid of their old cooking oil (that gets placed in our dumps if not recycled), the refinery and gas stations make some profit, and everyone that drives a diesel pays less for a gallon of diesel.  The cost of shipping goes down.  If that is not enough this kind of biodiesel is better for the environment as well. 

that is kind of what's happening now. but you'll almost never hear about it because of _____________ i have no clue. there are some very intelligent people on this forum. a lot of people keep information to themselves though. there is a ton of info here to learn about how to's and where to obtain and such. but if you get down to prices, and other types of info, its not forthcoming. either that or the people that do make biodiesel in at least my specific area, do not frequent this forum.

I've tried to obtain pricing info. no dice. I've tried to find out who is doing x or y and where, i get a few responses out of 200 views. nothing wrong with that, its most likely that no one, or extremely few people are out there to answer. but rest assured, biodiesel is getting produced, the proof is all of the ads here, selling WVO, buying WVO, people buying and selling diesel vehicles, processors, totes and everything associated with biodiesel.

its difficult to start up a co-op in a certain area because the people actually doing the work, making biodiesel, probably do no know about this site. I watched glenn beck last night, and the former CEO of Shell has created a non-profit org (with website of course), with that kind of national exposure, he will easily have 10 times the number of people that frequent this site.

dont get me wrong, i love this site and am here every single day of the week, as i said, intelligent people, great ideas, open discussion, help when you need it and plenty of newbies to point in the right direction, so you're helping others save time and money, keeping them from making the same mistakes all newbies make when getting into a new technology.

thats important. getting people up to speed doing what we do here. yeah it may later turn out to be competition but that's what makes this so cool. competition will drive down the prices so we're saving ourselves future dollars anyhow. but there is no mistake, the public at large doesnt know much about biodiesel, nor do a lot of them care, as long as they can go cruising or take the family vacation in the huge honkin SUV or whatever.

there are national companies that pick up WVO. and they are trying to drive the home brewer out by stipulating in their contracts that THEY pick up the oil and no one else. not even a gallon. or the contract is void and the resturaunt still has to pay. while waste veg oil is a commodity to be turned into diesel, I (and this is just me, my speculation) think that growing JC (jatropha curcas) can provide the oil needed for home brewers.

I am hoping to find others in my area, corpus christi texas, to do the same. I've yet to find any home brewers to start with, and definatly no one with land enough (an acre or two) to start an orchard. guess I'll have to keep looking and buy some when i find a decent deal. until then, I have a small orchard in my back yard and will provide oil to those that respond when i advertise it for sale.

thats one of the reasons i tried to do a price check here (no response). to know how much to sell pure filtered JC oil for.