Newspaper Page Text
The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, July 9, 2008, Page 15A
Algae holds promise as biofuel
Rising from its status as green scum, algae may
soon be pumped as biodiesel
Special to the Ledger
By Stephanie Schupska
University of Georgia
Wastewater generated by
carpet production could
potentially be used to grow
yet another crop for biofuel
- algae.
Yes, algae. The stuff that
clouds swimming pools,
mucks up ponds and clings
to boat sides and buoys.
More than
2,000
gallons of
oil can be
made from
one acre
of algae.
One acre of
soybeans
produces 48
gallons per
year. Only
18 gallons
can be made
from one
acre of corn
annually.
Dirty
water left
over from
carpet
production
is perfect
for growing
algae, said
K.C. Das, director of the
University of Georgia Bio
refining and Carbon Cycling
Program.
In Dalton, Ga., the “Carpet
Capitol of the World,’’ 85
percent of the wastewater
flowing into Dalton Utilities
comes from local carpet fac
tories. In total, the utilities
company treats and releases
between 30 million and 40
million gallons of treated
wastewater a day, said Sent-
hil Chinnasamy, a postdoc
toral research associate with
the UGA College of Agri
cultural and Environmental
Sciences.
Instead of applying this
treated wastewater to desig
nated areas, it could be used
to cultivate algae in open
ponds. With that amount of
wastewater, a million gal
lons of biodiesel made from
algae could be produced
annually, enough to run the
Dalton’s entire fleet of gov
ernment vehicles for a year.
Wastewater already con
tains nitrogen, phosphorus
and other minerals, nutrients
Photo: Stephanie Schupska/UGA
K.C. Das and Senthil Chinnasamy aerate algae in
a growth chamber at the University of Georgia’s
biorefinery.
that would cost extra money
to add. Algae can be grown
in saltwater, too.
Right now, Chinnasamy
and his lab assistants are
growing it in large plastic
tubes and oversized plastic
bags. He’s got samples of
different algae in closed bea
kers in a growth chamber.
Later this summer, they’ll
place promising species in
plastic ponds to see how
well they grow in uncon
trolled environments.
The UGA researches are
working to find cost-effec
tive ways to harvest it and
express oil from it. The oil
can be turned into biodiesel,
the protein added to live-
Red Cross Issues
Urgent Call For
All Blood Types
Special to the Ledger
While temperatures con
tinue to rise this summer, the
American Red Cross reports
that the blood inventory lev
els are so low it is unable to
sufficiently meet the demand
of local hospitals. While
there is a constant need
for all blood types, donors
with O positive, O negative,
A negative and B negative
blood types are asked to take
an hour to donate right away.
It is especially crucial for
donors with type O blood
donate
within
the next
few days.
Type O is
the most
common
blood
type and
is used
exten
sively by
hospitals.
Type O blood donors are
considered universal donors
because their blood can be
given to most other blood
types in emergencies when
there is no time to type a
patient’s blood. Hospitals
commonly experience an
increase in traumas during
the summer, making the
need for type O blood even
greater.
“While enjoying sum
mer activities, people often
forget that the need for blood
is constant,’’ says Randy
Edwards, chief executive
officer, American Red Cross
Southern Blood Services
Region. “Blood donations
always decline during the
summer months, but blood
is used to treat area hospital
American
Red Cross
patients every day. Patients
depend on the generous do
nations of others to receive
the life-saving blood they
need.’’
In the summer, blood
shortages are common
because donations decrease,
along with the number
of organizations that will
sponsor blood drives. The
absence of high school and
college blood drives factors
largely into the annual drop
in donations because these
drives account for approxi
mately 25
percent of
all dona
tions in the
Southern
Region.
“We
want to
make the
donation
process
as con
venient as
possible for those who take
time out of their day to help
save lives. In order to avoid
long waits at our donor
centers and blood drives,
we ask that donors call
1-800-GIVE-LIFE or visit
www.redcrossblood.org to
make appointments to give
blood,’’ adds Edwards.
The American Red Cross
Southern Blood Services
Region needs approximately
1,200 people to donate blood
each weekday to meet the
needs of hospital patients.
Most people who are age 17
or older and weigh at least
110 pounds are eligible to
give blood every 56 days.
There is no substitute for
blood, and the only source is
from volunteer donors.
stock feed and the remaining
carbohydrates into ethanol
and methane production.
The U.S. Renewable Fuels
Standard, signed into law in
January, calls for the produc
tion of 36 billion gallons of
biofuel annually by the year
2022. Currently, the country
produces 8 billion gallons a
year.
It would take 750 million
acres of
soybeans, or
an area twice
the size of
Alaska, to
produce
36 billion
gallons of
biofuel,
Chinnasamy
said. The
same amount
could be
produced
on 7 mil
lion acres of
algae, or an
area half the
size of West
Virginia.
In addition
to its biofuel
possibilities,
algae can
help re
duce carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. It is considered
carbon negative, meaning
it uses more carbon than it
produces. A kilogram, or 2.2
pounds, of algae pulls 1.8
kilograms, or 4 pounds, of
carbon dioxide out of the air.
Despite its upsides, algae
are difficult to produce.
The ideal growing location,
which is outside in ponds, is
hard to regulate. It’s hard to
harvest, too, and must dry.
It’s now harvested mainly for
its protein, which can bring
manufacturers $6 an ounce.
One big downside now
is that it costs about $5 to
make a gallon of fuel from
algae. Chinnasamy and Das
hope their work will lower
the cost to $1.50 a gallon,
which would lower the cost
of biodiesel and diesel blends
and still give producers a
profit.
Fuel made from algae
could be available commer
cially in live years, Das said.
(Stephanie Schupska is a
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■Vote and Elect
i •C*
fjoe Adair
as Century
District
xsmmissioner
To the voters of Lee County Century District
Come Tuesday July 15th, time has come for us to make a decision.
Do we want to continue in the direction we have been going, tax and
spend, burying Lee County in debt, or do we want to follow the path
of responsible government and spend money only generated by our
tax base, and not raise taxes to fund wish list.
I want to re-emphasize my commitment to the tax payers of Cen
tury District.
As your elected commissioner, I vow to not only represent you, but
to work for you.
Committed to smart budgeting of the county’s finances, I ensure
upon my appointment to this position, that funds will be spent wisely
and done without raising taxes. Lee County does not need to be op
erating the golf course. I specifically wish to pass a bill that will cap
the amount of taxes placed on senior citizens at a specific age, as their
income does not increase when the cost of living continues to rise.
I, Joe Adair, your neighbor, who cares about you and your future,
needs your vote. As your voice I will make sure that the county
works for you and not just your income.
Lee County deserves commissioners who are open and honest in
making decisions that effect the tax payers and what is best for all lee
countians.
Thank you for your support and make every effort to vote July
15th.
Paid for by the candidate
VOTE July 15th
The Choice is Yours!
VOTE: REPUBLICAN
€Lc£
p n v—
Keeves r
Clark for
Superior Court
Clerk
Experienced with Proven Performance
A Good Leader MUST be A Great Servant
Lee County Deserves: Experience Matters
★ Leadership, Value, Experience & Honesty * Clerk of Superior Court (7 years)
★ Committed to the Community ★ Board of Ecjualization Secretary (3 years)
★ Dedicated to Progress ★ DFACS Services Board Member (5 years)
★ Leadership for ALL of the people * Woman’s Club Member (4 years)
★ A Genuinely Caring Person * Past PTO offices in Lee County
* Past Ambassador Chamber of Commerce
Paid for by the candidate