Can Pond Scum Save the World?
Dr. David Clements of Trinity Western University discussed the "Iron Hypothesis" with the club.
There is an " iron hypothesis " that adding iron to the oceans will cause major growth of algae, which in turn will absorb significant amounts of carbon dioxide. There have been attempts to test this hypothesis. In 1999 iron was spread from a ship in the south ocean. Phytoplankton bloomed and there seemed to be a measurable reduction in CO2 levels. A pivate company formed and last year spread iron in the ocean waters off the B.C. coast. Results are inconclusive.
Algae may also be used as an alternate fuel to fossil fuels. 15,000 square miles of pond scum algae could replace all the fossil fuels used in the world. Corn is the most commonly used biofuel, but it is an order of magnitude less efficient than algae. Unfortunately algae contains fatty acids and attempts to genetically engineer a more suitable algae has been unsuccessful so far. Exxon has invested $600 million in research to develop a genetically suitable algae, but the latest reports are that a viable genetically altered algae is still 25 years away from being developed. The use of corn as a biofuel is still the standard.