The green sea algae that had threatened the Olympic sailing venue off the coast of Qingdao have been removed from the immediate area, but continue to spread elsewhere in the region. It looks like the Olympics will go on untroubled, but was there ever any serious doubt that it will? Was the algae bloom caused by human activities such as agricultural runoffs dumping excess nutrients into the water, or was it just a totally random and natural accident, an act of God? Either way sounds perfect.
On the other hand, various sorts of of algae have long been talked about as a promising source of second-generation biofuel, thanks to the possibilities for inducing characteristics such as fast growing rates and fatty composition. Many laboratories and companies out there have been trying to make it work, and soaring petroleum prices have given them more attention—just search “algae+energy” on Google—and, presumably, more investment.
Thank God for high oil prices. It’s saving Civilization.
“Thank God for high oil prices. It’s saving Civilization”