Will pond scum become the new oil?

Hello guys…

My second article is quite interesting since it was discussing our world problem regarding fuel crisis which was facing every single of us.

Comments on articles 2: Will pond scum become the new oil?

When I found these articles, it was come unbelievable to me. As usual the more we questioning, the more we get closer to those unbelievable things.

Let me starting comment by put some of my working experienced. Working as a treatment engineer at national sewage company, I have to dealing with sewage treatment plant from oldest type up to the hi-tech plants. One of the non- mechanized plant we have an oxidation pond (OP). Here the problems get started with the pond scum covered on the surface of the pond. Now you know why I am curious: Will pond scum become the new oil?

For the first place, this article brings us to the respondent comment on the performance of algae fuel. Definitely, there haven’t any different by running this fuel compare with other biofuels. In fact, these biofuels runs smoother than diesel.

The best part is algae easy to be found. We can see the algae growth everywhere and doesn’t much care needed to make it well grow. Even, to us algae is unwanted plant which is grows quickly and will be doubles in short times. In other word, algae are free.

Unlike our biodiesel from palm oil which quite expensive and nowadays the production of palm oil somewhat demanding and it was contribute to the increasing of palm oil prices.

I think, this is the time for us to looking at algae fuel. Instead of cheaper than other sources, algae needs only sunlight, carbon dioxide, nutrients and water to grow. Government should playing their role to encourage our researcher to do more study and investigation on new sources of energy. In the preceding years, Malaysia just being followers to the other country who’s discovers new finding.

We having so many professional intelligent researchers who are able bring up Malaysia as a ‘country leader’. We might be discovered much more new energy sources not only algae. It’s just as algae, other waste from industry, agriculture, forestry, and households can also be used to produce bio-energy. For examples include manure, straw, lumber, garbage and food leftovers. Methane from anaerobic sewage also can be derive as new energy.

Currently, we haven’t heard or noticed any of new findings or research result from methane gas anaerobic in Malaysia. Hopefully there are still on going to complete the research otherwise they will be wasted government money. Algae, methane gas anaerobic sewage both are free source.

Government should increase the numbers of grants every year in order to encourage research to discover new energy sources. We are close to the day when our Prime minister will be announced the budget 2009 on this upcoming September. I hope that the grant for the R&D will be double through budget 2009 to ensure not only algae but also other new sources of energy. Now is the time to try and find some solutions to combat or fight to the current petrol price.