I was going to start by saying that we need more oil and Obama promises us algae. I started to do some research about algae oil and got a couple of surprises. It is claimed (I am still a cynic) that about 50 lbs of algae will produce 1 gallon of oil if, IF, the oil content is 40%. I couldn't find how high 40% is or if it is a pipedream. Still, what little I have looked at so far does make a point that algae can be grown in large amounts in a small amount of area. The big point I discovered that this could work if the government gave them TAX CREDITS for research and development. Note that, TAX CREDITS and not tax money.
This brings me to something else; I have been reading about the White City. That is the fair put together in 1892-93 by the city of Chicago to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus. Chicago pulled out all the stops to best Paris and show up New York City. Chicago has always had an inferiority complex when it comes to NYC. Anyway, a Chicago architect named Burnham was elected/hired to be in charge. Here is where it become relevant. Burnham had to have...something that would best the lastest thing in France, the Eiffel Tower. Now Burnham was getting funds from children, philanthropists, Chicago, and the federal government. Like Obama he could have done everything and tried anything regardless of the cost or common sense of the project. One such proposal was a log tower 5,000 feet high with a log cabin at the top. Unlike Obama, he didn't. He waited and listened. He investigated and thought if these people were crazy or not. Finally a young engineer came to Burnham with an idea. It sounded far-fetched and crazy but the engineer went back to Pittsburg and did the numbers. He came back on his own dollar and with his own plans paid for by himself. No government money involved here. Burnham looked it over and saw the numbers. It was incredible but the numbers looked very good. Burnham contacted George Ferris and said he could build his "wheel" of steel.
The point is that Burnham, with taxpayer funds, picked his projects carefully. The projected Ferris Wheel was incredible but the engineering worked.
I don't know if any Obama donor has money in algae (I won't be surprised now that Obama has brought it up) but this project makes more sense than Solyndra or the rest and it doesn't cost the taxpayer anything.
Maybe I'm wrong but then again.
