> I was recently presented with a supposed "scientific paper" that was
> meant to prove that algae based biofuels were unscientific hokum and
> snake oil. I was, to say the least, rather upset when I read this paper.
> I am not a scientist and all the stuff about PAR's and joules and the
> like was really confusing. But I think I managed to deal with all of
> that and still find the false framing.
>
> http://www.nanostring.net/Algae/CaseStudy.pdf
>
> In the "study" we find the following pronouncement:
>
> E is the Energy in the biomass
> PAR is the energy from the sun
> Q is the efficiencey of the conversion of sun energy to biomass energy
>
> W = PAR * Q
>
> All of this is well and good and reasonable. And then we have:
>
> Photosynthetic organisms use 8 photons to capture one molecule of CO2
> carbohydrate (CH2O). Given that one mole of CH2O has a heating value of
> 486kJ (486 kilo jules) and that the mean energy of a mole of PAR photons
> is 217.4kJ then the maximum theoretical conversion efficiency of PAR
> energy into CH2O is:
>
> 468kJ/(8 * 217.4kJ) = 27%%
>
> Well!!! GIVEN that the moon is made of green cheese and Pinocchio Bush
> tells the truth then the economy is sound and stabilizing. This dude is
> hoisting himself over a fence by grabbing his own underwear. I could not
> find any credible source for these "givens".
>
> But I will leave that aside for sake of argument and just "give" him his
> "givens".
>
> I am going to guess at this because that is what I do. I am not a
> scientist. I am a poker player.
>
> What is missing from this frame job is that great and wonderful
> realization in economics of the "unseen". Yes, we can "see" that these
> photons were absorbed by the algae as the algae made these CH2O things.
> But what happened to the rest of the energy? Did George Bush spend it on
> imperialism? Did those thieving Democrats use it to bribe the welfare
> bums?
>
> The envelope please:
>
> It says here that the rest of the energy bounced off or passed through
> this particular algae or this square micrometer of algae or this bag full
> of algae and it is still available. It did not run away and join the
> circus. It is still available to be used by a different algae.
> That's right! 73%% of the energy is still hopping around in the immediate
> vicinity and available to be used by another fuel producing algae. And
> if we can just manage to get this algae into the vicinity of this
> available energy then it too will suck up 27%% of what is left on the way
> to being 10%% efficient in making some fuel.
>
> Later in the document he uses the 27%% to produce the 10%% because we all
> know that the algae are going to use some of the energy (some of the 27%%)
> for reproduction and respiration. But the problem will inevitably trace
> back to the 27%% false framing and the assumption that the rest of the
> energy just disappeared.
>
> Still later in the document he speaks of the patent awarded GreenFuels
> for a system that seems to do the conversion at more than 40%% (of the
> 10%% or the 27%% or whatever) and accuses the patent office of malfeasance.
> The truth is that bio-reactors _USE_ that reflected/passed through energy
> that was not used by the first plane of algae. Even in a pond the second
> plane of algae will use the energy that passed through the first plane.
> Most of the energy is actually reflected and that is how we are able to
> _see_ the pond scum.
>
> It seems a good probability that this guy's last job was as a consulting
> scientist to a tobacco company. He has now been hired by the league of
> oil and nuclear fascists to fight the competitive free market algae
> farming economy.
>
> --
> "I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers
> of society but the people themselves; and
> if we think them not enlightened enough to
> exercise their control with a wholesome
> discretion, the remedy is not to take it from
> them, but to inform their discretion by
> education." - Thomas Jefferson
> http://GreaterVoice.org/extend