Algae - the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Any blog posting on "algae" is probably out of the ordinary anyway so no one will be surprised that I am reversing the order of this posting's title as I comment:

UGLY:

Algae itself is a very simple life form and is not particularly attractive -- essentially it reminds me of my last prom date. (ok - I admit it , I did not take a date to prom but you get the idea)

BAD:

As the science community tells us "algae blooms" represent the "Bad" of global warming --

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403140928.htm

"Harmful Algae Takes Advantage Of Global Warming: More Algae Blooms Expected
ScienceDaily (Apr. 7, 2008) — You know that green scum creeping across the surface of your local public water reservoir? Or maybe it's choking out a favorite fishing spot or livestock watering hole. It's probably cyanobacteria -- blue-green algae -- and, according to a paper in the April 4 issue of the journal Science, it relishes the weather extremes that accompany global warming."

GOOD:

Yet in the July 17, 2008 edition of the New York Times newspaper we find this article title, "Planes that are Quieter, Cleaner and More Efficient are in Demand". As the article noted Boeing Corporation is experimenting with a "tank of bright green algae, the potential feeding ground for a jet fuel substitute."

SUMMARY:

So let me get this straight -- people should reduce their air travel to help cut emissions which cause global warming which causes algae blooms but yet algae is also viewed as a "feeding ground for a fuel substitute (NYT)".................

Looked at another way - so we should drive our SUVs and fly to faraway places for vacation (like Stockholm to accept our Nobel Prize Mr. Al Gore?) so that we use up these evil fossil fuels which produce global warming which of course produces algae blooms which of course might supply an alternative fuel source to replace fossil fuels.................. I am dizzy!

Then again we were all told not to eat bacon in the 1980's due to "high levels of nitrates" but no one is focused on this "bacon crisis" today so clearly the scientific research has changed. For more on bacon please visit -- http://www.baconunwrapped.com/

Green yet confused,

Todd