The world is a growing and prosperous place where more and more people are living on the planet, longer than before, and living longer and healthier lives thanks to modern medicine. Industry, businesses and farms are growing at an exponential rate and need more vehicles and more ways to get their goods to consumers. But as more and more people live longer and our fuel needs increase day by day, this puts a strain on our energy needs, fuel needs and our ability to produce and grow food. . With this new growth, a product is needed to fuel the growth. While coal and oil contribute the majority to our expansion, we have found new methods to be able to power our vehicles and heat our homes with biofuel that is much cleaner and does not have a limited quantity like alternatives to fossil fuels . The most common biofuels we use come from corn and other crops that are typically used in our food supply. But that's the problem: it robs us of our food supply that we could use elsewhere, such as for commerce or simply to feed ourselves. The alternative to food biofuels is that based on algae. First explored as an alternative fuel in 1978, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Aquatic Species Program studied algae's high oil production. Researchers tested more than 3,000 different types of algae and found that if produced in mass quantities, they could replace fossil fuels for heating homes and transportation. To better understand why researchers chose algae as an alternative fuel source, let's learn more. Algae is a plant-like organism that has over 100,000 different species in the family, each occurring in a different form...... middle of paper .... no published data on seaweed consumption the gasoline of the car or on the type of emissions produced by the car due to the fuel. Another problem with biofuel is a method of growing algae. Open pond cultivation is risky because the algae can easily become contaminated and the pond in which it grows has to be pumped carbon dioxide into which, if not properly monitored, could destroy the ecosystem significantly. wild, killing many inhabitants. As well as the amount of maintenance and care required so that the algae can grow at the best rate. But biofuel labs have found a way around this problem by using closed bioreactor systems so they don't risk harming the environment and have much more control over the algae themselves. But until more major oil companies decide to research and develop this product, we'll just have to settle for reading about any new developments that happen..