New Horizons in Science

Using corn, says Michael Webber, is the worst way to make biofuels. His alternative? Algae. It can be used to make oils, jet fuel, and animal feed, among other valuable commodities. It grows rapidly, and it cleans water as it grows. Texas has all the ingredients to make it work: ample sunlight, unused land on which to set up tanks, the official algae collection at the University of Texas, contaminated water, and a pipeline system already in place, courtesy of the oil industry. Texas is also the national leader (by far) in wind resources, with three times more than any other state. And it has a forgiving legal system. “In Texas,” says Webber, “we trade blight for money. This isn’t Cape Cod; you can’t sue somebody for blocking your view.”