My last post ("Collapse researcher calls for new energy sources") probably left you feeling a little defeated. I know writing it certainly made me feel a lot defeated. In it, I quoted Joseph Tainter, a well-known collapse researcher, as he explained how we are all doomed unless we make a major breakthrough in energy supply. And he didn't mean something small like cheaper photovoltaic panels. Tainter was talking about a huge breakthrough, something that turns traditional energy thinking on its head. Not seeing anything like that on the horizon, one can understandably begin feeling a little... well... let's say not so optimistic.
I am now coming out of the funk. But first, a little backstory.
Over the winter of 1998-1999, I worked for six months as a technology consultant for Celera Genomics in Rockville, Maryland. Celera was in full throttle start-up mode preparing to sequence the human genome.* My involvement ranged from configuring the gene-sequencing servers to collaborating with president and chief scientific officer J. Craig Venter and science journalist Barbara Culliton as they hashed out how to share information about the human genome with the world.
During my time at Celera, I developed tremendous respect for Craig Venter and his ability to execute within the context of a seemingly impossible large-scale scientific project. What's more, I saw first-hand the quality of the people, the best in the world in their respective fields, who are willing to give up whatever else is going on in their lives to join Venter's ambitious projects. Those people make the impossible happen.
In the context of that backstory, I am pleased to see that Craig Venter's latest project is aimed at answering Tainter's call, at creating a new breakthrough-level energy source. You can see from the last five minutes of Venter's 2008 TED talk ("Craig Venter is on the verge of creating synthetic life") that he gets the severity and urgency of our food, fuel, and pollution problems. Though not a philosopher, Venter is also not a mad scientist bent on taking over the world (as some portray him). He may be ambitious, but he understands the world and the constraints within which personal ambition must operate. In his TED talk, he concluded by saying, "We're a ways away from improving people. Our goal is just to make sure that we have a chance to survive long enough to maybe do that."
Several signs indicate that a breakthrough is not far away.
In February 2008, Venter said his organization was only eighteen months away from creating "4th generation fuel" from lab-designed algae. I suspect these algae and the associated production process would be designed from the ground up with large-scale, efficient production in mind--the kind of efficient production that may actually have a chance of competing on a cost basis with traditional energy sources... and be quickly commercialized by the energy industry.
Just a week ago, Venter's company, Synthetic Genomics, announced a major partnership worth $600 million with Exxon Mobil. This is Exxon Mobil's first entry into biofuels and demonstrates some impressive salesmanship (likely backed by some equally impressive R&D) on Venter's part. This follows an existing (but unrelated) agreement with BP.
So when Craig Venter says he is only months away from creating biofuel from genetically engineered algae, I believe him. Not that he necessarily has all the details worked out, mind you, but that he has the best minds in the world working diligently on the problem like there is nothing more important. And perhaps there isn't.
* For an interesting narrative on Celera Genomics and J. Craig Venter's race to map the human genome, see The Genome War by James Schreeve.
I am now coming out of the funk. But first, a little backstory.
Over the winter of 1998-1999, I worked for six months as a technology consultant for Celera Genomics in Rockville, Maryland. Celera was in full throttle start-up mode preparing to sequence the human genome.* My involvement ranged from configuring the gene-sequencing servers to collaborating with president and chief scientific officer J. Craig Venter and science journalist Barbara Culliton as they hashed out how to share information about the human genome with the world.
During my time at Celera, I developed tremendous respect for Craig Venter and his ability to execute within the context of a seemingly impossible large-scale scientific project. What's more, I saw first-hand the quality of the people, the best in the world in their respective fields, who are willing to give up whatever else is going on in their lives to join Venter's ambitious projects. Those people make the impossible happen.
In the context of that backstory, I am pleased to see that Craig Venter's latest project is aimed at answering Tainter's call, at creating a new breakthrough-level energy source. You can see from the last five minutes of Venter's 2008 TED talk ("Craig Venter is on the verge of creating synthetic life") that he gets the severity and urgency of our food, fuel, and pollution problems. Though not a philosopher, Venter is also not a mad scientist bent on taking over the world (as some portray him). He may be ambitious, but he understands the world and the constraints within which personal ambition must operate. In his TED talk, he concluded by saying, "We're a ways away from improving people. Our goal is just to make sure that we have a chance to survive long enough to maybe do that."
Several signs indicate that a breakthrough is not far away.
In February 2008, Venter said his organization was only eighteen months away from creating "4th generation fuel" from lab-designed algae. I suspect these algae and the associated production process would be designed from the ground up with large-scale, efficient production in mind--the kind of efficient production that may actually have a chance of competing on a cost basis with traditional energy sources... and be quickly commercialized by the energy industry.
Just a week ago, Venter's company, Synthetic Genomics, announced a major partnership worth $600 million with Exxon Mobil. This is Exxon Mobil's first entry into biofuels and demonstrates some impressive salesmanship (likely backed by some equally impressive R&D) on Venter's part. This follows an existing (but unrelated) agreement with BP.
So when Craig Venter says he is only months away from creating biofuel from genetically engineered algae, I believe him. Not that he necessarily has all the details worked out, mind you, but that he has the best minds in the world working diligently on the problem like there is nothing more important. And perhaps there isn't.
* For an interesting narrative on Celera Genomics and J. Craig Venter's race to map the human genome, see The Genome War by James Schreeve.
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