Green Eggs and Ham to Green Gas in Car

Would you fuel your car with this?
Would you fuel your car with this?

            In the 1960’s when the book Green Eggs and Ham was released, going green indicated the color of a child’s face when they were too sick to go to school. Yet when the story about taking something natural, like ham and eggs, and turning it green became popular, the world was never the same. Ever since Dr. Seuss’ green inspiration, the world can’t get enough green. The new form of green, currently in the process of being heavily researched, is the transformation of algae to oil. In 1996 the U.S. government stopped its algae-as-fuel research program because it thought it could never compete with petroleum oil. However, with a new eco-friendly mindset, people are realizing the potential in algae:

  • Is plentiful
  • Can be processed into oil and gas
  • Won’t compete with food supply
  • Help solve global warming by growing off of power plant’s carbon emissions and greenhouse gases

            With the recession causing a 10 percent drop in the oil industry, companies are struggling. One of these companies is ExxonMobil, who is currently hurting from the 66 percent drop in second-quarter earnings. ExxonMobil’s new strategy to help business: go green. It is all over the media, on highway billboards, internet advertisements, and television commercials. ExxonMobil is taking action in the research of algae into oil by investing $600 million towards research. And what do they ask of you? For your support by purchasing gas at ExxonMobil stations. The media can’t get enough of the return of the algae-as-fuel push, and stresses that even the worst things for the environment, transportation that doesn’t include a bicycle or Razor scooter, are not so bad after all. In fact, the media urges people to fill up their cars from companies that support the algae research. So much for spending $22,000 on a Toyota Prius. I’ll just drive my Hummer to the nearest ExxonMobil station, fill her up for $67.84, and give me a Save the Planet sticker.

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