When oil prices soar to places they've never risen to before, unconventional sources of energy become ... well, less unconventional.

Consider the recent attention given to the lowly algae, and its ability to make fats. The fats can be made into refined crude oil in the same way ground crude oil is refined. But in order for crude oil from algae to be made into commercially viable quantities, certain algae must be selected as well as genetically modified to overcome its tendency to slow down the output of fat. Bio-crude has a decidedly green benefit: While fossil fuels release carbon dioxide, growing algae absorbs carbon dioxide.

Bill Gates has seen the potential dollar signs. One algae biofuel company, Sapphire, speaks of supplying crude for $50 to $80 a barrel, and Gates has invested a large portion of the $100 million that the company has raised in the last year. Sapphire aims at producing 10,000 barrels a day — a drop in the bucket compared with our nation's 20 million barrels a day habit.

But you gotta start somewhere.

Questions can be sent to Jim Parks at jrparks@mac.com. To find out more about Jim Parks and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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