Boeing Boeing: A Company of Wonderful Things

Perhaps it's just Seattle nostalgia, but I seem to be becoming a bit of a Boeing fanboy of late. Today, via Slashdot, this item from the Stuff website in New Zealand caught my eye:

Air New Zealand and airliner manufacturer Boeing are secretly working with Blenheim-based biofuel developer Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation to create the world's first environmentally friendly aviation fuel, made of wild algae.

If the project pans out the small and relatively new New Zealand company could lead the world in environmentally sustainable aviation fuel.

. . . .

The fuel is essentially derived from bacterial pond scum created through the photosynthesis of sunlight and carbon dioxide on nutrient-rich water sources such as sewage ponds.

. . . .

Virgin Fuels announced in April it was working with Boeing to demonstrate biofuel in a 747-400. The focus is on testing algae-derived jet fuel, especially its freezing point.

Boeing's Dave Daggett was reported this year as saying algae ponds totalling 34,000 square kilometres could produce enough fuel to reduce the net CO2 footprint for all of aviation to zero.

I can imagine the pre-flight announcements now -- "In the event of a water landing, please remain in your seats; we're just refueling."