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Algae just isn't as funny as Gingrich thinks it is.
Campaigning in Tennessee yesterday, Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich decided to revisit a subject most in his party had already given up on.
"Algae," Gingrich confirmed. "I think this is a 'Saturday Night Live' skit. You don't often get presidential speeches that could literally be delivered on 'Saturday Night Live' and you wouldn't realize it was a fake. But presidents are supposed to, like, run the country today," said Gingrich, a futurist who has been mocked fairly mercilessly on "Saturday Night Live" for his embrace of exploration that could lead to a moon colony.
"Maybe we should, as an experiment, get some algae and go to a gas station, and you know, sort of the 'Barack Solution.' Would you like some algae instead of gasoline? This is the kind of stuff that's Cloud Cuckoo Land," said Gingrich.
Even by Gingrich standards, this is just sad.
Two weeks ago, President Obama spoke in Miami about energy policy, touting his "all-of-the-above" agenda, and sharing his comprehensive vision. Towards the end of the speech, he mentioned, "We're making new investments in the development of gasoline and diesel and jet fuel that's actually made from a plant-like substance -- algae."
What's wrong with that? Nothing. Among those who take energy policy seriously, the biofuel reference was routine and expected. It's not an 'SNL' skit; Obama didn't suggest filling your car's gas tank with algae; and the whole subject matter was rather unremarkable.
Indeed, the irony of all of this is that a variety of prominent Republican officials in both the House and Senate have been enthusiastic supporters of funding algae research. If Obama's in "Cloud Cuckoo Land," he's hanging out there with GOP policymakers, industry leaders, and experts in energy policy.
Does Gingrich not understand the basics of biofuel research, or does he assume that Republican primary voters are easily fooled with nonsense?
Finally, if there's anyone in American politics who should avoid discussions of "Cloud Cuckoo Land," it's Newton Leroy Gingrich. The disgraced former House Speaker has, after all, talked about defeating North Korea with space lasers, giving laptops to the homeless, touting the benefits of old-school orphanages for children, and fearing the scourge of atheistic Islamists.
Biofuel research is both reasonable and routine, and in comparison to Gingrich's agenda, it's about as common as the sunrise.
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Science was NOT Newt's strong point in school obviously!
It is amazing that the republican voters are not angered by the way their candidates seem to think they are all a bunch of illiterate nincompoops.
Projection, you just pick any particular social group of which you do not belong, like say liberals, and transfer your feelings of anger and frustration to that entire group in general, calling them dumb, ignorant, or equally degrading names, which allows you to feel superiorized and much more smartyish.
How is it that every time Newt opens his mouth he spits out a piece of doggie dung?
"Does Gingrich not understand the basics of biofuel research, or does he assume that Republican primary voters are easily fooled with nonsense?"
No, Gingrich knows that Republican voters are easily fooled with nonsense.
Yup. He's a con man, a grifter, and understanding the gullibility of your mark is an essential skill in that field.
"Does Gingrich not understand the basics of biofuel research, or does he assume that Republican primary voters are easily fooled with nonsense?"
You have to ask?
Why can't it be both?
Most people will purchase crap in a can if it says "fancy" on the label.
Then the same people will get very upset after opening the can.
The disgraced former House Speaker has, after all, talked about defeating North Korea with space lasers, giving laptops to the homeless, touting the benefits of old-school orphanages for children.....
You forgot lighting highways at night with space mirrors.
Michael Keaton in "Night Shift:"
Bill: I'm an idea man Chuck, I get ideas, sometimes I get so many ideas that I can't even fight them off!
Bill: What if you mix the mayonnaise in the can, WITH the tunafish? Or... hold it! Chuck! I got it! Take LIVE tuna fish, and FEED 'em mayonnaise! Oh this is great. [speaks into tape recorder] Call Starkist!
(Thanks, IMDb)
What's really sad is that when those of the GOP go flaming into obscurity they go flailing, clutching at everything as though they're in quicksand......Sad, pathetic, empty....
You people are dumb as rocks. Gingrich's point was that in the next 10 to 20 years, this tecnology will develop, but pretend that it is going to meaningfully supplemnet fossil fuels is fundamnetally dishonest.
Maybe you libs should do some research before opening your ignorant mouths.
Thank you for explaining Newt's point. That he needs a high-level interpreter for "Cloud Cuckoo Land" is quite obvious. Perhaps you could interpret all the moon base stuff as well for us earth-bound rocks?
Or, maybe pretending because Newt is a Republican that somehow makes him meaningful is equally dishonest.
God, you morons will believe anything MSNBC will feed you.
Like the wild and crazy guys in the US NAVY :
U.S. Navy Conducts Its Largest Algae Biofuel Test Ever
http://cleantechnica.com/2011/11/29/u-s-navy-conducts-its-largest-algae-biofuel-test-ever/
Or Maybe those nutbars over at the US AIR FORCE
Algae to solve the Pentagon's jet fuel problem
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/feb/13/algae-solve-pentagon-fuel-problem
You really need to stop using Republican press releases and Faux news as your sources
Algae is used for everything from making plastics to ice cream. You probably couldn't build a moon base without it.
NationalSponsor, you need to do a little research on bio fuels before opening your pie hole. Algea is a great source of fuel and easily converted into bio diesel.
Little does he know, his pie hole accepts algae. Another spoonful of carrageenan, anyone. Yummmm.
red algal species produce different types of carrageenans used in foods*
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrageenan
Former Speaker Gingrich is mirroring the desperation of the entire GOP.
The have failed as an ideology and also in practical governance. They only things they have mastered is the art of talking points and attack.
Stick a fork in them, they are done.
Oh, to harness the energy of conservative comments. The radiant hostility of National Sponsor's post is warming my house like a Trombe wall.
A SIGN FOR THE TIMES
Algae were first explored as a fuel alternative in 1978 under President Jimmy Carter. Gas prices had skyrocketed, lines at the pump were endless, and the government was looking to help ease the crisis. The Aquatic Species Program run by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, researched high oil-output algae for biofuel. After testing more than 3,000 types of algae, the program concluded that the high-yielding plant, if produced in large enough amounts, could replace fossil fuels for home heating and transportation purposes.
Taken from Science.HowStuffWorks.com
Going to a gas station and asking people if they'd like to put some algae in their tanks instead of gasoline makes as much sense as asking them if they'd like to throw in some dirt ('cause oil comes out of the ground and hence the typical Republican voter might believe that's what makes it) or ... er ... algae, since that's what in-the-ground oil comes from as well. (unless you hold to the abiogenic petroleum formation flat-earth society, that is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum#Formation )
Someday- in the far, far distant future- people will be able to communicate over long distances- without wires!
"HAH! Cloud Cuckoo Land!" Alexander Graham Bell. 1876
It sounds a bit like Newt is on campaign trail for Santorum. Research and college educations are not in the best interest of the U.S. Wouldn't want to think outside the wallet of the oil campaign supporters.
We make gasoline from crude oil and corn. Does Newt think that when you go to a gas station you ask them to fill your tank with crude oil and corn? I realize that he thinks a lot of people are stupid, but this doesn't even take a lot of thought to work through the science. Even a moron, heck even a Republican is smarter than that.
Wait, let me check MSNBC and see what my opinion is on that...hahaha.
How does Newt think he will get to the moon? Hot Air?
Mocking something like algae as a fuel is very counterproductive to alternative fuel research. But in Republican's minds oil and nuke is the only way to go so this must be funny I guess.
Conservatism means don't change, just keep using oil forever, in spite of it's cost and security risk.
Not to mention in light of recent events in the Gulf and Japan oil and nukes are the most risky fuel to use.
I find it interesting that he is campaigning against algae in TN considering that Oak Ridge National Lab and UT-Knoxville are helping to write the book on biofuels, with a chapter surely devoted to algae (figuratively speaking). Well, maybe not interesting. Maybe closer to annoying. We can go on and on about how these candidates do not understand science. That maybe if they had good science advisors, they'd understand having a multi-faceted approach to energy independence. And just maybe, with the right diagram, they'd understand that biofuels does not mean that you fill up your car with bacteria or algae at a pumping station that is essentially one, big continuous feed bioreactor. Hog wash. They drop a few key words and sling a few zingers to get a crowd fired up because without the hooting and the hollering, their egos would deflate and take all the wind out of their sails. And given that Mr. Gingrich probably thinks wind energy is funny, too, he'd be SOL if the wind ceased to blow, due to the fact that he just could not bring himself to admitting the solution to a deflated sail. Wind. Kind of ironic for a big bag of wind.