The new gasoline alternative: Seaweed?

Gizmodo just posted this article about a lab that has found a microbe that uses very little energy to convert the sugars in edible seaweed to ethanol. The article says that using seaweed could only really account for 1 percent of the nation's gasoline - but if it works, how bad of an idea can it be?

Gizmodo touches on the simple facts that actually make this a great idea;

1. Seaweed is grown underwater, so it wouldn't take up any crop space above ground
2. It grows without fertilizer or irrigation
3. It doesn't require much energy to turn into fuel
4. Biofuels (the future alternative to fuel) are extremely expensive and difficult to make


Personally, I'd like to know who thinks of these things. Of course there are people with scientific backgrounds who spend their lives coming up with genius ideas to make the rest of our lives easier and more efficient - but seaweed? fuel? seaweed-fuel? Very impressive.

Check out the article at Gizmodo.com, or if you want the full scientific article, check it out on Scientific American.