Episode 8: Algae as a Renewable Energy Resource
What You'll Learn in This Episode
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Career Path: How Christy Sterner transitioned from a cashier at Target to a leading role in the Department of Energy, emphasizing the importance of people skills.
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Algae as a Renewable Resource: The various applications and benefits of algae, including its use in creating fuels, chemicals, and consumer products.
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Algae Prize Competition: The structure and goals of the Algae Prize competition, which encourages innovation among high school to graduate-level students.
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Importance of the Blue Economy: How the blue economy aligns with sustainable practices and renewable energy initiatives, particularly through the lens of algae technology.
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Future of Bioenergy: The vision for a circular bioeconomy and the steps needed to achieve it, including research, development, and education.
Impactful Quotes
"Every job I've ever had, starting with that one all the way up through this one, has to do with people and the relationships that we have—how we treat and support each other and how we make things happen by working together."
"Renewable energy resources are resources that we have domestically, we can use right here, that are renewable. Meaning they don't go away, they come back and we can reuse them and do what we do with them over and over and over."
"Algae can be used as building blocks for fuels, chemicals, products like surfboards, tennis shoes, clothing—you name it."
"Getting younger generations interested and excited about these opportunities that were once thought unrealistic but are now very real is crucial."
"It's about all of us working together. I think we're headed down that path... but it's going to take time, research, and education to make it a reality."