BLACKSBURG, Va. (UPI) -
Gas-producing bacteria
someday may provide. a new
source of energy.

The bacteria have been
discovered recently in a
rapidly-growing seaweed
known_as California giant
kelp. Methane gas is‘a by-
product of the decay of the
kelp.

Virginia Tech scientists
believe the kelp can be
harvested as a sort of
vegetarian offering for the
nation’s energy hunger.

While examining the kelp

under. super-sensitive micro-. .

scopes, scientists discovered
the bacterium which appears
to be previously unknown to
man.

“The methane-producing
bacteria are completely
unique from any life form as
we. know it,” said Dr.-James
Ferry, a microbiologist who
leads the Virginia Tech
research effort. “They are
essentially a new life form.”

identification of the
obscure bacteria apparently

came simultaneously at
several institutions, in-
cluding Tech and the
Univeristy of Illinois.

Ferry estimates that
research aiming toward

: More
‘boat people’
for Canada

EDMONTON (UPC) -
Canada will admit another
10,000 Indochinese “boat
people” bringing the federal
government's program to a
total of 60,000 refugees over
two years, Immigration
Minister Lloyd Axworthy
has announced. -

Axworthy said tran-
sportation arrangements are
now under way to bring the
goverment sponsored
refugees to Canada by the.
end of the year.

Under the previous ceiling |

of 50,000 refugees, Canada
had received approximately
34,000 persons by the end of
February - 12,400 of which
were sponsored by the
government while the
remainder were sponsored
by private charity groups.

The federal government
will provide ac-
commodation, food and
clothing to the additional
10,000 people, he said, but
private groups will be fully
assisting immigration  of-
ficers to help the refugees
integrate into Canadian
society.

‘I do not intend to place a
ceiling on private spon-
sorships,” Axworthy said.
“But with the commitment of
10,000 additional refugees,
we are pressing the limits of
our operational capacity.”

Immigration officials will
immediately contact private

charity groups to begin
. Processing the additional
refugees, he said.

Last year, the Con-

servative government came
under heavy criticistfa from
the Liberal opposition for
ending federal support for
the refugee program when it
became known the private
groups were picking up more
of the total cost.

converting kelp to natural
gas has reached ‘the break-
even point in dollar terms -
but there are still obstacles
to overcome.

A major stumbling block
has been space in which to
grow the kelp.

“There have been plat-
forms built 100 feet above
the ocean floor that the kelp.
is anchored to,” he said.
“We have the technology
now to provide 3 per cent of
the nation’s energy. But
you'd need an area the size
of California to supply 25 per
cent of the country’s total
energy needs.”

To overcome. the
problem, a costly effort is
underway at Virginia Tech
to produce the methane-
producing bacteria in large
numbers in the laboratory.

The bacterium, which in a
natural setting uses energy
from the sun to fuel its
growth, is dependent on two
other bacteria in the kelp
food chain. —

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The first link of the chain
is a bacterium that degrades
microorganisms. The second
link produces a ‘chemical
that is.in turn, passed on to
the third link - the methane-
producing bacteria.

If Virginia Tech scientists

can unlock the secrets of the
methane producers’ growth,
Ferry believes it would lead

to laboratory production of .

natural gas.

Success lies partially in
isolating each link of the
chain in a lab setting, which
Scientists have so far been
unable to accomplish.

“It's done in an environ-
ment that is totally air-free,”
said Ferry. “But that's. ex-
tremely hard to do. The
bacteria eventually die off.
Also, they work in close
association with one another
and if one is upset, it throws
the whole thing off.”

But Virginia Tech is
generally recognized as one
of the world’s leaders in
anerobic microbiology and

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all | ow UT

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tire

Ferry
dollar grants to .the school

‘from government and in-

dustry have permitted an
increase in research.

- About $6 million has been
donated to its research from
the Department of Energy,

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“It could be a very viable ~
alternative source of energy.
But it would never be the 3
cure-all.” Ferry said.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
AND THE ACHIEVEMENT
OF GOOD.
by DORCAS W. STRONG, CSB

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' Member of the Christian
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