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Just finished a story about a Dow Chemical venture into a pilot-scale algae-based integrated biorefinery. Interesting piece. Algae still has hurdles, but the upside is HUGE.

Yet, Dow is seeking a Department of Energy grant to “demonstrate the technology at a level to sufficiently prove that it can be implemented on a commercial scale”. Read: Profitable.

Fine. I can handle the fact that Dow, a company that has made billions in profit over the years, needs my help to investigate the next big green development. Still, why is it that whenever Dow hits the next big breakthrough – using my money – the politicians get rewarded, Dow stock holders get paid, but I don’t?

What investor would ever agree to such an investment?

And it’s not just Dow. It’s many major companies. It’s certainly GM, GMAC, Citi, Chrysler, AIG, etc, etc, etc. Aren’t such companies forever indebted to the tax payers, to the people? Is it not we, the people, that are the real investors, not the government?