It is possible to keep up with science fairly well by visiting a few news sites weekly. EurekAlert is a good one.
http://www.eurekalert.org/bysubject/biology.php That URL is the biological sciences page, the home page directs you to various other sciences.
This week there is an article about the biological creation of silicon in marine sponges. Promises hope for cheaper silicon production in the future. Who knows, it might also be reversable to release oxygen from silica?
Sponge glassy skeletons and spicules are silica (silicon dioxide) not silicon. The cheapest source of clean silica is sand. Discarded rice hulls are loaded with silica. High temperature anerobic pyrolysis gets you silicon carbide (Carborundum) directly.
The use of marine sponges for any bulk commodity would be a disaster. The usable fraction is minuscule, they are slow growing, and Enviro-whiners would be all over you. The only organism not deserving of Enviro-whiner worship is an educated, productive human being who wants to keep his earnings for his own benefit.
In principle one could cell culture the stuff, achieving reasonable production at acceptable cost without bothering the oceans. That would be Franken-silica endangering our children with unknown hazards!
If you want oxygen, pull it out of the air or make it by electrolysis (nuclear submarines - lots of water and electricity costs billed to taxpayers).
Apparently you did not read the referenced article. Ergo, you are not addressing anything I said.
Dear Arrogathor:
A bit of contact with sentient reality is in order.
You wrote the following:
"This week there is an article about the biological creation of silicon in marine sponges."
Uncle Al called you on it.
Show some integrity. Admit your error.
If you like Biology News, I'm the webmaster of a website dedicated to it; I'm a PhD student working on AIDS and I post daily news taken from various sources (and filtered for relevance / coolness).
http://www.biologynews.net We have a discussion forum too
Kinda new site, spread the word if you like it. See you soon!
"Show some integrity. Admit your error." DA Morgan
No error, the problems with the biological synthesis of silicon for the computer industry were discussed in the article and the possible future applications of the method were also discussed. They answered Al's objections in the article. If he had read it, he would have known that. Obviously neither you nor he feel any need to know anything about what you are talking about before posting silly, and literally ignorant, statements.