Large-scale challenges |
|||
Today , there are nearly eight billion human beings on Earth . By 2050 , according to the United Nations , that number will have reached 10 billion . With our resources dwindling a little more each day , one thing is clear : we must rethink our consumption patterns . Here too , algae have more than one card to play . |
|||
The first challenge is to replace fossil fuels . No less than that ! It ’ s an ambition that is not as fantastical as it may sound . The algal biomass , created as plants transform light into energy , is a potential fuel source that only needs to be harnessed in order to overcome the problems of reducing our reliance on non-renewable energy . Electricity , biofuel ... ideas are rife . |
|||
S ’ inspirer |
What about tomorrow ?
Algae are at the heart of pretty much everything we consume , but they play a more important role too : they are a fundamental component of our existence on Earth . More than half of the oxygen in our atmosphere comes from the oceans . In other words , from algae . Gigantic reservoirs of biodiversity , they are the food chain ’ s most fundamental producers and constitute the most extensive habitat on the planet , housing an enormous number of species . Their extraordinary complexity and unique properties are still largely unknown , but it ’ s already clear to see that algae provide the answers to the crucial challenges we are facing .
|
For example , the ability to capture atmospheric carbon and their lightning-fast growth ( up to 90 centimetres per day for some species !) make algae a powerful ally in the fight against global warming . Once we recognise this , there are numerous avenues to explore – from the glaringly obvious to the most unlikely of solutions . While some dream of forests of living algae to ease the burden on Planet Earth , others can already envisage algae taking over our streets : Parisian architecture firm XTU , for example . Their concept of bio-facades filled with algae would make it possible to regulate the interior temperature of buildings – drastically minimising our energy consumption – and to depollute cities , courtesy of algae ’ s ability to absorb carbon . A little futuristic , perhaps , but undeniably daring . |
Next – if the algae has any energy left – another challenge awaits , and not a small one : to become the alpha and omega of our plates . It ’ s a prospect that does not daunt scientists and industrialists who see farming algae as a viable alternative to livestock farming . After all , algae require minimal space , grow extremely fast , and only need salt water and sunlight to grow . As if that wasn ' t enough to recommend them , they are full of protein , fibre , iron , and vitamins . Would you like some more seaweed ?
70 % of our planet is covered in water . According to the Safe Seaweed Coalition ( whose work is led by the CNRS and supported by the United Nations ), if we dedicated just 2 % of the ocean to seaweed cultivation , we could feed up to twelve billion people ... Another possible route , which will please committed carnivores : the Journal of Cleaner Production suggests that if we were to change the diet of livestock to an algae-based regime , methane emissions ( a greenhouse gas that has 25 times more effect on global warming than CO 2
) from cows would decrease by 98 %. Now there ’ s an idea that would give us a new perspective on the seabed !
|
36 |