The increased use of fossil fuels has led to huge amounts of CO2 (a greenhouse gas responsible for global warming) being released into the atmosphere. In our previous blogs, we talked about ways to reduce carbon emissions to meet global carbon-neutrality goals.
However, did you know that seaweed can help to save the planet too? It's true! More and more research shows that algae-based CO2 conversion is a very cost-effective option for reducing one's carbon footprint.
What is Algae and why is it important to us?
Algae is the term used to describe a large group of photosynthetic organisms, which unlike plants do not have roots, stems or leaves. Algae are used in different industries, for example, kelp (a large, brown, slippery seaweed) can be used to make many products, including toothpastes, shampoos, dairy products and a range of healthy foods. However, when grown in the sunlight, kelp absorbs significant amounts of CO2 and releases oxygen into the atmosphere.
According to the book called "Algae" (see sources below), algae grows extremely quickly, and it can capture 5 times more Co2 than trees.
This is the day 1 Kelp, a type of Japanese giant kelp called "Kombu"
This is the size it grew to in 4 months!
According to the studies outlined in the book, an area of 1 Acre (4000 m2) shall be able to capture about 2.7 tons/day of CO2. This is about the size of a 63m x 63m plot.
So, not only does kelp have the potential to produce valuable products at the end of the growing process, it can also provide a sustainable alternative solution for storing carbon dioxide and it's scalable too!
This is the first blog in our 4-part series about Kelp. In our next blog, we'll explain more about how accessible kelp is, how it's actually being used to counter-act climate change, and how you can become involved too!
To find out more in the meantime, or to chat to us about anything in our blog, please let us know!
Source: https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/65952?fbclid=IwAR1oHYo-0KDM4FVKAqLxqxEQcxxralY2xZmbH2yy3WnnFR3_FAp7rKqrCIY#B2
Picture has been provided by Sachiumi : https://sachiumi.com/