Screenshot 2023 02 17 110114 The Tiny Superhero - How Algae can Help Fight the Climate Crisis

The Tiny Superhero – How Algae can Help Fight the Climate Crisis

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Trees are a great way to pull carbon out of the atmosphere, cool cities down, and relieve stress. But what if there was a way to remove carbon 400 times more efficiently than trees? Enter algae.

What is Algae? How can we Use it to Reduce Carbon?

Algae is found in all corners of the world, in the oceans, on land, and even in Antarctica! It isn’t one group of organisms; but a general term for an extensive group of tiny photosynthetic eukaryotic cells.

These organisms are exceptionally efficient at capturing carbon because their entire surface area is dedicated to photosynthesis (the process in which cells intake CO2 and output oxygen). In trees, only the leaves and a little bit of the stems perform this critical process. Algae will pull more carbon from the atmosphere given the same amount of space as trees (or any other plant). If grown in bioreactors, algae can intake 400 times more carbon than trees.

What are Bioreactors?

The most efficient way to grow algae is relatively easy to do and comes along with other benefits. In bioreactors, algae is put under transparent glass with access to the atmosphere, sunlight, and nutrients from wastewater or other sources. This technology can be organized into one large complex or individual washing machine-sized devices. The former allows for centralized and easy-to-manage carbon reduction using wastewater as a nutrient source, providing natural water treatment at a low cost. The latter can be placed all around a city to “spread the wealth” of cleaner air and does not require a large plot of land.

An issue with bioreactors is that they require a lot of energy to maintain specific temperatures, provide light and circulate water. However, this is still a new and ever-developing technology, and more investment and technological improvement will help it increase its energy-efficiency. One way to reduce the energy used is to build reactors with algae native to the region where they are being installed, leading to fewer temperature adjustments. As the technology improves, the reactors will find better ways to allow natural light to enter the reactor. Another positive is that while they take a lot of energy to run, they also produce energy that can partially offset their electricity toll. While energy consumption is and always will be a challenge humanity faces, renewable and clean energy is on the rise. This means that energy consumption by algae bioreactors is becoming less of a problem, while the benefits of their carbon intake are becoming more critical as CO2 levels continue to climb.

Other benefits of bioreactors include:

  • Natural water treatment. Using wastewater as a nutrient source for algae has the added benefit of removing a lot of biomass and other harmful substances from our sewage.
  • Oxygen production. While intaking carbon, algae produces oxygen. Higher oxygen concentrations help with lung repair and make breathing more efficient.
  • Biomass for energy or consumption. Algae can be used as a protein source or to burn to make energy.
The Tiny Superhero - How Algae can Help Fight the Climate Crisis
Different types of algae bioreactors

Bioreactors in the Home

But it isn’t just the government and corporations who can afford bioreactors. You can have one in your own home! Countertop bioreactors are mainly marketed as a protein source, but they also do a great job of cleaning air within the home by intaking CO2 and producing oxygen.

These natural air purifiers also help reduce emissions from the food we eat. Common protein sources, such as meat, are very harmful to the environment. There are issues of emissions, water use, and land degradation from producing the meat itself. Then, the food must travel long distances for packaging, storage, purchase, and consumption. All of these steps produce carbon and harm the environment. Even vegan options have their downsides of water use and still suffer the same transportation drawbacks as meat. Algae grown in domestic bioreactors can be added to a person’s diet as a high-protein supplement to reduce their toll on the land, water, and air. Home-grown algae isn’t eaten as a bowl of straight green sludge (although it could be since the type of algae typically used, spirulina, is tasteless when grown fresh). But instead, by incorporating a more appetizing form into smoothies, sauces, and dressings.

Other health benefits of eating spirulina include:

  • High vitamin and mineral content
  • Boosted immune system
  • Reduced inflammation
  • Reduced risk of oral cancers
The Tiny Superhero - How Algae can Help Fight the Climate Crisis
A countertop bioreactor

A Multi-Faceted Solution

The climate crisis is an issue that cannot be combated with just one strategy. Bioreactors offer an exciting new way to reduce carbon in our atmosphere while providing many other benefits. But, they are not the ultimate solution to climate change. Other efforts to reduce emissions must continue to be made. That said, the hope is that algae bioreactors will be implemented in cities and homes at a large scale within the next few years. Some Western European countries have already started to use industrial-scale reactors, and algae is already being incorporated into many diets. The future of this technology is bright (and green).

Works Cited

AuArchitecture. “Medium Density Development.” ArchitectureMagazine, 31 May 2017, www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/medium-density-development. Accessed 1 Feb. 2023.

Authors, Race to a Cure. “The 5 W’s of Urban Sprawl.” Race to a Cure, 13 Apr. 2021, www.racetoacure.org/post/the-5-ws-of-urban-sprawl. Accessed 1 Feb. 2023.

Gielen, Christoph. “Urban Sprawl in the United States: 10 Incredible Aerials.” TwistedSifter, 22 July 2010, twistedsifter.com/2010/07/urban-sprawl-aerials-christoph-gielen/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2023.

Glaeser, Ed. “The Benefits of Density.” Lsecities.net, Dec. 2020, urbanage.lsecities.net/essays/the-benefits-of-density. Accessed 1 Feb. 2023.

Karpinska, Lilia, and Sławomir Śmiech. “Shadow of Single-Family Homes: Analysis of the Determinants of Polish Households’ Energy-Related CO2 Emissions.” Energy and Buildings, vol. 277, 15 Dec. 2022, p. 112550, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778822007216, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2022.112550. Accessed 2 Feb. 2023.

Long Island Weight Loss Institute. “Surprising Health Benefits of Getting Fresh Air – LIWLI.” Long Island Weight Loss Institute, 28 May 2020, liwli.com/surprising-health-benefits-of-fresh-air. Accessed 13 Feb. 2023.

Mallach, Alan. “Densifying Suburbs Is the Better Path to Housing Affordability.” Shelterforce, 10 Aug. 2020, shelterforce.org/2020/08/10/densifying-suburbs-is-the-better-path-to-housing-affordability/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2023.

ThinkInsure. “Commuting in Canada | Commuting Stats, Times, Facts, Tips.” Www.thinkinsure.ca, 2 Dec. 2022, www.thinkinsure.ca/insurance-help-centre/commuting-times-and-facts-in-canada.html. Accessed 1 Feb. 2023.

West, Ed. “Suburban Street after Densification.” UnHerd, 29 Jan. 2020, unherd.com/2020/01/roger-scrutons-solution-to-the-housing-crisis/suburban-street-after-densification/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2023.

IMG 20230126 123819178 Simon Lindsay Stodart scaled The Tiny Superhero - How Algae can Help Fight the Climate Crisis

About Post Author

Simon Lindsay-Stodart

Simon is currently studying sustainability at McGill University with a minor in Political Science. He is passionate about sustainable urban development, state-level action, and individual sustainable lifestyle changes. He has been a passionate advocate for climate change prevention since he was very young, and likes to present ways to solve the problems we face as a society and as individuals.
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