As the world looks for ways to cool our warming planet and pivot away from energy and food sources that create the gases that heat it up, Europe has turned its focus to a surprising potential solution: algae.
According to Euractiv, the European Algae Biomass Association (EABA) is showing that its industry is in a boom period, thanks to algae's versatility and usefulness.
Part of the appeal of algae as a solution to a variety of problems is that it serves as a carbon sink. Algae are plant-like organisms — primarily aquatic and frequently microscopic — that can absorb a stunning amount of carbon when properly deployed, as well as filtering toxins and other harmful chemicals out of water supplies.
As the industry scales up and algae farms are constructed, one algae-farming firm cited by Euractiv projected that algae biomass could remove between 13 and 20 gigatons of carbon dioxide per year from our atmosphere.
As algae thrive in saltwater and other harsh water conditions, they are practically perfect for the circular economy.
On top of that, algae have massive potential beyond just cleaning our environment. Companies are experimenting with using algae as food, as they are rich in vitamins and nutrients, while needing far less space to produce protein or cooking oil than other sources. They're also a possible fertilizer for farming, as Euractiv details.
One company working with algae is Global Algae, which highlights how pollution from agriculture and the transportation sector are two significant issues. However, it says that its algae-based animal feed and biofuels can reduce heat-trapping pollution compared with the processes of soy meal production and petroleum production by 60% and 94%, respectively.
"Building algae farms to stop deforestation and enable regrowth of tropical rainforests without loss of production or revenue could reduce carbon emissions," said Global Algae, a promoter of the biomass industry.
Europe isn't the only place investigating the power of algae; Australia recently discovered an enzyme in blue-green algae that could help to create more climate-resistant crops — an increasing area of focus as rising temperatures have supercharged extreme weather events.
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As we learn more and more about algae as a solution to a number of our problems, expect the biomass industry to grow. According to Euractiv, the EABA hopes to overcome the bottlenecks that are present in its industry via financial incentives, and the market is expected to surpass €8.2 billion (around $8.9 billion) by 2033.
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