Seaweed for climate change

My project response to the climate change problem. Greenhouse effect gases such like CO2 and methane are in too high concentrations in the atmosphere. Cattle represents up to 18% of global greenhouse emissions.

My project would reduce those concentrations in two ways:

-Reducing up to 99% the methane emitted by cattle.

-Growing seaweeds would reduce CO2 concentration.

This idea, if scaled globally, would not only reduce both gases but also be a cattle feed source which does not require land to grow, nor fresh water because seaweeds require marine water. That will be important looking forward to the future since we already lack farmland and fresh water.

A secondary but also important effect of the feed I propose is the increase of energy efficiency. Livestock methane emissions require energy, and our seaweed's methane inhibition leads to more energy intake from the cattle

The problem is huge: Climate change. Global warming threatens to change our lifestyle all around the world and one of our principal ways to fight it is reducing greenhouse emissions and atmosphere concentrations.

Principal greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Their concentrations are increasing every day all around the world, and they increase so fast that we cannot only reduce emissions, we have to push forward and reduce their concentrations, extracting them from the atmosphere. And it is because no matter how fast you reduce your emissions if another country or another factory are emitting tons of those gases every day.

That makes the problem hard to solve, specially when those countries who try to reduce their emissions do not make enough efforts to balance those who do not make efforts. 

This is why I think my project is important, because solves the problem making a food source for cattle, independent of fresh water and farmland, which besides is effective, moneymaking and independent of current politics.

The solution I propose is a feed for cattle, composed by seaweeds. But not only random seaweeds, which would also reduce greenhouse effect via photosynthesis, but also specific seaweeds, which are able to reduce methane emissions up to 99%, at the same time that increase the yield of the feed. 

Summarizing, my solution is a feed which increases the cattle growth and milk yield, at the same time that almost remove methane contamination by cattle.

My solution is made for cattle owners, because they are the one who will buy the feed. I am talking with cattle owners to understand them and try to fix their needs. 

However this project serves every person in the world, in two different ways:

First of all, my idea would reduce climate warming due to reduction in methane emissions and extraction of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

In second place, it would increase the food yield in cattle, so it would increase the global food production

My idea would reduce methane emissions and carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere. That would make us protect our ecosystems from climatic change, slowing it down.

However, this is not the only way it would help. A feed composed by seaweed do not need fresh water but sea water. They also do not need farmland, because they grow in water. This would help to reduce the 75% of the Earth land area we have already degraded.

Lastly, my idea would improve the meat production, which is also important in a world full of droughts and with so high population.

After a year of work, I have a solid concept of what I am doing, and I worked on fixing the obstacles I saw.  I still did not test my product because the lack of resources, but I have being reading a lot of while this year and I am pretty sure about what I developed, although I could not test it yet.

There already exist cattle feeds made by seaweeds which reduce methane emissions. But they not only do not increase the growth rate or milk yield but sometimes they reduce them. They sometimes bring troubles to the cattle because reducing methane production from cattle may lead to digestive problems. Producing methane is necessary for the cattle, so if we deny them to produce it, it is going to affect the cattle negatively. 

My idea is innovative exactly because I solved the problems derived of denying methane production, and it not only makes the feed healthy for the cattle but also increases their yield.

First of all, I have to define what's serving to someone. I think my idea will serve someone when that person is buying my feed for their cattle. So I can only serve cattle owners, when they buy my feed, even thought my idea is good for climatic change and global hunger, between others.

As my idea is not still launched, it is still serving zero people.

However, I do not want to lie or so be too optimist. I think another year of work may lead to serve to 5-10 people.

Nevertheless, I expect to be serving to at least 100 people who buy my feed after five years of work.

The team is only made by me, Adrián Rodríguez, for now. I will need more people in the future, but I am still starting.

I studied biology degree and understood the importance of stopping climatic change. Meanwhile, I could only think that the only currently possible way to stop climatic change was to make money at the same time that you stop it.

As society, we already know how to stop it. We simply do not want to expend money. We live in a world ruled by money, so lets earn money doing what the planet needs.

I am still working alone so I do not think about this yet. Nevertheless it is something to keep in mind. I do not care about who I am hiring in my business, as long as can do the work I need of that person.

Nevertheless, we all have prejudgements, so the only fair way to hire someone is not asking for photo or name in the curriculum. I think about that way to reach a real equity, diversity and inclusion.