Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Steps on the road

For the last 24 months, identified from the sky-high oil prices in 2007 and 2008 and the development of different technologies for carbon capture and sequestration, biotechnologies, based on algae research and development, have been emerging on different parts of this planet. Simultaneously, many industrial plants, facing the reality of paying environmental fees and taxes, competing with production from rivals based in a lower wage economies and confronting the growing social displeasure about industrial carbon footprint, began to implement a socially responsible environment oriented strategies.

A part of these strategies are:
  • Lower carbon footprint, focused at carbon neutral economy,
  • Establishment of renewable sources of energy for independent and sustainable consumption and growth,
  • Environmental awareness and responsible behaviour of a corporate citizen,
  • Increased monetary outcome, based on environmentally friendly technologies, not the vice versa.
Several industries have already found that algae based technologies could be a step in the action plan to implement such as strategy. Not a single step, but nevertheless a step on the road. Whether they are based on open ponds or are grown in a photobioreactors, capture solar energy, or use artificial light in a specific spectral range, fix atmospheric carbon dioxide or CO2 derived from flue gases, employ natural strains or strains developed in a laboratory to fulfill a specific goal, algae technologies are here to stay and to prove economically viable in the next 5 to 7 years on a grand industrial scale.

Are these the high risk takers, or the early adopters of a disruptive technology, armed with a competitive advantage only the future will show. However, don’t rush to judge prematurely, as
  • Carbon recycling and regeneration is the golden standard in nature: life on earth is based on photosynthesis and it was going on and on for billions of years
  • Innovations have traced our long and successful evolution as species
  • Recovery of valuable substances in industrial waste is achievable goal with the help of microorganisms living in extreme environments
Opportunities exist, and it is a matter of creativity, knowledge and guts to go and to take them.

Yes, we can!