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Is algae the new kale?

nationalgeographic.com

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Re: Is algae the new kale?

#241

Post by ben_w »

socialismisok wrote: post #4

We already eat various forms of algae. Some are quite nutritious, some give us tummy troubles, some at excellent sinks for CO2. I'm very curious if we could mass manufacture something like algae and then pyrolize it to get fuel and solid carbon to sequester. If we find some good ideas for kelp, there's whole coastlines whose kelp forests have been decimated. We could start propagating and sustainably harvesting it an…

> I'm very curious if we could mass manufacture something like algae and then pyrolize it to get fuel and solid carbon to sequester.

For a while I was interested in algae biofuels. IIRC, the problem is other life tends to get in and eat the algae you want while blocking the pumps and filters you need to maximise growth.

(But I've been out of that loop for a while now, so for all I know some random YouTuber has found a solution).

Re: Is algae the new kale?

#242

Post by pvaldes »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #82
somebody78978 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Algae isn't an experimental food; plenty of rich people eat sushi, for example.

Isn't that seaweed? I'm confused.

Seaweed is a very confusing term, yes.

Should be used for marine weeds [upper plants with flowers], but the term refer to algae that are a different category. Some algae are plants. Other are neither plants, animals or fungi and have their own category.

Re: Is algae the new kale?

#243

Post by pvaldes »

ck45 wrote: post #24
presidentender wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It may be practical to feed that beef algae instead of corn.

It’s supposed to reduce cow farts. See e.g. https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/09/24/seaweed-to-cow-fee...

We had explained yet here why this point of view is incomplete and wrong.

If you provide antibiotics to a cow they probably will fart less, but also will grow poorly and will not produce good milk. Cows need their gut bacteria to liberate the nutrients in their food and remain healthy.

Many macroalgae have antibiotics as chemical defenses so feeding cows with it is the same as feeding cows antibiotics. Its ability to eat cellulose will be destroyed.

Even worse, this algae they evolved to use chemical defenses, so they grow slowly and only in a narrow ring around the continents. If some thing grows slowly, to harvest it at large amounts will destroy the resource in no time. Is a totally non-scalable plan.

Feeding cows with Chondrus is a false solution. If we try this path I predict that we will soon hit a dead end.

Feeding cows with Spirulina would fall into a different situation and maybe could work (but Spirulina is contaminated and spoiled easily).

Re: Is algae the new kale?

#244

Post by ac29 »

Gordonjcp wrote: post #189
gruez wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>A: grossly overstated (you can't grow anything except grass on most land) The overwhelming majority of soy grown globally is fed to livestock. That's definitely does not fall under your category of "can't grow anything except grass on most land". "More than three-quarters (77%) of global soy is fed to livestock for meat and dairy production. Most of the rest is used for biofuels, industry or vegetable oils. Just 7%…

That's because soy isn't really suitable for human consumption, and about 80% of the soy plants that you grow consist of stuff that humans can't eat. How do you plan on solving the problem of eating the bits of soy plants that humans can't eat?

> How do you plan on solving the problem of eating the bits of soy plants that humans can't eat?

Is this really a problem? No one is suggesting we stop eating fruit just because we cant eat the leaves, branches, and roots.

Re: Is algae the new kale?

#245

Post by rdedev »

algoatecorn wrote: post #19
oifjsidjf wrote: post #3

While real sea-grown algae might be light what will happen is the same as with modern animal and plant farming: animals are fed corn which makes their meat sub-par nutrientwise and most of the soil for plants is depleted. So if we now grow algae in "reactors" their nutrient profile will be artificial and out of line of their natural counterparts, thus making them no better than any other modern highly processed food,…

What do you mean sub-par nutrientwise? In terms of average health outcomes, does grassfed beef show a significant benefit compared to feedlot finished beef?

It is sort of possible that if we optimize for yeild, the nutrient value of the algae might decrease. I remember a veritasium video where they showed how increase in CO2 caused plants to grow faster but have less nutrient density

Re: Is algae the new kale?

#246

Post by maxbond »

paulcole wrote: post #235
maxbond wrote: post #79

I've had the pleasure of having freshly harvested spirulina. It was buttery and wonderful and rich, eating a few grams felt like a big slice of chocolate cake. Eating algae is not a compromise or a burden, it's a fabulous luxury we should all experience.

This is so offensive to chocolate cake that it makes me doubt you’ve ever had chocolate cake.

I was also surprised the first time! I've got nothing to sell here, that's just my experience.

I've had delicious rich chocolate cake and delicious rich spirulina, on a spirulina farm, that I had harvested earlier in the day. I spent several years studying microalgae & running bioreactors, until the pandemic threw a wrench into things.

Re: Is algae the new kale?

#248

Post by paulcole »

maxbond wrote: post #246
paulcole wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is so offensive to chocolate cake that it makes me doubt you’ve ever had chocolate cake.

I was also surprised the first time! I've got nothing to sell here, that's just my experience. I've had delicious rich chocolate cake and delicious rich spirulina, on a spirulina farm, that I had harvested earlier in the day. I spent several years studying microalgae & running bioreactors, until the pandemic threw a wrench into things.

Sorry just can’t take that comparison seriously.

Re: Is algae the new kale?

#249

Post by HKH2 »

ericmcer wrote: post #105
wintermutestwin wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>because beans and rice are healthy I disagree. A high carb diet make me fat. A high protein diets does not. There is no vegan way for me to eat my daily protein target without eating far too many carbs along with it. (edit: I should have stated that there is no way beyond eating highly processed foods)

I feel the opposite, as soon as I start supplementing with whey protein or adding meat I put on muscle and weight, but with mostly beans/rice/lentil diet I have consistent energy and stay light. I think the "protein" obsession we have currently (even my milk carton brags about protein content) might be dialed back in the near future. It came from the weight lifting community, and lifting weights is one of the least h…

Eating too much protein is quite difficult if it's not processed. The same goes for fat. It's why people can lose a lot of weight quickly on the keto diet. You put on weight or feel hungry when eating carbs because they can't satiate your hunger.

I don't kid myself. I know the feeling of being hungry when I'm supposedly full. I know the feeling of being sleepy after a big lunch. If you stop eating carbs you get neither of those things.

The obsession with protein is rooted in the fact that your body hungers for protein, and eating whey protein is definitely not the healthiest way to consume it.

Re: Is algae the new kale?

#250

Post by maxbond »

paulcole wrote: post #248
maxbond wrote: post #246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was also surprised the first time! I've got nothing to sell here, that's just my experience. I've had delicious rich chocolate cake and delicious rich spirulina, on a spirulina farm, that I had harvested earlier in the day. I spent several years studying microalgae & running bioreactors, until the pandemic threw a wrench into things.

Sorry just can’t take that comparison seriously.

Feel free to interpret chocolate cake as a metanym for a rich, filling food, I didn't mean to say they were similar in any regard other than that. If cake is an unhelpful comparison for you for whatever reason, disregard it, it's not important.
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