Embrace what might be the most important green technology of all time. It Could Save Us All | George Monbiot
So what do we do now? After 27 summits and no effective action, it seems the real goal was to get us talking. If governments had taken the prevention of climate degradation seriously, there would have been no Cops 2-27. The big issues would have been resolved at COP1, because the ozone layer depletion crisis was resolved at a single summit in Montreal.
Nothing can now be done without mass protest, whose goal, like that of the protest movements that precede us, is to reach the critical mass that triggers a social shift. But, as all protesters know, that's only part of the challenge. We must also translate our demands into action, which requires political, economic, cultural and technological changes. All are necessary, none is sufficient. Only together can they represent the change we need to see.
Let's focus on technology for a moment. Specifically, what could be the most important environmental technology ever developed: precision fermentation.
Precision fermentation is a refined form of brewing, a way to multiply the microbes to create specific products. It has been used for many years to produce medicines and food additives. But now, in several labs and a few factories, scientists are developing what could be a new generation of food staples.
The developments that I find most interesting do not use any agricultural raw material. The microbes they spawn feed on hydrogen or methanol – which can be made with renewable electricity – combined with water, carbon dioxide and a very small amount of fertilizer. They produce a flour that is about 60% protein, a much higher concentration than any major crop can achieve (soybeans 37%, chickpeas 20%). When bred to produce specific proteins and fats, they can create much better substitutes than plant products for meat, fish, milk and eggs. And they have the potential to do two amazing things.
The first is to reduce the footprint of food production to a remarkable degree. An article estimates that precision fermentation using methanol requires 1,700 times less land than the most efficient agricultural way to produce protein: soybeans grown in the United States. This suggests that it could use, respectively, 138,000 and 157,000 times less land than the least efficient means: beef and lamb production. Depending on the electricity source and recycling rates, it can also lead to drastic reductions in water use and greenhouse gas emissions. Because the process is contained, it avoids the worldwide dumping of waste and chemicals caused by agriculture.
So what do we do now? After 27 summits and no effective action, it seems the real goal was to get us talking. If governments had taken the prevention of climate degradation seriously, there would have been no Cops 2-27. The big issues would have been resolved at COP1, because the ozone layer depletion crisis was resolved at a single summit in Montreal.
Nothing can now be done without mass protest, whose goal, like that of the protest movements that precede us, is to reach the critical mass that triggers a social shift. But, as all protesters know, that's only part of the challenge. We must also translate our demands into action, which requires political, economic, cultural and technological changes. All are necessary, none is sufficient. Only together can they represent the change we need to see.
Let's focus on technology for a moment. Specifically, what could be the most important environmental technology ever developed: precision fermentation.
Precision fermentation is a refined form of brewing, a way to multiply the microbes to create specific products. It has been used for many years to produce medicines and food additives. But now, in several labs and a few factories, scientists are developing what could be a new generation of food staples.
The developments that I find most interesting do not use any agricultural raw material. The microbes they spawn feed on hydrogen or methanol – which can be made with renewable electricity – combined with water, carbon dioxide and a very small amount of fertilizer. They produce a flour that is about 60% protein, a much higher concentration than any major crop can achieve (soybeans 37%, chickpeas 20%). When bred to produce specific proteins and fats, they can create much better substitutes than plant products for meat, fish, milk and eggs. And they have the potential to do two amazing things.
The first is to reduce the footprint of food production to a remarkable degree. An article estimates that precision fermentation using methanol requires 1,700 times less land than the most efficient agricultural way to produce protein: soybeans grown in the United States. This suggests that it could use, respectively, 138,000 and 157,000 times less land than the least efficient means: beef and lamb production. Depending on the electricity source and recycling rates, it can also lead to drastic reductions in water use and greenhouse gas emissions. Because the process is contained, it avoids the worldwide dumping of waste and chemicals caused by agriculture.
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