- Seetang is a versatile food that delivers important minerals such as iodine, magnesium and calcium.
- Adding algae extract to cattle feed could help reduce their methane emissions.
- Sea bar can also be converted into biodegradable plastic.
Agriculture is one of the pillars of modern society. While people allowed people to switch from nomadic tribes to urban inhabitants, modern agriculture and animal husbandry have a large disadvantage and agricultural agriculture is one of the leading drivers of climate change that makes up about a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. But what if there was a solution that did not require a country or fresh water, offered a nutritious and delicious source of food and could even turn into biodegradable plastics and manage methane emissions? It is not too good to be true: it is seatang.
What makes seatang so special?
Sea tang, the edible algae that grow over oceans and bays, is a nutrient -rich plant that is usually eaten in Asian cultures. From the Nori, with the sushi rolls to the Kombu infused in Umami-rich Dashi, Seeang is an important part of a large number of dishes. Depending on the type, it can be crispy or delicate and salty or sharp. It is also one of the few foods that have the potential to remove carbon from the atmosphere and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“I grew up in the sea, so I saw first -hand how much soiling ends there,” says Randra G. Packer, head chef and founder Evoke 1923Who is passionate about cooking with algae. “The ocean is resilient, but it won’t always be so unsuccessful.”
He sees Seetang as a serious advantages, both for the potential to relieve some effects of climate change as well as for its rich micronutrient profile. “Sea bar is nutritious and gives a dish that they cannot replicate with other ingredients, taste and texture,” says Packer.
Health advantages of seaweed
Seang is highly explained in micronutrients such as magnesium, iron, calcium and vitamin K Alexis Law, RDN. It also contains polyphenols that can help reduce inflammation and the risk of heart diseases, she says. She suggests enjoying seatang in a salad or sprinkling on a bowl of salmon, rice and cucumber to increase a thrust of taste and nutrition.
But these are not all the nutrients that contain seatang: “Sea bar can be a big contribution to iodine in nutrition, which our body does not do itself,” says Law. Iodine is crucial for the metabolism and health of thyroid glands and particularly important for those who are pregnant.
How does SEETANG benefit agriculture in the environment?
Seang has a low CO2 footprint, explains Rod Fujita, Ph.D., Director of Oceaninovations. Fujita, a leading researcher for marine and aquaculture researchers, says that these algae have great opportunities to have real effects on our carbon consumption. While it is optimistic about the use of seaweed as part of the solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Fujita notes that nutritional changes are not the driving factor. However, there are various other options for how seaweed production can have a remarkable influence on the environment.
Carbon sequest
Fujita says that there is urgency to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions as well as to remove from our atmosphere. Sea bar helps on both fronts. It absorbs carbon from the ocean, which can reduce the carbon concentration of the water. This enables the ocean to absorb more carbon from the atmosphere – a process that is known as a carbon sequestration.
Nevertheless, the full carbon capital potential depends on algae on what happens after growth. If the seatang is eaten by fish or microbes or when the carbon escapes during the decomposition, part of the confiscated carbon is released. The scaling of the algae agriculture could increase the environmental advantages over time, but the current effects are modest.
Alternative fertilizers
One of the most exciting opportunities is to use agriculture in agriculture. It can help to contain the greenhouse gas emissions in the cattle ranching, and seatang could be used to absorb the pollution in our waterways and even limit future water pollution.
Cattle are important methane emitters. However, investigations show that adding from Seang to your food can significantly reduce methane production. This is due to the fact that Seetang contains bromoform, a connection that reduces methane in the digestive systems of cows. According to Fujita, this could make a large dent in emissions. However, excessive bromofform can be toxic for cattle, so that more research is required to determine the safe and effective use.
Seetang can also help combat nutrient pollution in oceans. The drainage of agricultural fertilizers often carries nitrogen and phosphorus into the ocean and overloaded water with nutrients. Since seatang naturally absorbs these connections, it could play a role in cleaning dirty waterways. In addition, seaweed can be processed into a nutrient -rich extract that promotes plant growth. By supplementing with sea tone extract, farmers can reduce their dependence on expensive synthetic fertilizers that are a main source of water pollution. This shift could offer both agricultural and environmental advantages and possibly also save farmers.
Bioplastics
Another promising innovation? Biologically degradable plastic from seaweed. Traditional petroleum-based plastics can take centuries to break down-and never fully decompose to fragment in microplastics instead. The planet contains around 6.9 billion tons of plastic waste. More than three quarters of them are now in landfills, and the United Nations environmental program says that the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks with plastic is unloaded into the world’s oceans, rivers and lakes every day. This drop in plastic changes the ecosystems by destroying natural habitats such as coral reefs and violating or killing the life of the sea.
While Fujita says that bio chest is probably not completely replaced on a petroleum basis, the shift in equilibrium could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its production, disposal and burn.
There are already companies that transform seatang into plastics. Take based in San Francisco Vary. They created a pellet from seaweed that can be used to do practically everything that is made of plastic, and the packaging is compostable – at home or in an industrial composting system.
Tips for adding seatang to your diet
Some of the most obvious ways to eat seatang may be in sushi roles or roasted seafash snacks. But don’t stop there. “When I used seaweed in dishes like oysters, guests are usually fascinated by the taste and visual attraction,” says Packer. “The seatang from Takaki Kaizo particularly entails a great texture and color, so it is not just an accent, but something that increases the dish. As soon as people try, they often comment on how refreshing it tastes.” As a rule, you will find algae in the international part of most large grocery stores, especially dried varieties. For a broader selection, however, you have to visit an Asian grocery store or shop online.
Most of the sea are sold dried, and many recipes require rehydrates in water. Look for dried wakame and hijiki -setang to make seaweed salad. Rehydrate The dried algae in a bowl with warm water until it is tender, which can take about 20 to 30 minutes. Then just throw a dressing with Miso, soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegar. Miyeok-Guk, a Korean seagull soup, is often made from rehydrated dried brown algae (Miyeok or Wakame), garlic and sesame oil that are cooked in an aromatic broth.
To give your diet even easier, try to sprinkle cut, cut, roasted Nori leaves over cereals, salads or crispy tofu.
Our expert
The algae color may not be a silver ball for climate change – but your environmental promise is real. From its role in carbon questification and reducing methane up to its potential for sustainable packaging and agriculture, Seang stands up as a rare win-win-win situation: nutritious, versatile and low impact. And while the biggest advantages in the way we are using seaweed outside the kitchen, it is a healthy, sustainable step that is worth taking a healthy and sustainable step.
