Killing algae and making water blue
An economically viable way to do good stuff with gross water bodies
A reservoir in Utah has been transformed from a hazardous pea-soupy mess of harmful algal blooms into a clear blue body of pristine water, now safe for migratory birds, boaters, and the surrounding ecosystem.
That’s today’s Good Thing.
Harmful algal blooms pose severe threats to aquatic environments, human health, and local economies. Specifically, many algae can produce cyanotoxins that are poisonous to humans, pets, livestock, and wildlife. Exposure to these cyanotoxins has caused rashes, stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and even liver damage. Beyond the human troubles, there is the environmental hazard, beginning with depleted oxygen levels and extending to blocked sunlight, two negative effects which can effectively suffocate aquatic ecosystems.
This brings us to our hero. An extraordinarily good company called BlueGreen Water Tech, which has invented an environmentally friendly algicide that causes mass cell death within toxic cyanobacteria. But the death of the algae is just the beginning of the upside. The algae are carbon rich, and when dead the carbon sinks to the sediment level and allowing natural processes, we restore biodiversity and photosynthesis.
It’s a positive thing environmental and aesthetically.
Look:
The above before/after photographs depict the formerly contaminated Mantua Reservoir in Utah, now restored to a healthy state.
"Harmful algal blooms infect 60 million lakes around the world, ultimately rendering them dead aquatic zones. They also hold an untapped potential to remove 5-15 gigatons of carbon each year,"
- Eyal Harel, CEO of BlueGreen Water Tech.
BlueGreen funds these type of cleaning projects by selling carbon credits to companies looking to offset their greenhouse gas emissions. In the specific case of the Mantua Reservoir restoration 12,913 tonnes of carbon credits were sold to offset the cleanup cost.
Environmental benefits, financial sustainability, local happiness. It’s a good thing all-around.