Sustainable Urban Living: Green Solar Energy for Food and Biofuels Production - Design with the Desert: Conservation and Sustainable Development - page 422

Fuels-
green
diesel

Fisheries

Fuels-
jet fuel,
hydrogen

Fodder

Food
ingredients

Fuels-
fossil

Products

Food Biofuels

Food Fuels-

cooking

Green solar
gardens

Fine
medicines

Fresh
water

Novel
solutions

Ecological
solutions

Famine and
disaster
relief

Fresh
air

Foreign
aid

Forests

Fabrics Fertilizers

FIGURE 24.6
Green solar products and solutions.

around new crops such as guayule, a plant that produces natural rubber, and jojoba,
with a seed than produces oil. Similarly, early attempts at new growing systems such
as hydroponics failed to live up to their hype. However, none of these new products
offered a strong competitive advantage or an expansive product mix. Algae offer an
intriguing ecological design that meets and aligns with the conservation needs of the
West and Southwest.

24.9 Algae Production Aligning with Ecological Design
David Orr, in his article in this topic on ecological design, suggests mimicking nature on
six dimensions in order to craft successful ecological models. Table 24.4 illustrates how
algae could provide an effective model.
Algae's adaptability make in sufficiently malleable to fit numerous ecological design
variations based on situational need such as access to waste CO 2 , wastewater, or other
needs. In the near future, every wastewater treatment facility, dairy, power plant, and other
air, soil, and water polluter may build algal production systems to turn their waste streams
into revenue-producing products. Transforming waste streams to food and energy near
urban centers will reduce transportation costs significantly while assuring a reliable and
affordable source of food.