Pond Technologies Says Farming, Not Electric Vehicles, Is A Better Place To Look For Climate Change Solutions

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The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the roads will increase from 10 million in 2020 to 145 million by 2030. With companies like Tesla Inc. TSLA boasting the lower carbon footprint of its all-electric vehicles and other car manufacturers like Renault RNLSY promising to go all-electric in the coming years, the eco-friendlier alternative to combustion engines has generated a lot of buzz lately as a way to fight climate change.

But now experts are cautioning consumers that EVs aren’t necessarily a silver bullet to stop climate change. Instead, scientists and industry leaders might need to turn their attention to improving other sectors such as sustainable farming to make a bigger impact. That’s why emerging AgTech companies like Pond Technologies Holdings Inc. PNDHF are reporting working on synergistic solutions that not only offer greener agricultural solutions but also help tackle emissions from other industries. 

Sustainable Farming — Less Sexy, But A Bigger Impact on Climate Change?

That need to find solutions, rather than just slightly better alternatives, has led some to turn to agriculture — an industry that is both a leading cause of climate change and a potential source of greener solutions.

The livestock sector alone generates about 18% of total greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals used in farming also can contaminate water, pollute the air and harm ecosystems.

Simply by making agriculture more sustainable, then, the world could see a major reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a more efficient use of land, water and other vital resources. Meanwhile, that MIT study found that even in the best case scenario, putting more EVs on the road would only be able to cut emissions by about 5%. 

Pond’s Algae-Based Tech Might Show the Ripple Effect of Sustainable Farming’s Climate Benefits

Pond Technologies has developed a proprietary algae growing platform that can be installed in factories, plants or wherever carbon emissions are produced — and can be used to capture those emissions before they reach the air. 

Because algae naturally feed on carbon dioxide to grow and because it grows faster and with fewer resources than other plants that also absorb carbon, it’s an arguably attractive solution for tackling greenhouse gasses.

In the open pond systems that are traditionally used, however, the algae can only grow as fast as the conditions allow, meaning it won’t be as effective in colder, drier climates. It also takes up a lot of space since the algae only grow on the surface of the water. Finally, open ponds expose the algae to contaminants, so the algae that grow can’t always be processed into safe, usable products later on.

That’s what Pond states it set out to solve with its platform. It’s an enclosed tank, fitted with lights, sensors and multiple layers, creating an optimal environment for the algae and maximizing the square footage of growing space. The result is a system that harnesses the carbon-capturing power of algae without using up so much land while keeping the algae in a sanitary environment so that it can be harvested to make other eco-friendly algae products like biofuels and animal feed.

Pond could offer an example of how sustainable farming solutions can not only make farming greener but also have a ripple effect through other industries — capturing emissions from factories and plants and then providing eco-friendlier alternatives to fossil fuels, plastics, and other products that so many industries are currently dependent on. 

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