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Conservatives have been vocal about our climate for years. Those voices won’t be ignored any longer.

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The oceans play a crucial role in tempering the effects of climate change by serving as a critical carbon sink, absorbing vast amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). Algae is an invaluable contributor to this process as its responsible for one-fifth of the global carbon cycle. These photosynthetic plant-like organisms are up to 50 times more efficient at trapping CO2 than terrestrial flora per unit area and grow exceptionally fast under the right conditions. These features are attracting entrepreneurs, companies, and investors who want to accelerate the plants’ natural carbon sequestration functions. 

>>>READ: Seaweed Could Change Packaging As We Know It

A key player in this market is Brilliant Planet, a UK-based climate technology company. The startup aims to harness the power of marine algae to remove emissions by the gigaton, and then sell its service within the broader carbon marketplace. Brilliant Planet relies on a mix of modern engineering coupled with the carbon-capturing capacities of some of the world’s most ancient aquatic organisms.

The startup essentially replicates the natural algal coastal blooms that sustain marine ecosystems –– albeit on land. Adam Taylor, CEO of Brilliant Planet, claims that the company has devised a method to exponentially cultivate the organisms, commencing in a laboratory beaker and culminating in 12,000-square-meter pools of locally sourced seawater. Taylor asserts that the process emulates natural algae bloom, with a single test tube of algae proliferating to occupy 16 of these extensive pools—equivalent to 77 Olympic-sized swimming pools—in just 30 days. 

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The first step to emulating and enhancing this natural process is to grow an algal “starter” batch under highly controlled environmental conditions in the lab. In Brilliant Planet’s case, this means growing the monoculture in its seven-acre pilot site in Akhfennir, Morocco, a tranquil coastal desert town. 

After its incubation in the lab, the algae is transitioned to a semi-enclosed greenhouse, where it can grow exponentially while adapting to the local environment. The organisms are then transferred to expansive outdoor ponds, where nearly 90% of the total growth takes place.  

With the help of wind power, Brilliant Planet pumps nutrient-rich seawater into these open-air ponds, nurturing the microalgae until they reach harvest readiness.

Back to the lab. Advanced filtration technology enables Brilliant Planet to harvest a concentrated seaweed ‘slurry,’ while the filtered seawater is safely reintegrated into the ocean after undergoing de-acidification. Finally, the algae biomass is solar-dried and permanently buried underground, a process that securely locks away the carbon for millennia. Thanks to its high salt content and other properties that counteract degradation, the carbon-loaded material maintains exceptional stability over time. 

The entire process is powered by seawater and sunlight, enabling Brilliant Plant to capitalize on a highly efficient, nature-driven system with minimal input year-round. Additionally, the algae is readily verifiable and quantifiable; scientists simply weigh the biomass prior to burial and determine the amount of CO2 removed via physical sampling. Post-burial, high-tech sensors ensure there is no decay. Brilliant Planet is also working with independent verifiers like Isometric to develop a data reporting platform accessible to the public so that third-party buyers can be confident about the quality of the credits they buy. 

“Algae are the unsung heroes of carbon removal,” Taylor explains. “Algae are inherently more efficient carbon removal machines than terrestrial plants as they don’t need to waste biological resources on building a supporting infrastructure of trunks, roots and branches –– their entire surface area is dedicated to photosynthesis.”

“Seasonal algae blooms can transform thousands of square kilometers of ocean into very high productivity systems in just a few days,” Taylor notes. 

Brilliant Planet says that its facilities capture 30 times more carbon per year than an equivalent area of forest, all without encroaching on arable land (the company has pinpointed approximately 500,000 square kilometers of space around the globe where it can host its algae pools). And by allowing photosynthesis to do the hard work of carbon removal, Brilliant Planet says its energy and overhead costs are kept to a minimum. 

Compared to other carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategies on the market like Direct Air Capture, Taylor says his company can sequester CO2 for around one-tenth of the price. 

>>>READ: Can this Green Aviation Startup Deliver Truly Clean Flying?

The sustainability startup hopes to sell its service for around $100 a ton in the voluntary carbon market. Brilliant Planet already has a few major corporate buyers looking to offset their emissions in the ranks, including global financial services firm Block. Block has commissioned Brilliant Planet to eliminate 1,500 tons of carbon by 2027 at its upcoming demonstration site in southern Morocco.

Since its founding in 2013, the algaculture firm has secured a remarkable $26.7 million in funding through high-profile rounds, with notable contributions from investors such as Toyota Ventures and  USV. In its most recent Series A round in 2022, the company successfully raised $12 million in capital. Looking ahead, additional funding is anticipated this year, coinciding with the commencement of construction for a 30-hectare demonstration facility in Morocco, scheduled to begin in the second quarter.

Buoyed by a bullish carbon market, corporate demand for high-quality carbon credits continues to surge. A global carbon removal strategy that leverages the CO2-absorbing potential of algae with the reliability and quantifiability of man-made systems could be key to solving the climate challenge.

Nathalie Voit is a freelance content creator and a graduate of the University of Florida. She is an alumni of The Heritage Foundation’s Young Leaders Program.  

Lab Grown Algae Could Play a Pivotal Role in Reducing Global Emissions

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Starting with the state’s first oil well in 1866 and home of the fracking revolution more than a century later, Texas has long been a global leader in energy breakthroughs. In addition to being one of the world’s top producers of natural gas, the state is also the top national producer of wind and solar power, with a potential wave of geothermal incoming. Texas is adding more grid battery storage than any other state and could be a critical hub for hydrogen production. Now, the state is poised to increase its share of nuclear power, specifically advanced technologies like small modular reactors. 

>>>READ: Does the U.S. Need More Nuclear Energy?

Texas’ governor Greg Abbott recently delivered a speech at the University of Texas in Austin (UT Austin) where he discussed small nuclear reactors and their potential to deliver reliable, clean power across the state. “We’re going to be studying and evaluating the reliability, the safety of nuclear power,” he told the crowd. “And, if it passes all the tests, we will be looking to dramatically expand nuclear power in the state of Texas.”

Governor Abbott has long been interested in small nuclear. At his direction, the Texas Advanced Nuclear Reactor Working Group was formed in August of 2023. Led by Public Utility Commission of Texas Commissioner Jimmy Glotfelty, the group is researching the potential of advanced small nuclear reactors and strategizing how Texas could lead the nation in nuclear deployment. The group’s findings are due to Abbott by December 1, 2024. 

Gov. Abbott also spoke at UT Austin upon the founding of this working group, explaining exactly why he thinks the state needs to look to nuclear: 

“Texas is the energy capital of the world, but more important is what we are doing with that energy and what it means for our future in the state of Texas. Very important to our state is how we use energy to generate power for our grid. For a state that continues to grow massively, we are at the height of our production during the day, and we generate more power than California and New York combined. But we need more dispatchable power generation. One thing we are looking at with a keen eye is the ability to expand our capabilities with regard to nuclear generated power.”

Today, Texas is home to four light water nuclear reactors—Comanche Peak near Fort Worth and South Texas Nuclear Generating Station southwest of Houston. These reactors produced less than ten percent of Texas’ total energy in 2023. Small nuclear reactors could be easily deployed, scalable, and not reliant on large bodies of water for cooling like traditional reactors. While Texas is a state big enough to have major variations in population and climate from region to region, many sections of the state are arid and rural. Small nuclear can can fit different climates and any population size. 

>>>READ: Leading Experts Talk Energy Innovation

Many experts have questioned whether SMRs will be more economical than traditional nuclear, and Texas may be possibly the best proving ground. The state has a unique energy model that makes it independent of regional power grids. Thanks to this sort of deregulation, consumers in Texas can choose their own energy plans and providers while power plants are paid only when they generate electricity. If SMRs are deployed in the state, this sort of regulatory climate will prove whether or not they are economically viable. 

Safe, reliable, and clean, nuclear energy holds tremendous potential in Texas. The state’s exploration of advanced reactor concepts could unleash even more power production in Texas, allowing the Lone Star State to retain its title as the energy capital of the world. 

Texas Explores Expanding Advanced Nuclear Power

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Veronique de Rugy writes in Reason about California’s plan to ban diesel locomotives.

The C3 Take
  • California has introduced a rule that would phase out the use of diesel locomotives and force operators in the state to transition to all-electric trains.
  • Given the size of California’s economy, this rule would effectively be enforced nationwide.
  • This rule would increase costs for consumers, force smaller train operators to close, constrain supply chains, and have negligible environmental impacts.
  • California has to obtain a Clean Air Act waiver from the EPA before it can finalize this rule. C3 Solutions has submitted public comment to the EPA, urging them to reject California’s waiver.

“The cost-benefit analysis is woefully unfavorable to the forced displacement of diesel locomotives. To ‘help’ the transition, beginning in 2026, CARB will force all railroads operating in California to deposit dollars into an escrow account managed by the state and frozen for the explicit pursuit of the green agenda. For large railroads, this figure will be a staggering $1.6 billion per year, whereas some smaller railroads will pay up to $5 million.”

Read the full article here.

How California’s Ban on Diesel Locomotives Could Have Major National Repercussions

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Erik Kobayashi-Solomon of Forbes reports on a company that is reducing emissions and microplastics in construction.

The C3 Take
  • NILO, a New Zealand company, has developed a technology to convert plastic waste into a lower-carbon alternative to toxic adhesives used in manufacturing particleboard for furniture and construction.
  • NILO’s binder production has a 30% smaller carbon footprint than traditional adhesives, and by using nearly two-thirds of global plastic waste as feedstock, it aims to address plastic pollution while reducing emissions.
  • With backing from IKEA and regulatory tailwinds banning toxic adhesives, NILO is building pilot plants and plans to license its technology globally to partners seeking a sustainable, circular solution for particleboard manufacturing.

“NILO’s process innovates legacy wood fiber board manufacturing by replacing a toxic, carcinogenic, and high carbon footprint adhesive called urea formaldehyde (UF). NILO Binder generates fewer carbon dioxide emissions in its production process and emits no off-gasses, making the manufacturing process safer and more environmentally friendly while producing boards that are healthier to have in one’s home.”

Read the full article here.

Eliminating Microplastics And Cutting Emissions With Better Boards

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This article originally appeared in Newsweek.

With gas prices creeping upwards, election-year politics are already in full effect. At a recent conference, White House senior advisor John Podesta said the Biden administration would release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to keep prices at the pump affordable. But Podesta’s remarks come less than a week after the administration moved to block 10 million acres from developing oil and gas resources in Alaska.

>>>READ: Alaska’s Willow Project will Provide Energy and Economic Security

There may be some political logic behind these seemingly contradictory energy policies. Moving oil from the SPR could marginally reduce gas prices before November. Restricting access in a distant place, since the oil in question wouldn’t reach the market by election time, may appease climate hawks.

Whether those decisions are good politics is debatable, but they’re certainly bad policy—across economic, environmental, and national security fronts. The SPR is for emergencies such as significant supply disruptions, wars, or severe price spikes. It is not supposed to be used to score votes come election time. Blocking energy production in Alaska and across the U.S. will curtail investment, destroy jobs, and reduce future domestic oil supplies.

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Before slapping an “I did that” Joe Biden sticker on the fuel pump, it is worth noting that global supply and demand for oil, not presidents, control the price at the pump. However, poor policy decisions that adversely affect current and future supplies do fall squarely on President Biden’s shoulders. This administration has slow-walked lease sales, restricted access to energy-abundant lands, and nixed vital pieces of infrastructure such as the Keystone XL pipeline.

By blocking energy development in Alaska, Washington is undermining local decision-making and proper input from federal and state lawmakers and the native communities who support development in the North Slope. The Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat, a nonprofit that represents Arctic Slope indigenous communities, frequently insists that restricting access to natural resources will harm their economy and culture. But their concerns are being ignored.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration announced last month that America is producing more oil than any country in history. We should recognize the economic, strategic, and environmental benefits of U.S. energy abundance. American-produced oil and natural gas have a better environmental record and emissions profile than many of their international counterparts.

The politicization of energy is emanating from the states, too, with cities and localities bringing a wave of public nuisance lawsuits against Big Oil. These lawsuits claim that energy companies misled the public about the risks of climate change and assert that they need to pay for the costs of human-induced warming.

With the support of 20 states and many industry groups, oil companies have petitioned the Supreme Court to put this to rest once and for all. In the case Sunoco v. City of Honolulu, the Hawaii Supreme Court recently allowed climate-related damages against oil companies to proceed to trial. In filing a petition for certiorari, the companies asked America’s highest court to “review and clarify” whether state law can enforce the costs of global climate change on a handful of companies.

It would be prudent for the Supreme Court to take this up for several reasons. State and local climate litigation oversimplifies the complexity of climate change and is a misuse of public tort law. Human activities are undoubtedly warming the planet, but it is practically impossible to calculate the climate damage caused by a single company as it would be undetectable from natural climate variability.

>>>READ: Energy Won’t Stay in the Ground

Moreover, it establishes a dangerous precedent. If the plaintiffs are going after major energy companies, why stop there? Farmers, manufacturers, and automakers are significant contributors to the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. Even the federal government, which actively requires lease sales of oil and gas development on public lands, could be culpable. The possibilities are frighteningly endless.

If there are legitimate cases of fraud, deception, or greenwashing, then plaintiffs should prove it in court. Otherwise, these public nuisance suits are a costly distraction and a waste of time and resources. They may be a boon for large tort firms, but they also take resources that could be put to much better use, namely investing in energy supplies and driving innovative low- and zero-carbon technologies forward. Oil companies, with the support of 20 states and many industry groups, have petitioned the Supreme Court to put this practice to bed once and for all.

America’s energy abundance is one of our most important economic and strategic assets. Robust domestic supplies of oil and gas help keep prices affordable, boost economic growth, and make America an attractive place to build, invest, and manufacture. In addition to the economic advantages, U.S.-produced energy provides geopolitical leverage against our adversaries and a valuable product to our allies. It is far too valuable to politicize.

Politicizing American Energy Is a Costly Mistake

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Matt Tomich writes in The Hill about the role that methane biogases can play in reducing emissions.

The C3 Take
  • Industry and government are targeting ways to reduce methane emissions in the United States.
  • One avenue that should be pursued is harnessing methane from food and agricultural waste.
  • By being processed in airless tanks called anaerobic digesters (ADs), methane can be converted into renewable natural gas, which has a lower methane and CO2 footprint than traditional LNG.
  • ADs can also capture methane from landfills and use it to create bio-fertilizers for farming operations.

“While other approaches like composting or methane-eating microbes can also help reduce methane emissions, ADs are proven and scalable now and offer the biggest bang for the buck. U.S. organic waste is a huge climate liability if left unaddressed; it’s also a major renewable energy resource that remains largely untapped. Scaling up ADs can change that.”

Read the full article here.

Waste not, want not: How methane biogases can help us reach our climate goals

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Benji Backer writes in The New York Times about conservative solutions to climate change.

The C3 Take
  • Several polls show that young conservatives want the GOP to prioritize addressing climate change.
  • Conservative lawmakers have begun to lead the charge by passing bills to accelerate energy innovation and creating the Conservative Climate Caucus.
  • Conservative, free-market solutions that accelerate economic growth often have environmental co-benefits.
  • Climate change is an issue that conservatives can lead on to create durable solutions.

“The fact of the matter is this: We cannot address climate change or solve any other environmental issue without the buy-in and leadership of conservative America. And there are clear opportunities for climate action that conservatives can champion without sacrificing core values, from sustainable agriculture to nuclear energy and the onshoring of clean energy production.”

Read the full article here.

I’m a Young Conservative, and I Want My Party to Lead the Fight Against Climate Change

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Elsa Wenzel of Greenbiz reports on Asics’ new sustainable sneaker.

The C3 Take
  • Asics has launched the Nimbus Mirai, a $180 shoe designed to be easily disassembled and recycled into new footwear, using a single polyester material for the upper and a custom adhesive that detaches when heated.
  • The used shoes will be collected, heated to separate the components, with the polyester uppers shredded, purified and turned into pellets to be spun into new yarn for making Nimbus Mirai uppers, in a closed-loop recycling process developed with TerraCycle.
  • While shoes are notoriously difficult to recycle due to their complex construction from multiple materials, Asics aims to make 100% of its products from recycled materials by 2030 as part of its circular economy goals.

“Asics is hoping that 100 percent of its products will be made from recycled material by 2030, and that the company will hit net zero two decades after that. The brand currently uses more than 30 percent recycled polyester in its footwear and has recycled ingredients in 95 percent of all its shoes, it says.”

Read the full article here.

Asics designed a sneaker that’s made to be torn apart

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Maria Gallucci of Canary Media reports on how geothermal heat pumps are being used to decarbonize city buildings.

The C3 Take
  • Bedrock Energy, a geothermal startup, recently completed drilling an innovative and space-efficient geothermal heating and cooling system under a parking lot in Austin, Texas, demonstrating its technology can work in dense urban areas.
  • Geothermal energy is seeing increased investment and policy support as a way to decarbonize buildings, with companies innovating to improve affordability and utilities offering incentives to spur adoption.
  • Traditionally a geographically constrained energy source, advancements in drilling techniques are making the future of geothermal bright.

“Startups within the fast-growing industry are developing next-generation solutions to produce ​“clean, firm” electricity in geographic locations that conventional geothermal technologies can’t access. Other companies like Bedrock are innovating on a relatively smaller scale to make it easier and more affordable to decarbonize homes and buildings.”

Read the full article here.

Geothermal heat pumps are helping clean up city buildings

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Just when it seems politics can’t get any stranger, enter South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s bizarre tale of slaughtering her dog and goat. 

>>>READ: Whale Conservation and Lobstering Can Go Hand in Hand

As The Guardian recently reported, in her forthcoming book Noem tells the story of shooting Cricket, a 14 month old wirehair pointer bird hunting dog, arguably a puppy that was short of full maturity. Cricket ruined a pheasant hunt by going “out of her mind with excitement, chasing all those birds and having the time of her life.” Cricket’s fatal error, however, was escaping Noem’s truck and attacking and killing a local family’s chickens. So, Noem took Cricket to a gravel pit and shot her in the presence of a surprised construction crew. 

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But Noem wasn’t finished. Next on her hit list was a family goat who was “nasty and mean” because it had not been castrated. Furthermore, the goat smelled “disgusting, musky, rancid” and “loved to chase” Noem’s children, knocking them down and ruining their clothes.

After dragging the goat to the same gravel pit, he jumped as Noem pulled the trigger and survived the shot. An unprepared Noem had to go back to her truck for another shell while the goat suffered but then “hurried back to the gravel pit and put him down.”

“It was not a pleasant job,” she writes, “but it had to be done.”

After facing a not-surprising backlash, Noem shared two posts on X. In the first, she said:

We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm. Sadly, we just had to put down 3 horses a few weeks ago that had been in our family for 25 years.

If you want more real, honest, and politically INcorrect stories that’ll have the media gasping, preorder “No Going Back”

When her book plug “apology” didn’t land well, Noem again defended herself on X: 

I can understand why some people are upset about a 20 year old story of Cricket, one of the working dogs at our ranch, in my upcoming book — No Going Back. The book is filled with many honest stories of my life, good and bad days, challenges, painful decisions, and lessons learned … 

Whether running the ranch or in politics, I have never passed on my responsibilities to anyone else to handle. Even if it’s hard and painful. I followed the law and was being a responsible parent, dog owner, and neighbor.

As I explained in the book, it wasn’t easy. But often the easy way isn’t the right way.

Noem’s second clarification didn’t help because “real farmers” and conservatives who take stewardship seriously don’t see tough principled leadership but carelessness, incompetence, and cruelty. 

Consider Cricket’s fate. As the owner of a poorly behaved Carolina Dog (pictured below as a puppy), I’m sympathetic to Jonah Golberg’s take. On X, he writes, “If I had that attitude about my Carolina Dog, I would have shot Zoë a dozen times over when she was young.”

Now, we also own goats and are considering adding sheep. If we added babies to our operation, we’d have to be very cautious about keeping Ellie, a natural predator, contained. But if we failed, we’d do everything in our power to find her another home, not put her down for being a dog. 

Noem insists, “the easy way isn’t the right way.” That’s true. The easy way is blowing your dog away with a shotgun. The hard way is finding a better home for your dog.

>>>READ: The Power of Rootedness

Regarding her goat, Noem seems to lack basic knowledge. We’re the happy and proud owners of two myotonic (fainting) goats named Jeff and Dill. My wife wisely insisted on getting two wethers (castrated males) because goats need a companion, and because males that aren’t castrated can be very difficult to manage. Serious goat shoppers learn two things very quickly: 1) the need for good fencing and 2) the challenges of managing non-castrated male goats who are insanely eager to mate. Anyone who has done even cursory research on goats knows that male goat sexuality makes for revolting and hilarious prose. Any “real farmer” knows all about male goats. 

No one in the “liberal media” is responsible for Noem not understanding her goat. Perhaps her book offers important context and a deeper discussion of her goat’s behavior, but any goat owner would not rush to shoot a goat for being sexually frustrated.

The firearm details of the story are also important and will not win Noem points among firearm-proficient landowners. First, if a farmer has to put down an animal with a gun they look for a soft surface, not a hard surface (i.e. a gravel pit). Bullets (and shotgun pellets) do something called ricochet which creates unnecessary risks for the shooter and anyone in the vicinity (like the construction workers who were watching Noem’s executions unfold). 

Second, serious farmers, ranchers and hunters are familiar with the concept of an “ethical kill.” For instance, this Texas Parks & Wildlife guide encourages hunters to “always learn as much as possible about wildlife” and to “shoot within effective range to insure a swift, clean kill.”

Noem didn’t give her goat this courtesy. Trying to blow away a goat with a shotgun isn’t advised due to their anatomy. Humanely shooting a goat, which has horns and extra bony growth protecting their brains, requires a shot from the back of the head with a high-caliber round from a rifle or handgun. And, again, Noem didn’t even have an extra shell on hand. She had to go back to her truck to get one while the goat suffered in a gravel pit. 

Finally, on the political level, no publisher, politician, or press person puts an anecdote like this in a book by someone on the VP shortlist without knowing full well it will be a brand-defining moment. I’ve written two books with a politician. Noem knows better. Instead of using media bias as a cover for her careless actions, she should apologize to former President Trump, every Republican officeholder, conservative voters, and farmers across America she wrongly suggests are on her side. 

Noem’s literary decision is mystifying because she obscured her actual record as governor and supporter of an “all of the above” energy strategy that is best for the planet and people. Making that the focus of her book would have been the hard choice, but it would have been more rewarding. Instead, Noem chose the easy path. By sharing a titillating tale she hoped would appeal to Trump and rile up the MAGA base she branded herself not as a “real rancher” but as just another “real politician.”

Sorry Kristi Noem, Killing Puppies and Goats Isn’t Responsible Stewardship

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