WEBVTT

00:00:01.658 --> 00:00:06.100
Imagine you are a part
of a crew of astronauts

00:00:06.124 --> 00:00:09.276
traveling to Mars or some distant planet.

00:00:09.854 --> 00:00:12.886
The travel time could take a year

00:00:12.910 --> 00:00:14.379
or even longer.

00:00:14.836 --> 00:00:17.773
The space on board and the resources

00:00:17.797 --> 00:00:19.337
would be limited.

00:00:19.361 --> 00:00:23.948
So you and the crew would have
to figure out how to produce food

00:00:23.972 --> 00:00:25.431
with minimal inputs.

00:00:26.169 --> 00:00:30.046
What if you could bring with you
just a few packets of seeds,

00:00:30.965 --> 00:00:34.364
and grow crops in a matter of hours?

00:00:34.914 --> 00:00:38.351
And what if those crops
would then make more seeds,

00:00:38.375 --> 00:00:41.429
enabling you to feed the entire crew

00:00:41.453 --> 00:00:45.215
with just those few packets of seeds
for the duration of the trip?

NOTE Paragraph

00:00:46.465 --> 00:00:50.751
Well, the scientists at NASA actually
figured out a way to do this.

00:00:51.546 --> 00:00:54.189
What they came up with
was actually quite interesting.

00:00:54.213 --> 00:00:56.109
It involved microorganisms,

00:00:56.133 --> 00:00:58.223
which are single-celled organisms.

00:00:58.732 --> 00:01:01.068
And they also used hydrogen from water.

00:01:01.511 --> 00:01:05.599
The types of microbes that they used
were called hydrogenotrophs,

00:01:05.623 --> 00:01:10.913
and with these hydrogenotrophs,
you can create a virtuous carbon cycle

00:01:10.937 --> 00:01:13.755
that would sustain life
onboard a spacecraft.

00:01:14.525 --> 00:01:18.217
Astronauts would breathe out
carbon dioxide,

00:01:18.241 --> 00:01:22.042
that carbon dioxide would then
be captured by the microbes

00:01:22.066 --> 00:01:25.621
and converted into a nutritious,
carbon-rich crop.

00:01:26.287 --> 00:01:29.878
The astronauts would then eat
that carbon-rich crop

00:01:29.902 --> 00:01:33.892
and exhale the carbon out
in the form of carbon dioxide,

00:01:33.916 --> 00:01:36.140
which would then be captured
by the microbes,

00:01:36.164 --> 00:01:37.799
to create a nutritious crop,

00:01:37.823 --> 00:01:40.718
which then would be exhaled
in the form of carbon dioxide

00:01:40.742 --> 00:01:42.152
by the astronauts.

00:01:42.176 --> 00:01:45.178
So in this way, a closed-loop
carbon cycle is created.

NOTE Paragraph

00:01:45.821 --> 00:01:47.459
So why is this important?

00:01:48.158 --> 00:01:50.332
We need carbon to survive as humans,

00:01:50.872 --> 00:01:52.737
and we get our carbon from food.

00:01:53.237 --> 00:01:54.920
On a long space journey,

00:01:54.944 --> 00:01:58.263
you simply wouldn't be able to pick up
any carbon along the way,

00:01:58.287 --> 00:02:01.222
so you'd have to figure out
how to recycle it on board.

NOTE Paragraph

00:02:01.817 --> 00:02:04.262
This is a clever solution, right?

00:02:04.825 --> 00:02:08.529
But the thing is, that research
didn't really go anywhere.

00:02:08.553 --> 00:02:12.275
We haven't yet gone to Mars.
We haven't yet gone to another planet.

00:02:12.299 --> 00:02:14.937
And this was actually done
in the '60s and '70s.

00:02:15.365 --> 00:02:18.722
So a colleague of mine,
Dr. John Reed, and I,

00:02:18.746 --> 00:02:22.717
were interested, actually,
in carbon recycling here on Earth.

00:02:22.741 --> 00:02:24.972
We wanted to come up
with technical solutions

00:02:24.996 --> 00:02:26.756
to address climate change.

00:02:26.780 --> 00:02:29.001
And we discovered this research

00:02:29.025 --> 00:02:33.435
by reading some papers published
in the '60s -- 1967 and later --

00:02:33.469 --> 00:02:36.268
articles about this work.

00:02:36.292 --> 00:02:38.370
And we thought it was a really good idea.

00:02:38.774 --> 00:02:41.838
So we said, well, Earth
is actually like a spaceship.

00:02:42.370 --> 00:02:45.782
We have limited space
and limited resources,

00:02:45.806 --> 00:02:47.989
and on Earth, we really do
need to figure out

00:02:48.013 --> 00:02:49.908
how to recycle our carbon better.

NOTE Paragraph

00:02:51.202 --> 00:02:53.349
So we had the idea,

00:02:53.373 --> 00:03:00.123
can we take some of these
NASA-type ideas and apply them

00:03:00.147 --> 00:03:02.912
to our carbon problem here on Earth?

00:03:02.936 --> 00:03:05.568
Could we cultivate
these NASA-type microbes

00:03:05.592 --> 00:03:08.385
in order to make
valuable products here on Earth?

00:03:09.241 --> 00:03:11.693
We started a company to do it.

00:03:11.717 --> 00:03:16.397
And in that company, we discovered
that these hydrogenotrophs --

00:03:16.421 --> 00:03:20.358
which I'll actually call
nature's supercharged carbon recyclers --

00:03:20.382 --> 00:03:23.201
we found that they are a powerful
class of microbes

00:03:23.225 --> 00:03:27.053
that had been largely overlooked
and understudied,

00:03:27.077 --> 00:03:29.782
and that they could make
some really valuable products.

NOTE Paragraph

00:03:30.544 --> 00:03:34.631
So we began cultivating these products,
these microbes, in our lab.

00:03:35.115 --> 00:03:38.970
We found that we can make
essential amino acids from carbon dioxide

00:03:38.994 --> 00:03:40.459
using these microbes.

00:03:40.483 --> 00:03:43.528
And we even made a protein-rich meal

00:03:43.552 --> 00:03:48.023
that has an amino acid profile
similar to what you might find

00:03:48.047 --> 00:03:49.563
in some animal proteins.

00:03:50.523 --> 00:03:52.933
We began cultivating them even further,

00:03:52.957 --> 00:03:54.874
and we found that we can make oil.

00:03:54.898 --> 00:03:57.349
Oils are used to manufacture
many products.

00:03:57.738 --> 00:04:01.071
We made an oil that was similar
to a citrus oil,

00:04:01.095 --> 00:04:04.180
which can be used for flavoring
and for fragrances,

00:04:04.204 --> 00:04:06.831
but it also can be used
as a biodegradable cleaner

00:04:06.855 --> 00:04:08.339
or even as a jet fuel.

00:04:09.236 --> 00:04:11.627
And we made an oil
that's similar to palm oil.

00:04:12.065 --> 00:04:14.025
Palm oil is used to manufacture

00:04:14.049 --> 00:04:17.357
a wide range of consumer
and industrial goods.

NOTE Paragraph

00:04:18.873 --> 00:04:23.615
We began working with manufacturers
to scale up this technology,

00:04:23.639 --> 00:04:25.446
and we're currently working with them

00:04:25.470 --> 00:04:27.564
to bring some of these products to market.

00:04:28.756 --> 00:04:31.696
We believe this type of technology
can indeed help us

00:04:31.720 --> 00:04:35.070
profitably recycle carbon dioxide
into valuable products --

00:04:35.777 --> 00:04:37.815
something that's beneficial
for the planet

00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:39.573
but also beneficial for business.

00:04:40.383 --> 00:04:42.201
That's what we're doing today.

00:04:42.225 --> 00:04:46.455
But tomorrow, this type of technology
and using these types of microbes

00:04:46.479 --> 00:04:49.242
actually could help us
do something even greater

00:04:49.266 --> 00:04:51.217
if we take it to the next level.

00:04:52.045 --> 00:04:54.463
We believe that this type of technology

00:04:54.487 --> 00:04:57.726
can actually help us address
an issue with agriculture

00:04:57.750 --> 00:05:02.275
and allow us to create
a type of agriculture that's sustainable,

00:05:02.299 --> 00:05:05.884
that will allow us to scale
to meet the demands of tomorrow.

NOTE Paragraph

00:05:06.585 --> 00:05:09.630
And why might we need
a sustainable agriculture?

00:05:10.325 --> 00:05:12.513
Well, actually, it is estimated

00:05:12.537 --> 00:05:17.774
that the population will reach
about 10 billion by 2050,

00:05:17.798 --> 00:05:20.979
and we're projecting that we will need
to increase food production

00:05:21.003 --> 00:05:22.575
by 70 percent.

00:05:23.182 --> 00:05:26.420
In addition, we will need many more
resources and raw materials

00:05:26.444 --> 00:05:28.977
to make consumer goods
and industrial goods.

00:05:29.571 --> 00:05:32.234
So how will we scale to meet that demand?

NOTE Paragraph

00:05:32.669 --> 00:05:38.166
Well, modern agriculture simply cannot
sustainably scale to meet that demand.

00:05:38.760 --> 00:05:40.978
There are a number of reasons why.

00:05:41.309 --> 00:05:46.145
One of them is that modern agriculture
is one of the largest emitters

00:05:46.169 --> 00:05:47.750
of greenhouse gases.

00:05:47.774 --> 00:05:51.397
In fact, it emits more greenhouse gases

00:05:51.421 --> 00:05:54.525
than our cars, our trucks, our planes

00:05:54.549 --> 00:05:56.985
and our trains combined.

00:05:57.009 --> 00:06:02.525
Another reason is that modern ag
simply takes up a whole lot of land.

00:06:02.549 --> 00:06:08.748
We have cleared 19.4 million square miles
for crops and livestock.

00:06:09.446 --> 00:06:11.094
What does that look like?

00:06:11.118 --> 00:06:16.009
Well, that's roughly the size
of South America and Africa combined.

NOTE Paragraph

00:06:17.041 --> 00:06:19.300
Let me give you a specific example.

00:06:19.324 --> 00:06:24.280
In Indonesia, an amount
of virgin rainforest was cleared

00:06:24.304 --> 00:06:27.686
totaling the size
of approximately Ireland,

00:06:27.710 --> 00:06:30.305
between 2000 and 2012.

00:06:30.717 --> 00:06:33.923
Just think of all
of the species, the diversity,

00:06:33.947 --> 00:06:35.837
that was removed in the process,

00:06:35.861 --> 00:06:38.548
whether plant life, insects
or animal life.

00:06:39.145 --> 00:06:41.794
And a natural carbon sink
was also removed.

NOTE Paragraph

00:06:42.437 --> 00:06:44.423
So let me make this real for you.

00:06:44.896 --> 00:06:48.741
This clearing happened primarily
to make room for palm plantations.

00:06:49.399 --> 00:06:50.774
And as I mentioned before,

00:06:50.798 --> 00:06:54.347
palm oil is used
to manufacture many products.

00:06:54.371 --> 00:06:58.298
In fact, it is estimated
that over 50 percent of consumer products

00:06:58.322 --> 00:07:00.711
are manufactured using palm oil.

00:07:01.671 --> 00:07:04.898
And that includes things
like ice cream, cookies ...

00:07:05.506 --> 00:07:07.373
It includes cooking oils.

00:07:07.397 --> 00:07:10.935
It also includes detergents,
lotions, soaps.

00:07:11.594 --> 00:07:15.673
You and I both
probably have numerous items

00:07:16.395 --> 00:07:18.896
in our kitchens and our bathrooms

00:07:18.920 --> 00:07:20.927
that were manufactured using palm oil.

00:07:21.450 --> 00:07:26.665
So you and I are direct beneficiaries
of removed rainforests.

NOTE Paragraph

00:07:27.691 --> 00:07:29.780
Modern ag has some problems,

00:07:29.804 --> 00:07:33.278
and we need solutions
if we want to scale sustainably.

00:07:35.151 --> 00:07:39.677
I believe that microbes
can be a part of the answer --

00:07:39.701 --> 00:07:43.684
specifically, these supercharged
carbon recyclers.

00:07:43.708 --> 00:07:46.230
These supercharged carbon recyclers,

00:07:46.254 --> 00:07:50.285
like plants, serve as
the natural recyclers

00:07:50.309 --> 00:07:52.430
in their ecosystems where they thrive.

00:07:52.454 --> 00:07:54.650
And they thrive in exotic places on Earth,

00:07:54.674 --> 00:07:57.125
like hydrothermal vents and hot springs.

00:07:57.543 --> 00:08:00.806
In those ecosystems,
they take carbon and recycle it

00:08:00.830 --> 00:08:03.384
into the nutrients needed
for those ecosystems.

00:08:03.916 --> 00:08:05.375
And they're rich in nutrients,

00:08:05.399 --> 00:08:10.604
such as oils and proteins,
minerals and carbohydrates.

NOTE Paragraph

00:08:12.025 --> 00:08:16.557
And actually, microbes are already
an integral part of our everyday lives.

00:08:17.335 --> 00:08:21.542
If you enjoy a glass of pinot noir
on a Friday night,

00:08:21.566 --> 00:08:23.510
after a long, hard work week,

00:08:23.534 --> 00:08:26.208
then you are enjoying
a product of microbes.

00:08:27.176 --> 00:08:29.858
If you enjoy a beer
from your local microbrewery --

00:08:29.882 --> 00:08:31.502
a product of microbes.

00:08:31.526 --> 00:08:34.475
Or bread, or cheese, or yogurt.

00:08:35.060 --> 00:08:37.110
These are all products of microbes.

00:08:37.729 --> 00:08:43.014
But the beauty and power associated
with these supercharged carbon recyclers

00:08:43.038 --> 00:08:48.138
lies in the fact that they can
actually produce in a matter of hours

00:08:48.162 --> 00:08:49.488
versus months.

00:08:49.512 --> 00:08:51.455
That means we can make crops

00:08:51.479 --> 00:08:54.796
much faster than we're making them today.

00:08:55.685 --> 00:08:57.320
They grow in the dark,

00:08:57.344 --> 00:08:59.891
so they can grow in any season

00:08:59.915 --> 00:09:03.135
and in any geography and any location.

00:09:03.159 --> 00:09:06.771
They can grow in containers
that require minimal space.

00:09:07.562 --> 00:09:11.516
And we can get to a type
of vertical agriculture.

00:09:11.540 --> 00:09:14.197
Instead of our traditional
horizontal agriculture

00:09:14.221 --> 00:09:15.950
that requires so much land,

00:09:15.974 --> 00:09:17.551
we can scale vertically,

00:09:17.571 --> 00:09:23.207
and as a result
produce much more product per area.

NOTE Paragraph

00:09:24.187 --> 00:09:28.651
If we implement this type of approach
and use these carbon recyclers,

00:09:28.675 --> 00:09:31.971
then we wouldn't have to remove
any more rainforests

00:09:31.995 --> 00:09:35.429
to make the food and the goods
that we consume.

00:09:36.524 --> 00:09:38.737
Because, at a large scale,

00:09:38.761 --> 00:09:44.069
you can actually make 10,000 times
more output per land area

00:09:44.093 --> 00:09:47.248
than you could -- for instance,
if you used soybeans --

00:09:47.272 --> 00:09:50.332
if you planted soybeans
on that same area of land

00:09:50.356 --> 00:09:51.800
over a period of a year.

00:09:52.531 --> 00:09:54.800
Ten thousand times
over a period of a year.

00:09:56.300 --> 00:09:59.859
So this is what I mean
by a new type of agriculture.

00:10:00.613 --> 00:10:03.921
And this is what I mean
by developing a system

00:10:03.945 --> 00:10:08.839
that allows us to sustainably scale
to meet the demands of 10 billion.

NOTE Paragraph

00:10:10.704 --> 00:10:14.299
And what would be the products
of this new type of agriculture?

00:10:14.323 --> 00:10:16.506
Well, we've already made a protein meal,

00:10:16.530 --> 00:10:19.793
so you can imagine something
similar to a soybean meal,

00:10:19.817 --> 00:10:21.760
or even cornmeal, or wheat flour.

00:10:22.203 --> 00:10:23.556
We've already made oils,

00:10:23.580 --> 00:10:27.258
so you can imagine something
similar to coconut oil

00:10:27.282 --> 00:10:29.296
or olive oil or soybean oil.

00:10:30.042 --> 00:10:34.280
So this type of crop can
actually produce the nutrients

00:10:34.304 --> 00:10:36.599
that would give us pasta and bread,

00:10:36.623 --> 00:10:39.749
cakes, nutritional items of many sorts.

00:10:40.226 --> 00:10:47.138
Furthermore, since oil is used
to manufacture multiple other goods,

00:10:47.162 --> 00:10:49.218
industrial products and consumer products,

00:10:49.242 --> 00:10:54.045
you can imagine being able to make
detergents, soaps, lotions, etc.,

00:10:54.069 --> 00:10:55.716
using these types of crops.

NOTE Paragraph

00:10:57.382 --> 00:11:00.262
Not only are we running out of space,

00:11:00.286 --> 00:11:03.454
but if we continue to operate
under the status quo

00:11:03.478 --> 00:11:04.951
with modern agriculture,

00:11:04.975 --> 00:11:09.625
we run the risk of robbing our progeny
of a beautiful planet.

00:11:10.216 --> 00:11:12.180
But it doesn't have to be this way.

00:11:12.627 --> 00:11:15.405
We can imagine a future of abundance.

00:11:16.154 --> 00:11:22.030
Let us create systems that keep
planet Earth, our spaceship,

00:11:22.054 --> 00:11:23.934
not only from not crashing,

00:11:24.410 --> 00:11:28.540
but let us also develop systems
and ways of living

00:11:28.564 --> 00:11:32.722
that will be beneficial
to the lives of ourselves

00:11:32.746 --> 00:11:36.388
and the 10 billion that will
be on this planet by 2050.

NOTE Paragraph

00:11:36.817 --> 00:11:38.032
Thank you very much.

NOTE Paragraph

00:11:38.056 --> 00:11:42.079
(Applause)