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Even if a society were to collapse due to nuclear war, the survivors could survive by eating the resilient seaweed left behind, a new study says.
The study, published earlier this month in the journal Earth’s Future, found that seaweed is likely to survive a nuclear winter and could be an excellent food source “due to its ability to grow rapidly under a variety of conditions.” It turns out that there is something.
“Global simulations show that seaweed can significantly contribute to global food security within 9 to 14 months,” the study concluded.
researchers used Gracilaria tikvahiae, commonly known as red seaweed, was created to simulate its growth in conditions similar to those the world would experience in a nuclear winter. They created a model based on available nuclear winter climate data and simulated the first decade after nuclear war to calculate the growth rate of seaweed in all the world’s oceans.
Scientists believe seaweed can survive more than a nuclear war. The study says the tree can remain resilient during many cataclysms that cause sudden loss or reduction of sunlight.
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Example of rapid sunlight reduction scenario
- nuclear war
- Asteroid or comet impact
- A phenomenon in which a large volcano erupts and a large amount of particles are ejected into the atmosphere.
According to the study, any of these events could “devastate agriculture as practiced today.”
How would nuclear winter affect life as we know it?
According to the researchers, the above scenario could inject large amounts of particles into the upper atmosphere. This particle limits the amount of sunlight that reaches the Earth’s surface.
Not only would it disrupt Earth’s climate, but a nuclear winter could drop temperatures as low as 48 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Historical and ancient records indicate that major volcanic eruptions have lowered global average temperatures by as much as 33.8 degrees Fahrenheit, with further declines on land and in the Northern Hemisphere associated with famine, disease outbreaks, political instability, and regimes. change,” the study says.
Studies show that if, for example, the United States and Russia go into “all-out war”, global agriculture will decline by 90% in the worst year due to reduced sunlight, temperature and precipitation, unless preventive measures are taken. It is said that there is a possibility. However, there are some caveats to this number.
“The ultimate impact of nuclear war on the food system depends largely on the continuation of global trade and the scale of the war,” the study says. “There are also huge regional differences, with some regions, such as Australia, able to produce food even in extreme scenarios.”
Why is seaweed a prime candidate for the apocalypse?
Because it doesn’t require a lot of technology to grow and it grows quickly.
According to researchers, the world is largely unprepared for solar reduction scenarios. Wheat is currently the most widely stored food, but global stocks will last only a few months and alternatives will be needed.
“These food substitutes need to reliably produce food over several years, even with less sunlight and cooler temperatures,” the study says.
Such alternatives could include greenhouse crop production and synthetic fats from petroleum, but they are in the early stages of development.
Research shows that seaweed is not only a resilient food that can be produced in “low-tech” environments, but also grows rapidly in a variety of climates and conditions.
Seaweed as part of the world’s food supply
In just nine to 14 months, the seaweed from this study could make a significant contribution to global food security, providing 45% of the world’s food, the study says.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has been highlighting seaweed as a valuable addition to the world’s food supply for decades, according to the study.
According to the organization, there are three factors that are increasing interest in the use of seaweed.
- It is highly nutritious and contains minerals such as iron, calcium, iodine, potassium, and selenium. It is also rich in vitamins A, C, and B-12.
- It is sustainable and does not require fertilizers, land degradation or deforestation.
- It is versatile and can be used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, feed, etc.
How does nuclear winter affect seaweed growth?
According to the study, there are two clear findings from studying seaweed.
- Growth rates are directly related to the intensity of nuclear war. It grew faster under more extreme conditions.
- Seaweed growth is fastest at the beginning of the 10-year cycle. Its growth peaks after the second year and slows down over time.
This result “seems counterintuitive, as seaweed growth would be expected to be more limited as the climate becomes more influenced,” the study said.
However, it states that this phenomenon occurs because the main factor affecting the growth of seaweed is not temperature or light, but a lack of nutrients.
“Sea surfaces are generally low in nutrients,” the study said. But a nuclear war would change the game by disrupting global ocean circulation patterns and bringing nutrients to the surface.
research result
In conclusion, the study found that abundant growth of seaweed could avert global famine and prevent the devastating effects famine would have.
“Investing in the construction of seaweed farms could prevent global famine in scenarios where sunlight levels sharply decline, potentially averting significant starvation deaths,” said Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Canterbury. ‘s David Denkenberger told Phys.org.
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