Kron 4. (2023, August 1). Harmful Algae bloom confirmed in East Bay.
https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/harmful-algae-bloom-confirmed-in-central-east-bay/
This article, once again discussing the same algae blooms, reports the blooms having been spotted in the East Bay. Last year only confirmed in the San Francisco Bay, this shows how the ecological disaster is spreading further and further, meaning that it could negatively impact the entire coast.
This relates to environmental science because it shows that our problems are not only restricted to us. Once again, California is very agriculture based, so anywhere where farming is common would suffer from the same problem. It has already spread so far down the Bay, and if immediate action is not taken, it could be even further. To find a solution whilst still producing the same amount of food, new alternatives would have to be found. Self-contained vertical farms (using hydroponics) are already a thing, but to implement it at the scale in which California requires would be an extremely expensive undertaking. Environmental Scientists need to weigh the costs and benefits economically as well as scientifically, and somewhere out there a decent solution would exist. The main obstacle would remain being doing that solution at a scale, and this article is a perfect example of that.
This is so sad to think that these algae blooms are effecting our home. I love that you provided solutions for us to think about, while also marking the downsides to them. I think that we really need to find a balance between weighing the costs and benefits, but it sounds like California is in dire need of help. How much hydroponics would it take to solve this problem? Are there any other solutions out there that are cheaper?
Hi, thank you for reading. I think that a very large amount of hydroponic farms would be required, to make up for the food that we currently produce. It would be extremely expensive to replace farms with these facilities, and the majors crops that we produce in California would not suit this type of farming either (corn and fruit trees are not well suited for hydroponics). In terms of a cheaper solution, maybe implementing the removal of phosphates at sewage and water treatment facilities. Another cause of eutrophication (to a smaller degree) is the phosphates used in dishwasher soap, laundry detergent, other home products. processing that stuff out of water before it goes to the bay would be costly, but may help prevent the impacts of blooms on fisheries.