0:00:00.761,0:00:03.991
Imagine you are a part

0:00:03.991,0:00:06.124
of a crew of astronauts

0:00:06.124,0:00:10.067
traveling to Mars or some distant planet.

0:00:10.067,0:00:13.124
The travel time could take a year,

0:00:13.124,0:00:14.987
or even longer.

0:00:14.987,0:00:17.924
The space on board and the resources

0:00:17.924,0:00:19.712
would be limited.

0:00:19.712,0:00:24.012
So you and the crew would have[br]to figure out how to produce food

0:00:24.012,0:00:25.877
with minimal inputs.

0:00:25.877,0:00:28.276
What if you could bring with you

0:00:28.276,0:00:30.368
just a few packets of seeds,

0:00:30.368,0:00:35.113
and grow crops in a matter of hours,

0:00:35.113,0:00:38.573
and what if those crops would then[br]make more seeds,

0:00:38.573,0:00:41.381
enabling you to feed the entire crew

0:00:41.381,0:00:46.245
with just those few packets of seeds[br]for the duration of the trip?

0:00:46.245,0:00:50.775
Well, the scientists at NASA actually[br]figured out a way to do this.

0:00:50.775,0:00:53.747
What they came up with[br]was actually quite interesting,

0:00:53.747,0:00:56.253
and it involved microorganisms,

0:00:56.253,0:00:59.010
which are single-celled organisms.

0:00:59.010,0:01:01.726
And they also used hydrogen from water.

0:01:01.726,0:01:05.374
The types of microbes that they used[br]were called hydrogenotropes,

0:01:05.374,0:01:10.845
and with these hydrogenotropes,[br]you can create a virtuous carbon cycle

0:01:10.845,0:01:14.185
that would sustain life[br]on board a spacecraft.

0:01:14.185,0:01:18.370
Astronauts would breathe out[br]carbon dioxide.

0:01:18.370,0:01:22.162
That carbon dioxide would then[br]be captured by the microbes

0:01:22.162,0:01:26.168
and converted into a nutritious,[br]carbon-rich crop.

0:01:26.168,0:01:29.953
The astronauts would then eat[br]that carbon-rich crop,

0:01:29.953,0:01:33.916
and exhale the carbon out[br]in the form of carbon dioxide,

0:01:33.916,0:01:36.226
which would then be captured[br]by the microbes

0:01:36.226,0:01:37.823
to create a nutritious crop,

0:01:37.823,0:01:40.913
which then would be exhaled[br]in the form of carbon dioxide

0:01:40.913,0:01:42.176
by the astronauts.

0:01:42.176,0:01:46.034
So in this way, a closed loop[br]carbon cycle is created.

0:01:46.034,0:01:48.344
So why is this important?

0:01:48.344,0:01:50.941
We need carbon to survive as humans,

0:01:50.941,0:01:53.172
and we get our carbon from food.

0:01:53.172,0:01:55.093
On a long space journey,

0:01:55.093,0:01:58.380
you simply wouldn't be able to pick up[br]any carbon along the way,

0:01:58.380,0:02:01.982
so you'd have to figure out[br]how to recycle it on board.

0:02:01.982,0:02:04.714
This is a clever solution, right?

0:02:04.714,0:02:08.739
But the thing is, that research[br]didn't really go anywhere.

0:02:08.739,0:02:12.419
We haven't yet gone to Mars.[br]We haven't yet gone to another planet.

0:02:12.419,0:02:15.245
And this was actually done[br]in the '60s and '70s.

0:02:15.245,0:02:18.629
So a colleague of mine,[br]Dr. John Reed, and I,

0:02:18.629,0:02:22.985
we were interested actually[br]in carbon recycling here on Earth.

0:02:22.985,0:02:24.996
We wanted to come up[br]with technical solutions

0:02:24.996,0:02:26.870
to address climate change.

0:02:26.870,0:02:28.862
And we discovered this research

0:02:28.862,0:02:34.696
by reading some papers published[br]in the '60s, 1967 and later articles

0:02:34.696,0:02:36.459
about this work,

0:02:36.459,0:02:38.946
and we thought it was a really good idea.

0:02:38.946,0:02:42.299
And so we said, well,[br]Earth is actually like a spaceship.

0:02:42.299,0:02:44.206
We have limited space

0:02:44.206,0:02:45.988
and limited resources,

0:02:45.988,0:02:48.861
and on Earth we really do need[br]to figure out how to recycle

0:02:48.861,0:02:50.660
our carbon better.

0:02:50.660,0:02:53.373
So we had the idea,

0:02:53.373,0:02:57.535
can we take some of these NASA-type ideas

0:02:57.535,0:03:01.622
and apply them to our carbon problem

0:03:01.622,0:03:02.936
here on Earth?

0:03:02.936,0:03:05.592
Could we cultivate[br]these NASA-type microbes

0:03:05.592,0:03:08.562
in order to make valuable products[br]here on Earth.

0:03:08.562,0:03:11.149
And we started a company to do it,

0:03:11.149,0:03:13.280
and in that company,

0:03:13.280,0:03:16.421
we actually discovered that these[br]hydrogenotropes,

0:03:16.421,0:03:20.382
which I'll actually call nature's[br]supercharged carbon recyclers,

0:03:20.382,0:03:23.225
we found that they are[br]a powerful class of microbes

0:03:23.225,0:03:27.077
that had been largely overlooked[br]and understudied,

0:03:27.077,0:03:30.210
and that they could make[br]some really valuable products.

0:03:30.210,0:03:35.355
And so we began cultivating[br]these products, these microbes in our lab.

0:03:35.355,0:03:37.754
We found that we can make[br]essential amino acids

0:03:37.754,0:03:39.466
from carbon dioxide using these microbes,

0:03:39.466,0:03:43.484
and we even made a protein-rich meal

0:03:43.484,0:03:46.224
that has an amino acid profile

0:03:46.224,0:03:50.607
that's similar to what you might find[br]in some animal proteins.

0:03:50.607,0:03:52.957
And we began cultivating[br]them even further,

0:03:52.957,0:03:55.121
and we found that we can make oil.

0:03:55.121,0:03:57.548
And oils are used to manufacture[br]many products.

0:03:57.548,0:04:00.986
We made an oil that was similar[br]to a citrus oil,

0:04:00.986,0:04:04.111
which can be used for flavoring[br]and for fragrances,

0:04:04.111,0:04:06.668
but it also can be used[br]as a biodegradable cleaner

0:04:06.668,0:04:09.121
or even as a jet fuel.

0:04:09.121,0:04:12.065
And we made an oil[br]that's similar to palm oil.

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And palm oil is used to manufacture[br]a wide range of consumer

0:04:16.191,0:04:18.715
and industrial goods.

0:04:18.715,0:04:21.460
So we began working with manufacturers

0:04:21.460,0:04:23.763
to scale up this technology,

0:04:23.763,0:04:27.236
and we are currently working with them[br]to bring some of these products to market.

0:04:28.836,0:04:31.928
We believe that this type of technology[br]can indeed help us

0:04:31.928,0:04:35.484
profitably recycle carbon dioxide[br]into valuable products,

0:04:35.484,0:04:38.023
something that's beneficial for the planet

0:04:38.023,0:04:40.354
but also beneficial for business.

0:04:40.354,0:04:42.427
But that's what we're doing today,

0:04:42.427,0:04:46.372
but tomorrow, this type of technology[br]and using these types of microbes

0:04:46.372,0:04:49.465
actually could help us[br]do something even greater,

0:04:49.465,0:04:52.260
if we take it to the next level.

0:04:52.260,0:04:54.586
So we believe that this type of technology

0:04:54.586,0:04:57.958
can actually help us address[br]an issue with agriculture,

0:04:57.958,0:05:02.434
and allow us to create[br]a type of agriculture that's sustainable,

0:05:02.434,0:05:06.719
that will allow us to scale[br]to meet the demands of tomorrow.

0:05:06.719,0:05:10.089
And why might we need[br]a sustainable agriculture?

0:05:10.089,0:05:15.328
Well actually, it is estimated[br]that the population will reach

0:05:15.328,0:05:18.074
about 10 billion by 2050,

0:05:18.074,0:05:21.138
and we're projecting that we will need[br]to increase food production

0:05:21.138,0:05:23.373
by 70 percent.

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In addition, we will need many more[br]resources and raw materials

0:05:26.634,0:05:29.628
to make consumer goods[br]and industrial goods.

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So how will we scale to meet that demand?

0:05:32.765,0:05:38.903
Well, modern agriculture simply cannot[br]sustainably scale to meet that demand,

0:05:38.903,0:05:41.145
and there are a number of reasons why,

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and one of them is that modern agriculture[br]is one of the largest emitters

0:05:46.028,0:05:48.064
of greenhouse gases.

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In fact, it emits more greenhouse gases

0:05:51.330,0:05:54.700
than our cars, our trucks, our planes,

0:05:54.700,0:05:57.283
and our trains combined.

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Another reason is that modern ag

0:05:59.717,0:06:02.621
simply takes up a whole lot of land.

0:06:02.621,0:06:06.621
We have cleared 19.4 million square miles

0:06:06.621,0:06:09.240
for crops and for livestock.

0:06:09.240,0:06:11.118
What does that look like?

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Well, that's roughly the size[br]of South America and Africa combined.

0:06:16.693,0:06:19.124
And let me give you a specific example.

0:06:19.124,0:06:23.437
In Indonesia, an amount[br]of virgin rainforest

0:06:23.437,0:06:27.962
was cleared totaling the size[br]of approximately Ireland

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between 2000 and 2012.

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Just think of all of the species,

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the diversity, that was removed[br]in the process,

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whether plant life, insects,[br]or animal life.

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And a natural carbon sink[br]was also removed.

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And so let me make this real for you.

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This clearing happened primarily[br]to make room for palm plantations.

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And as I mentioned before,

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palm oil is used

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to manufacture many products.

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In fact, it is estimated[br]that over 50 percent of consumer products

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are manufactured using palm oil.

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And that includes things like ice cream,

0:07:04.086,0:07:05.619
cookies.

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It includes cooking oils.

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It also includes detergents,[br]lotions, soaps.

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So you and I both

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probably have numerous items

0:07:15.970,0:07:19.013
in our kitchens and our bathrooms

0:07:19.013,0:07:21.498
that were manufactured using palm oil.

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So you and I are direct beneficiaries[br]of removed rainforest.

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So modern ag has some problems,

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and we need solutions[br]if we want to scale sustainably.

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So I believe that microbes[br]can be a part of the answer,

0:07:39.701,0:07:43.965
and specifically these super-charged[br]carbon recyclers.

0:07:43.965,0:07:46.329
These super-charged carbon recyclers,

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like plants, serve as[br]the natural recyclers

0:07:50.309,0:07:52.563
in their ecosystems where they thrive,

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and they thrive in exotic places on Earth

0:07:54.866,0:07:57.394
like hydrothermal vents and hot springs.

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And in those ecosystems,[br]they take carbon and they recycle it

0:08:00.993,0:08:03.784
into the nutrients needed[br]for those ecosystems.

0:08:03.784,0:08:05.519
And they're rich in nutrients,

0:08:05.519,0:08:08.545
such as oils and proteins, minerals

0:08:08.545,0:08:12.166
and carbohydrates.

0:08:12.166,0:08:17.544
And actually, microbes are already[br]an integral part of our everyday lives.

0:08:17.544,0:08:20.724
So if you enjoy a glass of pinot noir

0:08:20.724,0:08:23.534
on a Friday night[br]after a long, hard work week,

0:08:23.534,0:08:26.747
then you are enjoying[br]a product of microbes.

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If you enjoy a beer[br]from your local microbrewery,

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a product of microbes.

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Or bread, or cheese, or yogurt.

0:08:35.219,0:08:37.954
These are all products of microbes.

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But the beauty and the power[br]associated with these super-charged

0:08:41.494,0:08:43.249
carbon recyclers

0:08:43.249,0:08:48.162
lies in the fact that they can actually[br]produce in a matter of hours

0:08:48.162,0:08:49.656
versus months,

0:08:49.656,0:08:51.553
so that means we can make crops

0:08:51.553,0:08:55.078
much faster than we're making them today.

0:08:55.078,0:08:57.273
They grow in the dark,

0:08:57.273,0:08:59.609
so they can grow in any season

0:08:59.609,0:09:03.066
and in any geography and any location.

0:09:03.066,0:09:07.777
And they can grow in containers[br]that require minimal space.

0:09:07.777,0:09:11.693
And we can get to a type[br]of vertical agriculture,

0:09:11.693,0:09:14.548
instead of our traditional[br]horizontal agriculture

0:09:14.548,0:09:16.027
that requires so much land.

0:09:16.027,0:09:17.600
We can scale vertically,

0:09:17.600,0:09:21.502
and as a result produce much more product

0:09:21.502,0:09:24.323
per area.

0:09:24.323,0:09:28.486
If we implement this type of approach[br]and use these carbon recyclers,

0:09:28.486,0:09:31.995
then we wouldn't have to remove[br]any more rainforests

0:09:31.995,0:09:35.993
to make the food and the goods[br]that we consume.

0:09:35.993,0:09:38.838
Because, at a large scale,

0:09:38.838,0:09:40.238
you can actually make

0:09:40.238,0:09:43.956
10,000 time more output per land area

0:09:43.956,0:09:47.272
than you could, for instance,[br]if you used soybeans,

0:09:47.272,0:09:50.100
if you planted soybeans[br]on that same are of land

0:09:50.100,0:09:52.531
over a period of a year.

0:09:52.531,0:09:56.125
Ten thousand times[br]over a period of a year.

0:09:56.125,0:09:58.024
So this is what I mean

0:09:58.024,0:09:59.994
by a new type of agriculture,

0:09:59.994,0:10:02.300
and this is what I mean

0:10:02.300,0:10:03.945
by developing a system

0:10:03.945,0:10:06.245
that allows us to sustainably scale

0:10:06.245,0:10:09.884
to meet the demands of 10 billion.

0:10:09.884,0:10:12.175
And what would be the products

0:10:12.175,0:10:14.512
of this new type of agriculture?

0:10:14.512,0:10:16.530
Well, we've already made a protein meal,

0:10:16.530,0:10:19.970
so you can imagine something[br]similar to a soybean meal,

0:10:19.970,0:10:22.409
or even cornmeal, or wheat flour.

0:10:22.409,0:10:23.785
We've already made oils,

0:10:23.785,0:10:29.818
so you can imagine something similar to[br]coconut oil or olive oil or soybean oil.

0:10:29.818,0:10:32.084
So this type of crop

0:10:32.084,0:10:34.304
can actually produce the nutrients

0:10:34.304,0:10:36.490
that would give us pasta and bread,

0:10:36.490,0:10:40.306
cakes, nutritional items of many sorts.

0:10:40.306,0:10:43.379
And furthermore, since oil

0:10:43.379,0:10:47.327
is actually used to manufacture[br]multiple other goods,

0:10:47.327,0:10:49.343
industrial products,[br]and consumer products,

0:10:49.343,0:10:54.237
you can imagine being able to make[br]detergents, soaps, lotions, etc.

0:10:54.237,0:10:56.706
using these types of crops.

0:10:56.706,0:10:59.988
So not only are we running out space,

0:10:59.988,0:11:03.650
but if we continue to operate[br]under the status quo

0:11:03.650,0:11:05.052
with modern agriculture,

0:11:05.052,0:11:07.804
we run the risk of robbing our progeny

0:11:07.804,0:11:10.375
of a beautiful planet.

0:11:10.375,0:11:12.532
But it doesn't have to be this way.

0:11:12.532,0:11:15.334
We can imagine a future of abundance.

0:11:15.334,0:11:22.214
Let us create systems that[br]keep planet Earth, our spaceship,

0:11:22.214,0:11:24.317
not only from not crashing,

0:11:24.317,0:11:28.458
but let us also develop systems[br]and ways of living

0:11:28.458,0:11:32.639
that will be beneficial[br]to the lives of ourselves

0:11:32.639,0:11:36.635
and the 10 billion that will be[br]on this planet by 2050.

0:11:36.635,0:11:38.489
Thank you very much.

0:11:38.489,0:11:42.079
(Applause)