KEEFE
CHOOI
ALGAE CASCADE
The future of algae
Looking out into the sea from Labrador Park presents a dilemma: oil refineries of Pulau Bukom spew smoke and gases that threaten our biodiversity. The Pasir Panjang port dwarfs the rocky shore and beach of the park, Singapore's last vestige of such natural habitats. Inevitable development will only serve to threaten the sanctity of the reserve. The refineries and further human activities pose the greatest threat via global warming - chiefly the result of excessive carbon emissions. Singapore is on track to heat up by more than 2 degrees by 2030, unless drastic measures are taken to curb this issue.
Microalgae has been touted as a mean for a global carbon sink to reduce and remove carbon emissions in the air. Additionally, algae biofuel is a promising alternative renewable energy source, and further research shows possibilities for algae to become a food source and plastic substitute.
With these, The Algae Cascade @ Labrador Park functions as a carbon sink, algae collection centre and a biorefinery, where algae is grown to allow for various microalgae research platforms to co-exist, discovering further uses of algae and develop existing algae technology. It endeavours to provide the blueprint for an algae sink that could be a prototype for adaptation around Singapore in order to combat climate change on a large scale than before.
April 2019