It's a great thing to start thinking about. We are running out of food. This kind of new industry and more like it will be needed very soon. If it becomes cheap fast, wild fish might not even go extinct.
It will also lead to monoculture. Only one fish species will be farmed at large scale. And probably one business will control the entire industry, so they will have huge power over the good supply.
And the extra nutrients, they are fertiliser, at a time when the world is running out of fertiliser. They could be growing fish food with it, in tanks exposed to sunlight.
Weyland@lemmygrad.ml 2 years ago
Luckily we're talking about China and not the USA. Let's count our lucky stars that Capitalists don't innovate to the extent that socialists do. Otherwise, they would've already automated and enslaved the human race.
We can produce fertilizers renewably by taking the resources for literal air and waste, the problem is that the cost of doing so is preventive. Just like we can mine e-waste for precious metals; we don't. Because recycling, just like renewable energy in the form of solar/wind, is democratic in how scalable it is. I.e. it doesn't allow for the monopolistic agglomeration of resources and thus the established capitalist class won't invest in these new technologies on their own accord.
China wants to be resource independent so they're investing in these new fields, but it will take some time before the fruits of their labour will show (economically viable) results. These technologies are essential if we want to afford everyone the same level of development the West enjoys.
roastpotatothief@lemmy.ml 2 years ago
I guess so. Thanks.
Just one thing. Fertiliser is a scarce non renewable resource. Not many realise that. I can find you a good explanation if you're interested.
Weyland@lemmygrad.ml 2 years ago
I thought nitrogen-based fertilizers were renewable?
The ammonia is used to make nitric acid, with which it is then mixed to produce nitrate fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate (AN). Ammonia may also be mixed with liquid carbon dioxide to create urea. Both these products can be further mixed together with water to form UAN (urea ammonium nitrate) solution.
I don't see how any of these steps couldn't be fabricated without the use of non-reneweable resources.
roastpotatothief@lemmy.ml 2 years ago
It's phosphorous. I dug up the old article. It's well worth reading. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/02/phosphorus-pollution-fertilizer/617937/