Final Draft - Reader response

In the article “This Self-Proclaimed Micronation Has Plans for a Car-Free, Algae-Powered City”, Peters (2016). Peters states that Liberland will be built on a basis of being able to minimize pollution through a genetically engineered version of algae and other forms of renewable energy to power the city. In addition, Peters mention that Ani, the designer, propose that the city will be a car-free zone with main transportation only through the bike, train, and pedestrian path. Peters indicates that the city will be developed in multiple layers of compact buildings to utilize the land space. The city buildings will be designed to counter the effects of heat wave by integrating green walls and roofs to reduce the temperature. Peters also mentions that Vit Jedlicka, the president, keeping the city as green as possible. The president says "The first-place design ensures we can minimize pollution while using renewable energy to keep the land intact." Therefore, I agree with the article that Ani’s design is feasible to build an algae-powered city.

I believe that genetically engineered algae can be utilized to power up the city as a form of renewable energy.

Firstly, Peters (2016) mentions that the design team will pile the city up in numerous levels of platforms and overlay the underneath of each platform with genetically engineered algae. The design concept of overlaying algae on all layers of the city can supply a sustainable amount of algae that can constantly power up the city. Peters (2016) explains that the genetically engineered algae are able to grow without the need of sunlight. Therefore, the article is convincing that the city's designs concept is able to harvest a large amount of algae to power up the city.

Secondly, Ani’s design concept of the Algae-powered building is similar to a green building in Hamburg named BIQ (“BIQ”, n.d.). As such, the concept closely relates to Ani’s design concept of utilizing algae to power up the city. An article on (“Microalgae prove ideal for green facades”, 2013) states that the company, ARUP, has built the world’s first ever bio-adaptive facade building that generates biomass from algae which can be collected and utilize as a form of renewable green energy to power up the building. The existence of this building in Hamburg proves that it is possible to utilize algae as a form of energy source on a smaller scale which indicates that even though Ani’s concept is much larger, it is practical that algae can power up the city.

Lastly, Peters (2016) mentions that Liberland is an Algae-Powered city. As such, it is important that the amount of algae must be able to constantly provide sufficient quantities of biomass in order to power up the entire city. According to (“Algae Curtain” n.d.), it explains that algae are one of the biological matter that grows rapidly on earth, it is capable of increasing twice of their amount every six hours. The article also mentions that the biomass from algae contains over 50 percent of oil which can be processed to obtain feasible biofuels, that yields renewable electricity to power urban facilities (“Algae Curtain” n.d.). Therefore, it is evident the production rate of algae in Liberland is adequate to power up the entire city.

In conclusion, I strongly feel that algae are a viable source of renewable energy that can power up Liberland. In addition, I believe that Liberland serves as an excellent role model for the world whereby algae are a form of renewable energy.

(580 words)

Online references

Peters, A. (2016, June 14). This Self-Proclaimed Micronation Has Plans For A Car-Free, Algae-Powered City. Retrieved October 12, 2016, from https://www.fastcoexist.com/3060800/this-self-proclaimed-micronation-has-plans-for-a-car-free-algae-powered-city/3

BIQ. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2016, from http://www.iba-hamburg.de/en/themes-projects/the-building-exhibition-within-the-building-exhibition/smart-material-houses/biq/projekt/biq.html

Microalgae prove ideal for green facades. (2013, April 25). Retrieved October 13, 2016, from 

http//www.arup.com/news/2012_09_september/14_sep_micro_algae_prove_ideal_for_making_green_facade

Algae Curtain. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2016, from http://loop.ph/portfolio/algae-curtain/