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listener profile By Morgan Benavidez
Algae Whiz KJZZ listener has a passion for pond scum.
Mark Edwards “I think NPR does a wonderful job of allowing people to tell their stories.”
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For many people, algae is just a pesky fact of life. Homeowners pour countless dollars into scouring it from their pools. But for ASU professor and KJZZ listener Mark Edwards, algae is a precious commodity with earthsaving potential. Edwards learned about algae firsthand while attending the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. “My job was to kill algae off the bottom of boats, but of course I failed because it grows so fast,” he says. These days, in addition to teaching at the Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness and working as a consultant helping businesses become more sustainable, Edwards sings algae’s praises all over the
DANIEL FRIEDMAN
Mark Edwards says he finds Diane Rehm’s way of asking questions “very inspiring,” especially in how it helps prompt conversation. “I find anecdotes fascinating,” he says.
globe. Since algae requires no soil, fossil fuels or fresh water to flourish, and grows just about anywhere at an incredible rate, it is the epitome of sustainability and provides an invaluable source of both food and fuel. “I get to share my passion in my talks,” Edwards says. “Most people aren’t aware of how valuable algae is to our world and the potential it has for solving world hunger.” In 2009, his book, Green Algae Strategy: End Oil Imports and Engineer Sustainable Food and Fuels, won an Independent Publisher Book Awards gold medal for top science book of the year. Currently, he is fine-tuning a new concept called “abundant agriculture,” which is food production free of fossil resources. “Our current food supply is jeopardized because it requires so much fertile soil, fresh water and fossil fuel,” says Edwards. “At current consumption rates, phosphorus fertilizer will run out within 30 years and our food supply will collapse.” His solution for this? Recover and reuse phosphorus in a project called “ZooPoo.” As the name suggests, ZooPoo involves recycling zoo waste through a process called “algaculture” and using the recovered nutrients to create animal food, fertilizer and fuel, without wasting precious fossil resources. Edwards, who has been interviewed on NPR several times, says he listens to Diane Rehm nearly every morning and especially loves the way NPR catalyzes storytelling. “We’ve lost the art of storytelling because most people watch TV instead of listening to radio,” Edwards says. “I think NPR does a wonderful job of allowing people to tell their stories. Often we can hear the passion in their voices, which is more valuable to me than the words.”