Halophytes: A Rapid, Inexpensive and Significant Way to Address Land, Water, Food, Energy and Climate

Abstract

Climate change, in spite of attempts at mitigation, is becoming much more serious. Wide spectrum major mitigation efforts are now necessary including removing ­CO2 from the atmosphere, reducing fossil energy use and increasing the planet albedo. Halophytes, salt plants grown on deserts and wastelands using saline and seawater are uniquely suitable to rapidly and profitably, at the tremendous scale of the climate problem, using inexpensive land and water, remove CO2 and produce major amounts of biofuels and food while returning up to 70% of the fresh water to direct human use. This article examines the extraordinary possibilities of halophytes to significantly mitigate the major societal issues involving land, water, food, energy and climate.