Imagine a world where butter fights climate change. That’s the ambitious goal of Savor, a company backed by Bill Gates, which is creating butter from captured carbon dioxide (CO2). This innovative solution tackles a pressing issue: dairy farming’s significant environmental footprint.
Current butter alternatives often fall short in the sustainability department. Savor, however, utilizes a process called Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. This method transforms CO2, methane, and even coal into hydrocarbons, the building blocks of fat.
These hydrocarbons then meet oxygen to become fatty acids, the essential components of butter. Finally, water, an emulsifier, and a touch of rosemary oil create the final product – a butter substitute with the potential to revolutionize our kitchens.
But replicating butter’s taste and texture is just one hurdle. Lab-grown meats, another alternative protein source, highlight the challenges. High production costs and consumer skepticism have hindered widespread adoption. Savor, however, remains confident they can compete on price with traditional butter.
The success of this “climate-friendly butter” hinges on two factors:
- affordability
- public acceptance
Can Savor deliver a delicious, sustainable butter at a competitive price? Will consumers embrace this innovative solution and ditch dairy butter for a CO2 alternative? Only time will tell.
The ambitions of Savor’s scientists go beyond butter, however. They posit that processes like this could eventually be used to revolutionize agriculture as we know it. This is explored in an article, titled “Food Without Agriculture.” Savor’s creation offers a glimpse into a future where our favorite foods fight climate change, one delicious bite at a time.
Reference- Savor website, New Scientist, Journal Nature Sustainability, Futurism, ScienceDirect