Post pithos
2019
Desert sand, vermiculite, phytoplankton, water, laboratory flask, air pump, towel rail
50 x 30 x 15 cm
Post palaeo
2019
Desert sand, hemp
75 x 15 x 15 cm
Phytoplankton are mostly microscopic, single-celled photosynthetic organisms that live suspended in water. Like land plants, they take up carbon dioxide, make carbohydrates using light energy, and release oxygen. They are what is known as primary producers of the ocean—the organisms that form the base of the food chain.
Phytoplankton are some of Earth's most critical organisms. They generate about half the atmosphere's oxygen, as much per year as all land plants. Phytoplankton also form the base of virtually every ocean food web. They make most other life possible.
Through photosynthesis these organisms transform inorganic carbon in the atmosphere and in seawater into organic compounds, making them an essential part of Earth's carbon cycle. Because they take up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, when they die they sink they carry this atmospheric carbon to the deep sea, making phytoplankton an important actor in the climate system.
https://www.whoi.edu/know-your-ocean/ocean-topics/ocean-life/phytoplankton/
Nannochloropsis sp. microalgae viewed under a light microscope. Photo taken at Wageningen University.
Inks002, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Hemp grows fast, is very adaptable to soil and climatic conditions and is undemanding on resources such as artificial fertilisers and pesticides. It provides a good break crop for the farmer, giving the land a rest from other crops and helping to prevent disease.
It is a potential flagship sustainable crop for the 21st century, but there's a reason why our fields aren’t full of it. It produces a substance that became socially controversial in the early part of the 20th century: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which as well as having many medicinal attributes has been used as a recreational drug. In recent years breeding and selection has resulted in cultivars low in THC, and hemp is once again being considered by governments as a useful crop.
One of the oldest relics of human industry is a bit of hemp fabric dating back to approximately 8,000 BC.
Hemp is six times as strong as cotton, much more resistant to weathering and wear, and more lustrous and absorbent. It is also much more environmentally friendly to grow.
https://www.edenproject.com/learn/for-everyone/plant-profiles/hemp