Algae.
They release oxygen as a waste product of photosynthesis. Their net oxygen output is higher than that produced by all the trees and other land-based plants put together.
Ancient algae are also the main consituent of oil and gas. Blue-green algae or cyanobacteria is earth's earliest known life form, with fossils that date back to 3.6 billion years.
While some algae are included with the plants in the Eukaryote domain, the cyanobacteria are now firmly in the Bacteria kingdom with their own phylum.
One form of cyanobacteria, spirulina, yields twenty times more protein per acre than soya beans. It consists of 70% protein (compared to beef's 22%), 5% fat, no cholesterol, and an impressive array of vitamins and minerals. Hence the increasing popularity of the spirulina smoothie.
It also boosts the immune system, particularly the production of protein interferons, the body's front-line defense against viruses and tumor cells.
The nutritional and health benefits of spirulina were reccognized centuries ago by the Aztecs, sub-Saharan Africans and flamingos.
Its significance for the future may be that algae can be grown on land that isn't fertile, using (and recycling) brackish water. it's a crop that doesn't cause soil erosion, requires no ferilizers or pesticides, and refreshes the atmosphere more than anything else that grows.
{information from the book: The Book Of General Ignorance by John Lloyd & John Mitchinson }
How amazingly cool is this? There is actually a company out there that is working on this very subject of growing algae and other "green" stuff in vertical greenhouses. If you're interested, check this site: www.valcent.net
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