Not just more efficient, vastly more efficient. Algae is 10-50 times faster at processing CO² than trees are. Some algae can be up to 400x as efficient.

It’s just not as “nice” to look at, we usually associate algae with growth in unsafe bodies of water like bogs, etc. versus a nice clean pool or even a maintained pond.

At this point we can only hope the Matrix is real and they reset this simulation soon because what we’re seeing are the side effects from the uprising outside.

There also general differences in the types of infrastructure that could also correlate.

Higher income areas often have larger land plots, and while there may be plenty of nice sidewalks, crosswalks would likely be fewer and far between, so there would be less infrastructure affected by this.

There are a lot of ways discrimination can be seen de despite it not being a factor. Although discrimination via other factors obviously results in those differences in the first place. Lots of correlation without direct causation when it comes to things like this specifically.