Organic Matter as Future Energy Source

[AndresKiani]

I believe with the tons of cellulose, fructose, glucose, ethanol, and the many more organic matter that our biological world produces yearly can, fuel the world.

 

Organisms harvest the sun's energy, all organisms store this energy in one way or another, whether its in starch, glycogen, or cellulose or any other organic molecule.

 

Even though Geo related fuel sources come from matter that contains a lot more energy than the regular ethanol rich Maiz plant or the cellulose from Olive Pits, or any other organic material. Organic matter is produced by Biological organisms by the Trillions of tons per year.

 

If we could some how come up with a way to recycle unused organic material before it becomes compost, and find out away to take advantage of its stored energy on a global scale. We would possible be able to provide energy for the whole world.

Also the emission given off by burning organic matter has much less adverse affects on our biosphere. Plus, its a constant source of energy, since the sun continually provides this earth with continued energy, and organisms continue to harvest it for use, and produce tons of organic matter that contains tons of energy.

[Essay]

I believe with the tons of cellulose, fructose, glucose, ethanol, and the many more organic matter that our biological world produces yearly can, fuel the world.

 

Organisms harvest the sun's energy, all organisms store this energy in one way or another, whether its in starch, glycogen, or cellulose or any other organic molecule.

 

Even though Geo related fuel sources come from matter that contains a lot more energy than the regular ethanol rich Maiz plant or the cellulose from Olive Pits, or any other organic material. Organic matter is produced by Biological organisms by the Trillions of tons per year.

 

If we could some how come up with a way to recycle unused organic material before it becomes compost, and find out away to take advantage of its stored energy on a global scale. We would possible be able to provide energy for the whole world.

Also the emission given off by burning organic matter has much less adverse affects on our biosphere. Plus, its a constant source of energy, since the sun continually provides this earth with continued energy, and organisms continue to harvest it for use, and produce tons of organic matter that contains tons of energy.

Correct! Your analysis (of how to rebalance the carbon cycle) gets to the heart of the solution.

Plants are already sucking down over 100 gigatonnes of Carbon (GtC) each year, before that new biomass decays and releases its carbon back into the air, during the yearly growth and decay cycle.

Creating energy (or to be accurate, "releasing energy"), while shunting some of that "new biomass" out of the yearly cycle, provides a way to rebalance the carbon cycle.

Pyrolysis ("burning" in low-oxygen conditions) of waste biomass will create heat that can be converted into power; while pyrolysis also creates charcoal (stored carbon) that retains about 20% of that "new" carbon from the [harvested] wastes of the "new biomass" from each yearly growth/decay cycle.

Charcoal created through high-tech pyrolysis, and used sustainably to preserve its stored carbon, is called biochar. The International Biochar Initiative has lots of information about efforts to further this solution. http://www.biochar-international.org/

In addition to the energy released during charcoal (biochar) production, the biochar created also has value itself. Biochar, used as a soil supplement, can help repair much of the damage wrought by industrial-scale agriculture, and it can help realize the 5 Food Security Steps, in addition to helping implement most of the 8 U.N. Millennium Development Goals.

5 Food Security Steps: http://www.geog.psu.edu/sites/default/files/Scientific%20American%20Article.pdf

8 UN MDGs: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/mdgoverview/

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We still need to cut emissions of fossil carbon, but....

Basically, you're right; there is enough biomass, if we would manage our lands more extensively. And then:

Pyrolysis could convert that new biomass (shunting some "fossil" CO2) into restoring and maintaining rich agricultural soils, thus perpetuating a virtuous and sustainable cycle.

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Is this along the lines of what you are suggesting?

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Edited January 11, 2014 by Essay

[AndresKiani]

Yeah, exactly. I believe if we would focus more on Biochemical pathways to solve our energy problem, we would be much happier and satisfied for years. I believe I read somewhere that the sun gives off enough energy per day to provide us with enough energy that could last us million or so years. But we are not able to capture all of it.

 

 

 

Plant more photosynthetic organisms, trees, plants, ect. Not only would it help solve our energy problem if we figured out how to utilize organic energy more efficiently, (I don't know how well scientists today are able to break down cellulose and harvest the energy) But most importantly it would solve many of our pollution problems, and help us renature our biosphere's denatured atmosphere.

Edited January 11, 2014 by AndresKiani

[Essay]

Whatever high-tech ways they might develop for co-opting biochemical pathways and extracting energy,

pyrolysis exists now and the process can also help solve many socio-economic problems.

 

I agree with a report from http://www.charcoalproject.org/ that I saw several years ago, which said:

"The technologies we're talking about--energy efficient cookstoves and improved charcoal-making kilns, better fuels, and other very simple, inexpensive energy solutions--cost as little as $10, and can save the same number of lives each year as die from malaria or turberculosis."

"If the fix is cheap, quick, and immediate, why hasn't it happened yet? Why does the world overlook a cheap strategy for reducing global warming, environmental destruction, child and maternal mortality, and global poverty?"

 

 

 

After all... as these WorldWatch folks say, in:

Mitigating Climate Change Through Food and Land Use: 2009

"Why should we not take every opportunity to find synergies between action to reduce climate change and action to advance other social goals?" -p.36

Pyrolysis can convert biomass into value.

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