The needs, drivers and tools to make life accessible, affordable and sustainable on earth are explained and described at “Sustain-Earth”. Take a cop of coffee or tea and explore what “Sustain-Earth” is ABOUT.
Our understanding of algae, their unique and rich diversity, is shifting more and more towards finding industrial applications for production of useful products, in particular, food (human food, fish food and animal food), energy and farmaceutical products. There are known methods and tools to extract oil and other valuable products from algae, also to change the genetic content and chemical composition of many algae.
Many and many organizations give lots of money for research for commercialization of algae. Research takes is typical path fuelled by society needs, human hopes for prosperity and fears from environmental threats. In this amazing journey of what we are right now and where we are heading to, there are several important facts to be known, e.g. benefits and threats. There are, also, key interests in understanding the potential of artificial photosynthesis as a new path, not yet fully understood, for production of energy.
Algae are “biochemical reactors” that can recycle carbon to produce organic compounds in different forms, which indeed is the origin of all the gas and oil reservoirs around the world. Multi-hundred-million dollar industries have invested in many products, e.g. sushi wrap, oils, dental impression, ice cream thickener, cosmetics, medical products, plastics… etc. They still invest more and more money for production of energy-rich food, biofuel from algae and use of wastewater to grow algae as well as for the extraction of other useful products like coloring agents and anti-oxidant, agro-culture business for production of food in the fish and shellfish industries.
Basic research is needed, and even imperative, to solve central bottleneck in algae processing technology ranging from cultivation, harvesting, extraction of desired products, processing and refining. Micro-algae are known to grow very fast and there is commercial potential in industrial microbiology where molecular biology in combination with aquaculture and marine farming can yield hybrid and novel technologies. Unlike industrial small-scale microbial technologies, e.g. cheese, beer, alcohol that are based on “closed systems” trying to cultivate algae on large-scale, i.e. in open systems, is a great challenge. Algae are now looked upon as the most sustainable known potential source of biofuel. The challenges are transferring the many different types of small-scale bioreactors to open systems for growing algae at large scale. Up-scaling of algae-based technology leads to emergent issues that are not fully controlled, e.g. competitor algae, predators and diseases (bacteria and viruses). Up-scaling to large-scale open systems, therefore, requires solving a wide-range of difficulties and threats including those arising from varying weather conditions, e.g temperature, and much work is still needed.
Earth – the blue planet: lots of water-lots of algae-lots of oxygen. The most important and oldest single cell plants on earth “The Algae” and the very reason of our existence. These single cells carry lots of secrets and many of them are still unknown to us though they played important roles in the evolution and development of life on earth. They have micro- and nano- devices with complex molecular structures and diversity of biochemical metabolic reactions, e.g. photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation, production of amino acids and lipids. Algae with thousands and thousands of species can be very small or very large in size with different colors and can be useful or harmful. Algae remains, diatoms, can be preserved in sediments for millions of years. The most important is that algae are the origin of gas and oil and recently that algae can be used for production and a source of biofuel!
Waste from animals and household can have negative and harmful impacts on the environment, i.e. land-water resources, as well as on health because of degradation of sanitation and living conditions. However, when sorted and treated can be useful sources conservation of natural resources, for improves economy, for producing energy, (biogas or electricity, and fertilizers e.g. different forms of organic fertilizers). It is simply because leftover food and animal manure are organic matter rich in carbon which is a basic element for production of biogas. Breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen, i.e. anaerobic digestion with anaerobic bacteria, can produce biogas. Biogas can, also, be produced by fermentation of biodegradable materials such as manure, sewage, municipal and green waste, plants and crops.
Note: In order to get the best possible out-put from DIY “DO-It-Yourself” you are strongly encouraged to address questions, give comments and contribute in discussions. This will in addition to bringing more clarity, will also contribute in making modifications and further adjustment or even developments for better adaptation to local conditions, e.g. climate, mixture of waste, availability of construction material, running conditions and maintenance aspects.
Agricultural production is very much dependent on land-water resources and in recent decades there have been trends towards new agricultural solutions either to substitute the increasing degradation in land-water qualities or to find new agricultural alternatives more suitable for arid and semi-arid climate.
Degradation in water quality resulting from waste, pollutions and sanitation on the one hand, and reduced land quality due to decreasing soil fertility, man-made technological interferences “dams”, soil erosion and climate change on the other, triggered new shifts in agricultural technologies. Traditional agricultural techniques are becoming more and more dependent on artificial fertilization either to compensate for decreasing soil fertility and/or to increase soil productivity.
Chemical pesticides are still in use, inefficient irrigation routines and further pressures on water resources have, also, caused gradual degradation in land-water resources in particular the large-scale and long-term negative impacts on water resources.
These trends have forced shifts towards new agricultural technologies that either rely on less land and indoor green-house solutions and/or what is known as “complete liquid fertilizers” as well as clean sterilized organic-fertilization. These solutions, foliar spray, fertigation programs, hydroponic solutions, aireal/soil application of “liquid complete” and/or “sterilized clean organic” ferilizers” have new advantages. However they either shifted focus to alternative solutions that may require additional costs, i.e. making food production less economic, or made farming and agriculture that can not afford the new technologies to continue their “business-as-usual” traditions.
http://www.behance.net/gallery/A-COMPLETE-LIQUID-FERTILIZER/2283468
220 AD The Great Wall, 1420 AD The Forbidden City, 1997 AD Three Gorges Dam and 2002 AD China does again with the biggest construction project on earth in the middle of the deep ocean. That is to meet the 21st century where China’s export-import trade is exploding by nearly 30% each year and to support the heavy traffic from Yangtze River where there is considerable sedimentation of silt where it meets the ocean.
This China’s Ultimate Mega Port, The Yangshan Port, is one of the busiest cargo facilities on earth with the world biggest import-export trade. It has one of the most advanced and cutting edge control system in any container port around the world. It is 32 km off-shore and 15-20 meters deep, a 20 km cargo-port that can handle 25 million shipping containers in one year, i.e. 70 000 in just one day and to built it required thousand of million cubic meters of soil. It is built for loading and unloading gigantic containerships and linked to the main land China by the second world largest bridge.
Air pollution is a worldwide problem especially in many big cities and industrial areas around the world. Emission of fine particulate matter (e.g. aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 µm; PM2.5) , chemicals (e.g. biogenic VOC) and pollutants (e.g. heavy metals), and associated photo-chemical reactions (e.g. production of tropospheric ozone) in the atmosphere as well as in-cloud interactions (e.g. acid rain) experienced dramatic changes since the industrial revolutions. Concentrations of hazardous pollutants in global atmospheric air masses, dry and wet precipitates have been subject to gradual increasing reaching harmful levels for air-quality what regards human health (e.g. lung cancer, mortality) and the environment (e.g. negative impacts for forests and vegetation and quality of life in aquatic eco-systems) in many places around the world.
Climate change influences air quality through several mechanisms, including changes in photochemical reaction rates, biogenic emissions, deposition/re-suspension, and atmospheric circulation. Several techniques/approaches were used in such studies including atmospheric chemistry, climate model inter-comparison, high-resolution satellite observations together with a global atmospheric models and extensive compilation of surface measurements to better represent global air pollution exposure.
http://www.salon.com/2013/09/23/infographic_shows_air_pollution_deaths_around_the_world_newscred/
It is interesting and even generous that some nations and civilizations were able to maintain something that describe and illustrate the beautiful reality but yet a difficult and critical past of their history. It is part of the nations and civilization’s mindfulness of their cultural heritage where conflicting history is turned to friendship. Granada is a true window for a glamorous past worth visiting instead of reading history books. Granada is an integration of innovative architecture, cultural history in a unique social and environment context.
https://www.spain-holiday.com/blog/granada-top-weekend-break-destination.php
Necessity is the mother of invention. Where energy lacks there is much concern about finding it and using it with the most sustainable manner possible. This is why Iceland is among very few countries in the world where Renewable Energy Resources are managed with the best possible sustainable solutions. It is, also, possible that the availability and affordability of renewable energy in Iceland attracted Scandinavians to settle in Iceland sometime around the second half of the 9th century as in ancient cultures people sought living there were good possibilities to secure “WE-resources”. i.e. water and energy resources. The necessity and needs for survival are essential drivers for inventions and advances in science and technology. It is interesting to mention that 100% of the electricity production in Iceland is produced from renewable energy resources, i.e. hydropower and geothermal heat. Furthermore, 85% of total primary energy supply in Iceland is derived from domestically produced renewable energy sources.
So, we have something to learn from this country that in addition of being in the icy part of the world has a very long dark winter season. However, Iceland is not as cold as Minnesota (USA), for example, and not as dark as Tromso (Norway). That doesn’t mean that Island is some tropical paradise though.
To learn more about geothermal energy, please, visit: (1) http://cognitiveanomalies.com/what-is-geothermal-energy-what-are-geothermal-energy-advantages-and-disadvantages/ (2) http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/09/working-on-this-one-developers-warm-to-small-scale-geothermal
The dream of any nation is to provide its population with safety and security especially in most critical situations with severe disasters, tragedies and collective nightmare arising from fear, insecurity and uncertain future. The nuclear disaster and the national tragedy from Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan demonstrated how collective efforts, the neat national planning along with continuous and intensive hard-work brought about safety and security for almost all the population in Japan.
An amazing awareness and responsibility on all levels for the DE-COMTAMINATION of every single inch or centimeter of land, houses, school, hospitals, roads, trees and practically all environmental compartments. A national DE-COMTAMINATION strategy if followed by other nations much of pollutions and waste problems can be solved. Successful sustainable management is about providing future generations with secure and safe living conditions, it is a collective discipline, awareness and responsibility from all for all and by all including preparing and fostering future generation for how to handle national disasters and severe tragedies.
Geothermal energy is among potential “semi-global” natural energy resources, as it is only accessible and affordable in economic terms in hot and limited areas around the globe. It is also considered to be relatively user friendly, more energy-intensive in comparison to solar energy, has less threats in case of technical failure as compared to nuclear power, simple and more safe production-technology in terms of drift and above all more durable and lasing natural source. It is indeed a form of “fossil resource” as being a remainder from the Big Bang. However, unlike energy produced in stars such as in the sun (solar energy) through fusion-reactions, energy in planets such as the earth is being produced through decay processes of the primordial radio-activity. Actually, without the embedded sources of heat in the earth’s body, i.e. the energy emitted through the decay of natural radio-activity, e.g. the radio-active members of the U and Th series, and many other radio-active isotopes of other elements that can have half-lives much longer than the age of the universe itself, e.g. Te-128 of half-life of 2.2 exa millions (billion billion millions) of years.
The most interesting issue in energy production and use is that water in always involved in these processes with two main impacts what concerns WE-resources, i.e. Water and Energy. For energy we are consuming more energy resources and thereby less we are gradually facing less access to energy resources and as a consequence increasing prices of energy production. As energy production, use and consumption create more waste and pollution as well as bring water to more open systems and interactions there is continuous and gradual degradation in water quality and thereby increasing threats to all life forms on the earth.
So, production and use of geothermal energy can be, also, associated with negative impacts on water resources, environment and bio-diversity.
An important aspect for appropriate implementation of Sustainable Technologies is Sustainable Management. The fundamental question is How Sustainable is Sustainable? And what are the most appropriate solutions for Achieving the Best Socio-economic Sustainability? Among strategic long-term and large-scale policies for the MENA region, where arid and semi-arid conditions prevail, is Water Management because of its impacts on all involved sectors (energy, industry, agriculture and environment) in this region, life quality and bio-diversity. Unfortunately, existing literature still lack appropriate long-term and large-scale sustainability solutions as being based on “Business as Usual” without consideration to other possible and yet feasible alternatives.
Seawater desalination constitutes an important source for water supply for all sector activities and the population in the bordering the Arabian Gulf, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Red Sea. Desalination has advantages and disadvantages that may depend on the region, location, technology, impact and amount of fresh water production. Apart from the energy requirements for desalination, there are also other negative impacts in terms of waste management, fish production and quality of marine life in general. However, these impacts can be mitigated or even eliminated, by solutions other than those currently available.
Increasing pressures on natural resources, in particular availability, accessibility and affordability of Water and Energy “WE”-resources, require Sustainable Management Policies that consider shaping and integrating Sustainable Technologies to meet the growing needs for large-scale and long-term transformation to New Sustainable Life-styles. Unlike, in ancient civilization where population settlements were created at/around fresh surface-water bodies, e.g. rivers, lakes and deltas, future settlements are likely to grow faster at coastal regions “Hydroponic Coastal Colonies” and non-traditional living areas with limited fresh-water resources. Agricultural production may not require land to the same extent as in traditional farm communities; modern technology will allow more Sustainable Cities to grow on coastal areas as well. However, climate change threats for increasing sea-water levels have to be taken in consideration, what we have learned from the past safety and protection measures are always part of any successful socio-economic developments. The future is bright by innovation and not by imitation.
Shaping and Integrating Modern Technologies for Sustainable Cities and Global Food needs
By Chemist/ Safwan Elfar, Qatar
The earth’s surface went through enormous large-scale and long-term shaping and re-shaping evolution history that resulted in todays earth’s “face”. In the last million years these shaping and re-shaping processes of the earth’s surface were continuously fueled by dominant erosion processes of natural origin that carved land-areas, holes and trajectories for coastal, surface and groundwater systems, e.g. rivers, lakes, coastal deltas and shores, fjords, water-falls, forests, natural parks, caves and other major geological formations. However, modern man-made interferences are becoming increasingly important, primarily because of increasing activities and processes on the earth’s surface in particular urbanization, mining and global warming. Recent climate changes, for example, are imposing extreme daily and seasonal variations in atmospheric temperature, gradual warming of oceans, seas and surface water systems with feedback impacts on atmospheric, oceanographic and hydrospheric erosion processes. These processes are brought about by the action of more dynamic air and water masses on different scales ranging from micro, local, regional and global scales, e.g. dynamic changes in speed and velocity of wind and water waves, also heating, freezing and de-freezing cycles “expansion and contraction” and geothermal processes.
Erosion is the main source of nutrients supporting the formation of vegetation cover, animal and evolution of bio-diversity and the very origin of natural agricultural production through photo-synthesis and associated biogeochemical, geophysical and geochemical machinery of the functioning and metabolism of global eco-systems. However, modern pollution and waste because of industry, agriculture and household have severe negative impacts of all life forms on the earth’s surface.
Whether we agree or not on the causes of global warming, facts still remain about the increasing impacts of climate change not only on weather but, also, life quality on earth. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has enormous evidence on increasing average global temperatures; rising sea levels; changing global precipitation patterns, including increasing amounts and variability; and increasing mid-continental summer drought. The combined effects of weather changes may have significant impacts on wildlife, domestic animal, and human health and diseases. Expanding human populations is already causing intensive pressures on the limited water resources with feedback impacts on habitat destruction, and more risks for infectious diseases to cross from one species to another.
Global warming is not only a matter of increasing temperature, ice melting, increasing sea water level and enhanced abnormalities in weather conditions. Changes in temperature, though might seem, as little as few degrees, will bring about major changes in the functioning and metabolism is global aquatic, ecological and land-water systems. Fish population in world oceans and seas will suffer major dynamic changes, in term of population, species and catch composition. Fish species will be forced to large-scale migration to adapt themselves for new living in suitable waters and some fish species are expected to disappear. Such major changes in fish species will also have other impacts on global ecology of other animal species.
http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/CheungGraphic_web.jpg
Water is the natural environment for the life quality of fish and hence water quality is of prime importance for fish production and the quality of fish as well. Even in aquatic eco-systems, one can simply say “what goes around comes around”. Understanding how to improve the conditions in fish farming in terms of production and quality have very much to do with understanding the functioning and metabolism in natural aquatic systems. There are key issues that are essential to be understood about water quality in aquatic systems (fresh, brackish and marine), in particular the physical (e.g. density, stratification and mixing as well as turbidity, mineral particulate, light transmission) and chemical (e.g. pH, solubility of gases such as oxygen, carbon di-oxide, ammonia, salt concentration, dissolved matter, organic and inorganic particulates) properties and characteristics in these waters at different temperatures. The physical and chemical conditions of water determine to large extent the water quality status, along with toxic anthropogenic compounds that originates from pollution and water from industrial, agricultural and household sources. The impacts of all these conditions, factors and properties on water quality, the response and feedback effects on fish in terms of production and quality are to large extent summarized in the following document, it can be used as a guide for fish farmers.
http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/AS/AS-503.html
Give your support to bio-diversity, environment and water issues and create public awareness to protect life from extinguision around the Great Ruaha River and the eventual the drying up of the river itself.
Ruaha Marathon, Irnga-Tanzania, is a social event which you can contribute in shaping it and improving its activities through not only being part of it but also by active initiatives and interactions. Social enterpreneurs can very well innovate in how they can be effective part of making this event move forward towards achieving sustainable socio-economic developments in Africa. All what Africa needs is INNOVATION, where people join together to share solutions. Life is about to serve and get served but do it with quality! Building up sound eco-tourism and green-awareness part supporting rural communities in Africa.
Life on earth, and its origin, has been a puzzle and still. Classically humans believed that the essential “elements” upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based are: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. In the past the concept of Energy was unknown to humans though fire was very much needed for life. It is as early as in stone-ages where humans discovered how to make fire, it came by accident. People at that time both appreciated and hated fire, however from that time humans went on to explore the whole range of energy forms, including production and consumption. Full benefits of Water and Energy resources for life on earth required/requires the other two “elements”, i.e. earth and air. However, there are specific requirement for the properties and qualities of earth and air for the life to exist. Even for humans, the full benefits of energy and water were/are only possible through earth and air with given specifications and qualities.
Through science and technology the classical four “elements” were developed and expanded to an enormous amount and spectra of knowledge that allowed all possible application and inventions. The most common feature of modern educated and intelligent humans and stone-age illiterate humans is how to solve the dilemma of mastering energy and water in sustainable matter. The difference is illiterate and ancient humans discovered energy “fire” by an accident but intelligent and modern humans will, at some stage, consume all energy resources on earth to a level that makes further life on earth difficult. Are we gradually moving to stone-ages?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChxvN4WjxWg&feature=youtu.be
The rosy festival of continuous prosperity growth has recently been challenged by the theory of “Peak Oil”, which concludes that the amount fossil energy (oil, gas and coal) being extracted from the earth will shortly start an irreversible decline. We will be increasingly dependent on other energy sources to power our civilization, if not to say our long-term survival.
Assessment of the global energy resources, consumption and trends in global energy-mix with consideration to increasing global population shows that energy per capita will decrease. This will have negative impacts on GDP “Gross Domestic Product” and probable escalation in the costs of raw material, e.g. fertilizer and the diesel fuel or electricity for water pumps that are essential for agriculture and production of food. We will be, therefor, moving fast not only towards energy poverty but also towards global economic recession, pushing many countries and population towards increasing poverty, e.g. shortage of water, food and housing.