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Water Challenges & Solutions on a Global Warming Tellus

Abstract

As is seen from the rotating Tellus above most of the planet area is blue = covered by sea water - as we all know.

Currently 71% of the planet is covered by water - sea water. In case of a complete polar ice melting the sea coverage may increase considerably within 100 to 500 years.

So physically and globally water is definitely not a deficient liquid on planet Earth.  The challenge is to desalt or desalinate the seas water at lowest possible price and pipeline it to positions where it is needed for agriculture production. Several techniques are already now compeating.

In the map "culture" we refer to the sea level as a sort of constant by naming "height above sea level. During the last ice period (30 000 years ago) was positioned about 127 m below current sea level. In case of a full polar ice melting the sea level will raise ~80 m. Yes ! 80 m ! Man decides now mutually within what time it will happen or be counterbalanced and never happen through activities like Project AgroChallenge.

Land areas elevated above current sea level - represent currently 29% of the total planet area. This land area represents 16,7 Gha. Perhaps 1/3 of this land area is threatened to be sea bottom within perhaps 500 years in case of a full polar ice melting. We regret to say that we havenīt yet been able (having the resources to calculate the global area below 80 m equidistance above current sea level) As EU exemples we have however been able to conclude that even many big cities far from current beaches will be fully submerged - e g in EU cities like Warzaw, Berlin, Paris, Rome and London - currently cities far from the current beach line.

 

Of the total global land area 31% is currently classified as deserts - areas dryer than green plants can survive as perennials. Where these regions are can be seen from the NASA compilation below as yellow areas. The green ones have natural high photosynthesis due to high humidity.

Picture courtesy by NASA

However, on a global warming planet the desert area is expected to increase considerably acording to e g Hadley Metoffice scenarios.

To supply the current human population with food end feed and energy in a warmer world the need for irrigation within agriculture will be considerably more pronounced than today. In more and more localities natural sweet water will thereby be a limiting factor within necessary global agriculture and in many basic processes and activities around the world ruled by man today.

- How can this challenge be solved ?

There are at least two principally different technical, logistical and commercial solutions on this.

 

Solution A: The global current municipal logistics around sweet water in coastal communities (letting billions of m3 of sweet water annually into the salt sea will within these perspectives be more and more unacceptable and unnecessary. The used sweet municipal water should be cleaned to such a purirty level that it can be used once more within agriculture and/or industrial processes in a sustainabel society. Thereby irrigation can be achieved in most regions by efficient utilization of fully cleaned municipal sweet water. The cost for this must be carried by the polluters - not the irrigators.

Solution B: Because of the anticipated need for boostered photosynthesis to counterbalance for 150 years of non sustainable fossil C combustion projects like Project AgroChallenge need sweet water to be produced in certain desert areas in huge amounts from the complete desalination of sea water.

In a global warming world caused by too much combustion of fossil C that has to be counterbalanced within a comparatively short time complete desalination of sea water by the shore is the only possible technical solution to meet these needs. This will raise the costs for food, feed, bioenergy and also C sequestering in many regions. Ultimately it will be as natural for all global regions in arid and desert regions around the world to draw pipelines of high quality water as it is to draw electricity.

Modern technologized societies always demand clean water without salt and infectional risks. The advanced technology and logistics for using water (and how to not use it) and the concomittant dynastic laws around this must be spread soonest possible from the so called developed to the developing countries. This is a medical and economic aim within Project AgroChallenge. This will raise the traditional economies in many countries in a healthy way. Water is not a limiting factor on Planet Earth - just its rational logistics.

If humanity doesnīt take this water cost globally through World Bank and national bank investments the human population will start to suffer and later even collaps in certain drying regions. This may cause the worst economic collapse ever in history when we pass about 4 degrees C above preindustrial temperatures we regret to say.

Project AgroChallenge will be a booster for greening of these areas. This is a form of "physical pay back" for the non sustainable technologies used during the fossil C era.  

Mankind simply doesnīt have a choice on this matter any longer. The needed energy cost for this can be taken from 100% recent sun energy from different sources.

Recently a new photovoltaic cell has been constructed with over 80% energy utility from sunlight. Sea wave energy is another source to produce energy in tropical areas. 

Clean water local awailability we all know is allways a basic parameter for prosperity wherever You live on the planet. This Project AgroChallenge will therefore be of outmost importance for the people in most regions of the world where we will be active within our photosynthetic logistics. A secondary effect is therefore that the wealth and health of mankind in many regions will be considerably improved as a secondary effect of Project AgroChallenge regional presence and technology and approaches.

 


Westward view from Övralid at Lake Vättern, Sweden 2001-08-31 at 19.30. This lakes surface is positioned above 80 m above sea level.
Photo & copyright: Rune Ekman, Project AgroChallenge.

2009-12-13

Rune Ekman

Project AgroChall

 

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