Industrial Biotechnology – The Unique Tool for Big Industry to Handle Climate Change

Abstract

The connection between production of energy and climate change is elucidated. CO2 from burning fossil carbon is the main agent responsible for the hazardous climatic development. The use of this process in energy production has to be vigorously restricted. The gaps have to be filled by conversion of renewable carbon into reduced forms. Big industry shall adopt biotechnology as an enabling technology.

Handling Climate Change – Establishing Waste CO2 Management A View from Biotechnology

“…Success of such a compromise is finally decided by economy if its results are not distorted by interests [3].…”

“…However, evolution provided biology with singular properties of basic conversions of matter, e.g., production of carbohydrate and oxygen from carbon dioxide and water (photosynthesis) instead of carbohydrate-similar products and water from carbon dioxide and hydrogen 6 Their presence in nature, without a visible access to copy them artificially in the technique of today, is a permanent challenge to use them industrially despite their rather moderate key figures. Success of such a compromise is finally decided by economy if its results are not distorted by interests [3].…”

“…At low rates of carbon oxidation (i.e., low industrialization) such behavior was tolerable but now industrialization has overrun natural processes. Half of the yearly inflow of CO 2 into the atmosphere will not be recycled and accumulates there (10 10 t CO 2 per year) [3]. This provokes climate change.…”

“…It is a problem of waste CO 2 produced by that part of energy industry which is based on fossil carbon. This is at present about 85 % of the whole energy industry [3]. If this accumulation will continue without control, incalculable damages of nature have to be expected with impact on living conditions.…”

“…Thus, there seems to be nothing else for industry but to concentrate on sun radiation. The sun as energy source is theoretically and practically more than adequate to satisfy the future energy demand [3]. The problem is to have available adequate technologies in the range of the necessary turnovers at reasonable costs.…”