Rescue of the world-climate by oil-plant-cultivation in the desert

How motorists can contribute to stop the climate-change

ByGerhardHerres

Summary
It is possible to produce enough oil in the deserts of the earth by artificial irrigation of jatropha curcas, oil-palms, castor beans or other oil-plants, to meet the oil-demand of the whole world and simultaneously bind more CO2 in biomass than is parallely set free by combustion of coal, petroleum and natural gas at present. A diminution of the CO2-production by 50 percent until 2050 (decided at the UN-climate-conference in Bali 2007) still means a 2.5-times higher CO2-production than the biosphere can bind [1]. As long as the CO2-level rises, however, we will have to struggle with the feared climate-consequences. A reduction of speed of the CO2-rise in the atmosphere therefore is not sufficient, we need a stronger CO2-storage than CO2release by simultaneous combustion. By selective cultivation of energy-plants in the desert-zones of our earth, the CO2-level in the atmosphere can be reduced beneath the level of 1950 or even earlier within some decades. The water for cultivating the energy-rich plants is won by sea-water-desalination plants, using the residual heat of big solar-thermal power plants, and is distributed by means of subsurface irrigation systems directly at the roots of the plants. Only approximately 10 percent of the world-wide 36 million km2 desert-surface is required for it. In full extension the project can give 190 Mill. persons, particularly in developing countries, an income of about 20 wage per day and will cost the industrial countries no cent of foreign aid. Effective production-costs of about 0.43 /liter oil (2.5 US$/gl) arise from this concept, which is already competitive with a crude oil-price of 97 US$/bl; by taking into account the CO2certificate, which should be disbursed on CO2-collectors, the sale-price would be correspondingly lower. But this price competing with crude oil can only be achieved if the necessary investments into solar-thermal power plants, sea-water-desalination-installations, irrigation-technology and following processes are not unnecessarily raised by interest on capital. In these eminently capital-intensive technologies, the amount of interest usually account for more than 50 percent of the sale-price. If the interest therefore doubles the price of plant-oil produced in the desert, this possible solution of the expected energy-lack as well as the diminution of the CO2 in the atmosphere will not be financed. If however, the CO2-level further climbs undiminished, the costs of the climate change will exceed the necessary investments into the technology described here by far.

Structure
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Introduction Idea of the concept Advantages of a world-wide realization Calculation of the costs of the oil-production Cost-comparison with petroleum-support Funding

1. Introduction
Every year, the world-population's "hunger for energy" grows immensely and continually escalates the demand for a sufficient and secure energy supply. The by far biggest share of the energy-production today bases on the combustion of the fossil energy carriers coal, petroleum and gas. The insecurities of future energy supply, founding in an increasing shortage of fossil supplies and consequently arising danger for human being and environment through the combustion-products, intensify the worry about a secured future. Though the use of modern technology can increase efficiencies and environmentcompatibility and therefore reduce emissions, these cannot be avoided completely by those means, however. The climate-change and the worry about the global warming play an ever growing role beside the supply-security. Constantly rising energy prices and a noticeably more susceptible ecosystem clarify the necessity for alternatives to fossil fuels. On the background of global efforts to


reduce man made greenhouse-gas emissions, the expansion of renewable energy production is the most important element beside to energy-saving. The renewable energies must form the basis for the future energy supply. The production of energy from sun, wind, water and biomass gains more and more importance. The combined utilization of the solar energy with the cultivation of energy-plants can take over a decisive role in this energy-mix. Some journals have titled rhetorical tricks like "full tank or full plates" for a while, which probably shall give the impression that there is no alternative [2,3]. However, the question cannot be: "Whom do I remove the meal so that I can drive?" It must be called: "Where do I find agricultural areas for the cultivation of vegetable energy carriers, without competing with food production or endangering primeval forrests worth preserving?" However, Ernst Schrimpff has already described a working alternative [4] in the journal Humane Wirtschaft (Nov./Dec. 2005), in which plant-oil was discussed as future fuel. If one combinesthis idea with the DESERTEC-project [5] of the TREC (Trans-Mediterranean-Energy-Corporation), which includes all mediterranean residental states, it appears how one can win not only electricity but drinking water as well with the help of sun-energy. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) already calculated this and published it under the name AQUASOL [6]. Extending the solar power plants with proper desalination-installations allocates enough water to grow energy-rich plants. However, the problem of the biofuels is that energy carriers are preferentially built on todays intact agricultural areas, instead of food-plants as before. Therefore, either fuel is won from food-means as in the USA (ethanol from corn), or agricultural areas for foodproduction are rededicated for the production of palmoil, as in Africa, where multinational agrariancorporations buy up the agricultural areas, cutting back the natives food-production. For example, in Tanzania nearly 641170 ha of fertile farmland have already been rededicated for the cultivation of energy-plants [3, p. 3, p. 6-11]. If not so, it would be possible to grow 1200 - 5000 kg / ha corn there, according to soil, climate and fertilisation. Taking into account that 200 kg of corn can nourish a human being for a whole year, whereas it is only sufficient for the production of 50 litres of Bioethanol, it gets imaginable how many people have to starve for this fuel. The prices for food have already doubled between the years 2000 and 2008, and the prices for plant-oil (soy, raps, sunflowers and Palmoil) have even risen by 250%. In southeast-Asia, Brazil and Africa, primeval forrest is cleared in order to grow Palmoil or sugarcane. During clearing, so much CO2 is set free that it will last more than 80 years until this quantity is gathered again by the plants [7]. Furthermore, the surfaces on the EC that were shut down because of overproduction some years before, are under the plow again to produce rapeoil, sunflower-oil, corn-silage for biogas or other biomass for burning [8]. But even if one would use the whole agricultural areas in Germany for the fuel-production, one would only get about 18 percent of the gas and diesel required in Germany [9]. Our hunger for energy simply is still too big. Furthermore, one can foresee that the production of crude oil will drop to a considerably lower level within 10 years [10]. Of the present 50 Mio. passenger cars in Germany, only about one Mio. will be driven by electricity [11]. This is a matter of political will. We will need a substitute fuel for the spare passenger cars and trucks, ships and airplanes. It is hardly conceivable that many Germans would be willing to starve in order to drive. However, the population's majority presumably is not aware that many million Africans will have to starve then, as the imported biofuels would increase the price for food in the developing countries.

2. Idea of the concept

The solution is to use the overabundant existing solar energy in those countries which possess unattached, vacant areas and high radiation intensities. The subsequently described project consists of 4 steps:

1. To build solar-thermical plants for the production of electric energy, that pass on their waste heat,
at 2. Sea-water-desalination-installations, whose product serves not only for drinking but also for the 3. Irrigation of energy-plants and comestibles, in order to 4. grow vegetable energy carriers, to harvest their products and process them.


In the first step, the sunlight is focused so strongly with concentrating solar-collectors (for example parabolic-troughs or Fresnel-collectors) that temperatures of about 400 C are achieved. Using this heat, a power plant of the type ANDASOL 1 (to be seen near Granada, Andalusia) [12] is able to produce an electric output of 50 MW for 15.5 hours per day. Therefore, mirrors with a total area of 520000 m are set within 2 km space. A part of the gathered thermal solar energy is stored in saline tanks as heat, and so can supply energy for 7.5 h of full load services after sunset. One could subdivide this heat on 15 hours of part load service, as the demand is less at night. If one would increase the collector surface by 55 percent, the power plant could deliver the full performance of 50 MW 24 h/d, if wished. Out of the stored heat (143 MW), however, the power plant can transform just about 35 percent into electric power. The remaining energy, about 93 MW, is waste heat. The efficiency is not increasable at will, since the maximum temperature of the thermal oil cannot be increased over 390C, otherwise it would decompose [13]. The electric power not used in the producing state could be transported to Europe by means of high-voltage direct-current transmission, with low losses of only 3%/1000 km [5]. In the second step, freshwater with a salt content reduced to an extent suitable for agricultural irrigation is generated with the accruing waste heat of the power plant in sea water desalination installlations. Modern procedures, like for example EasyMED (multi-effect-distillation), allow for the generation of approximately 50000 m/d freshwater out of the 93 MW waste heat of such a solar-thermal power plant (44.5 kWh/m freshwater) . In the third step an area of about 45 km can be watered with the help of intelligent irrigation-procedures, for example Subsoil-Irrigation-System (Assumption: 400 liters/(m2 year)). Compared to conventional sprinkling, this technique needs only 20-30 percent of the water quantity [15]. coast solarthermalinstallation withstoragetanks, 50MWpower plant,photovoltaics about3km2 coolingwater compostand sewageworks, biogas production farmlandtogrowenergyplants, oilorstarchrichplants, forexample: oilpalm,soy,castor bean, Jatropha curcas, reed,sugarcane about38km2

brine

desalination plantfitfor 50000m3/d freshwater oilmill,or bioethanol production

workershousing estatewithgardens, groupedinseveral villagesalloverthe plantation centralcontrols, administration,public buildings,schools, hospitalward,etc.

machineryand machineshops farmlandtogroweadibleplants about8km2integratedincompanionplantingamong theenergyplants,whoprovidewindbreak

Fig.1: survey map for vegetable oil production in the desert (not to scale) In the fourth step, comestibles as well as energy-plants like Castor bean or Jatropha curcas are grown in companion planting on the watered surfaces. These produce seeds with an oil content of 35 percent and more. Up-to-date breedings of the spurge family plant Jatropha curcas offer earnings of approximately 10.000 liters per hectare and year [16]. To farm the watered areas, one requires approximately 12-20 workers per km in the case of Jatropha. The cultivation of comestibles is more labor-intensive. As the workers who grow the plants, harvest them and press the oil should of course live on the terrain of the plantation, a part of the surface must be reserved for the cultivation of food-


plants (1 worker per ha). In order to nourish the needed 1800-2000 workers and their families (factor about 2.5), approximately 8 km2 are used for food-production [17]. The remaining 38 km are fully available to grow energy plants, then. The water-demand for drinking and cleaning amounts about 5000x60 liters/d = 300 m3/d, which keeps a low profile compared to the demand for irrigation, as it is only 0.6 percent of the produced quantity of freshwater. In addition to the produced electric power, the power plants waste heat provides through cultivation of energy-plants 19-38 million liters of Jatrophaoil, by the detour of desalination and irrigating of originally dry, uncultivated areas. Around 18.2 Mio. m water is required to produce the plant-oil and the comestibles. There are 14.2 Mio. total costs facing it, wherein the share for desalinating the water account for approximately 54 percent (without interest). As the energy-plants develop besides oil or sugar - roots, trunk, branches and leaves as well, they will bind a multiple of CO2: around 44.1012 kg CO2 per year are bound in the plants themselves, whereas a further 10.4.1012 kg is bound only temporarily in the fruits until combustion of the oil (see Tab. 2). However, this would mean that during just one year of plant growth, the 1.5-fold CO2 quantity of the worlds total emission of 2006 is fixed within the plants. This allows to cover the future energy needs of the developing countries while simultaneously averting global warmth! Furthermore, it is to take into account that the amount of CO2 released by combusting the plant oil is in fact CO2 neutral, as it was taken from the air the year before whereas today, this amount is set free additionally by combusting petroleum. The solarthermal power plants also replace the combustion of coal for generation of electricity, which saves 1/3 of the CO2 production as well. The above-mentioned biomass, however, remains tied in the plant until it is cut down after decades and processed further. Leaves and press cake can be composted so that a part of the biomass increases the content of humus in the ground, which improves its fertility. This reduces the demand for chemical fertilizer quite necessary in the beginning-years, and thus saves considerable quantities of energy needed for its manufacture. Nitrogen-fertilizer is under the suspicion of outgasing from the ground, and to contribute in shape of NO even stronger to the global warming than CO2 [8]. However, through companion planting of the energy-plants with legumes, for example peas, beans, locust or laburnum, it is possible to enrich nitrogen-binding bacteria within the ground, which supply the required nitrogen for all plants.

Table 1: Production of CO2 Oil-consumption in the year 1996 (data according to Shell)) Through combustion, there originates World-wide CO2-production 2006 [18], from it approximately 1/3 for traffic and 1/3 from coal-combustion for the generation of electricity Table 2: Binding of CO2 1 liter jatropha oil (0.91kg) is up to 60 percent of the seed mass The entire biomass produced in one year is about 6.6 times the quantity (in root, trunk, branches, leaves and press cake) Carbon-share in the lumber: about 50 percent of 6,6 kg = 3,3 kg During combustion, 2.83 kg CO2 is created It binds about 12.1 kg CO2, that is 4.3 times as much CO2 as is tied in the oil 3600 billion liters 10.4.1012 kg =10.4 billion tons CO2 30.1012 kg = 30 .109 tons= 30.000.000.000 tonsCO2

If one produces 3600 billion liters of oil = 3.24 . 1012 kg of oil, about 10.4.1012 kg CO2 are released again through combustion, which was taken from the air before Simultaneously, in the biomass of the lumber is bound: 4.3 . 10.4.1012 kg CO2 = 44.1012 kg CO2

 3.
1. 2. 3.

Advantages of a world-wide realization

The production of electricity is virtually CO2-free; admittedly, the production of the power plants components requires steel smelting, but that is exactly the same with conventional power plants. The fuel-production for transportation (ships, airplanes, trucks and private cars) is CO2 neutral. The growing plants will store a 4.3times higher quantity of CO2 in the first 50 years as can be harvested as oil, because the biomass formed as roots, trunk, branches, and leaves, will bind the CO2 for decades. After those 50 years an equilibrium arises, as old trees are cut down and new ones are planted instead. Leaves and press cake are composted and transformed into humus, which increases the fertility of the ground. Projecting this on 50 years, the tied amount of is bigger than the released total quantity from combustion of petroleum, natural gas and coal in the last the 50 years! The feared climate-change would therefore be clearly slowed down, or even prevented completely. The atmospheres CO2 level would be reduced to values it had before 1950. The danger of a global warming, into the bargain accelerated by a thawing of the permafrost soil with its tied methane, would be averted. For those countries in which the plants are grown, an enormous economic upswing emerges, as they can supply a product that is urgently needed by the worlds economy and accordingly paid. For Europe, a stable supply market establishes, which makes us more independent from the previous petroleum-suppliers, whose deliveries become more inferior in the next decades anyway. Europe would deliver the technology to North-Africa, for example, securing european jobs and providing us with cheap energy. Those people today still seeking refuge in Europe because of a lack of perspective in their homelands, and being returned from Europe as one isnt willing to acknowledge them as political refugees, can find work and income in Africa. That would be cheaper for both sides and would not cost thousand refugees life per year. The deserts advancement as observed in the last decades could be counteracted at last. Our Earths primeval forests would have not to be cleared in order to create plantations for palm oil, for example, bringing along ecological problems anyway. The partnership between Europe and Africa would also mean stability for both sides security policies.

4.

5. 6.

7. 8. 9.

10. The Arab-Israeli conflict in Israel/Palestine could be relieved, since the lack of water there is at this stage one of the strongest causes for the tensions. There already is a study of the TREC about the water and power supply of the Gaza region [19]. Extended by plant-oil-production, it would be an opportunity for gaining additional income for the people there as well.

4.

Calculation of the costs of the oil-production

Of course, the project cannot be realized without investments. The sun doesn't send us any bill, but the installations for gathering the solar energy, the power plant, the desalination-installation, the irrigation-technology and the oil-mill, distillation-installation or biogas-installation have to be constructed and, therefore, paid. First Step A solar-power plant with the up-to-date Fresnel-mirror-technology costs about 75 Mill and produces electricity for 0,075 /kWh, compared with 0,085 /kWh for the conventional parabolic-troughtechnology [20]. The energy sector will call this too expensive. However, this is mainly due to the interest of the required capital. Andreas Hberle has already calculated in 2002 that, with 6,7 percent of interest, an annual repayment of 5,9 Mill is necessary, while this sum would be cut into halves if the interest was only 0,8 percent, lowering the costs for electricity to about 0,047 /kWh. If the operators of fossil power plants were forced to buy their fuel reserves for 25-30 years of plant operation before commissioning, they would likewise announce that this is much too expensive. But this is exactly the case with solar power plants: very low overheads, but high investment-costs. That is the crux of all regenerative energies. The investment-costs are that high only because the interest is to be paid from the beginning. If one takes additionally into account that interest-shares of about 40


percent are contained in the investment-costs of the power plant, the price for the power plant would fall from 75 to 45 mio. without the interest, and the costs for electricity generation would fall below 0,03 /kWh. The calculation of Hberle acts on the assumption of 6 hours full load operation per day. Expanding the mirror surface 4-fold and storing the excessive heat in two big salt-tanks would allow for full load operation all day, raising the investment-costs to about 212 mio. . With an interest of 6.7 percent, electricity generation would then cost 0.0425 /kWh, and 0.0228 /kWh with an interest of 0.8 percent perspectively. Furthermore, personnel costs of less than 1 cent/kWh have to be taken into account for both alternatives. Second Step The power plant won't be able to hand over their waste heat for nothing, as this leads to a small reduction of electricity-production and, therefore, a small decrease in its profits. The loss has to be compensated with about 0.95 /GJ waste heat = 0.00344 /kWh (steam with 80C). A cheaper alternative would be the expansion of the collector surface. The costs per m desalinated water assemble as following: Vaporization-heat 0.00344 /kWh x 50 kWh/m3 = + electricity for the pumps 3 kWh/m3 x 0.05 /kWh = + operating resources and personnel + amortisation costs of the installation Entire water-costs without interest 0.172 0.150 0.050 0.111 0.483 /m3

(For an installation with a capacity of 50,000 m3 freshwater per day, investment-costs of about 50 Mill. [21] arise. Without interest, the redemption rate for a duration of 25 years would be 2 Mill. /a. Allocating these costs to the production output of 360 days times 50,000 m/d leads to 0.111 /m3.) With interest (interest rate 6.7 percent), the redemption rate would be about 4.175 Mill. /a, leading to amortisation costs for the seawater desalination of 0.232 /m3. The energy costs rise as well, since the solar-thermal installation had to demand 0.1 / kWh for the electricity, and 1.9 / GJ for the heat. The water-price then rises to 0.916 /m3. Insurance and lease are neglected here. Third Step With the irrigation-installments of 50,000 m3 per day (see above) distributed on 46 km2, this makes about 400 Liter/m2 in one year. That is admittedly only half the amount fallling in Germany as rain, but however, the desalinated water is not drain off in rivers or evaporate at the soil surface, but to be brought to the plant-roots underground. Experiments have already proved the feasibility and efficiency [15]. Therefore, if only about 400 liters / (m2a) are required for the irrigation, the water-costs add up to 0.4 x in 0.483 /m2 = 0.2 /m2 (0.365 /m2 with 6.7 percent of interest), plus the costs for the irrigation system of some cent per m2. Fourth Step If one assumes that a worker can cultivate 5-8 ha [16] and earns a daily wage of 20 at the beginning, labor costs of 365 x 20 = 7300 /a fall upon the 50,000 80,000 liters / (worker x a), which is fewer than 0.15 /liter. Considering furthermore that energy-plants only grow at about 83 percent of the surface (38 km2), whereas the entire surface is watered, and the operation of the installation incl. Oilmill consumes around 3 percent of the produced oil, the price of the net produced oil increases. The effective production-price of the oil sums up as following: ( (0.2 for the water + 0.02 for the irrigation-technology) /0.83 + 0,15 for wage) /0.97 from auxiliary power = 0.429 / liter oil. Summarizing, it would be possible to produce plant-oil for about 0.43 Euro per liter, if no interest incriminates the production. With the charge of interest, the price would be at least 50 percent higher. While the crop yields may be not that high on desert-ground at beginning, a compensation from CO2-Certificats can resolve this cost-disadvantage. In 09/2009, CO2-Certificates cost about 14-15 /t CO2 [22]. As 12 kg CO2 are additionally bound per liter plant-oil during the start


phase, about 0.17 /liter commission for the relief of the atmosphere can lower the costs to the level of petroleum. As a comparison: the technology of the CO2-capture and -storage (CCS) is only getting competitive when the CO2-Certificats cost about 40 /t CO2, refering to experts statements [23].

5.

Cost-comparison with petroleum

One must compare the production-costs of the plant-oil with the present-day prices for petroleum. In summer 2009, the price per barrel rose to over 70 US$/bl, that is 50 /159 dm3, or 0.31 /Liter. Whoever believes that the crude oil-price will stop on this level, apparently hasnt understood the development of the last years. The maximum of crude oil production was already exceeded [10], however, the demand still rises because of the newly industrializing countries India, China, Brazil and Indonesia, and others. Imagine that further 2.4 billion people want to drive cars like we do. How much will the demand probably rise if the number of cars would double on this planet? We must prepare for it, because only few cars driving in 2020 will then have electric- or hydrogen-drive. Even the German Federal government only foresees about one million electro-cars for 2020, compared with 50 Mill. passenger cars today. And trucks, ships and airplanes are not even taken into account by this, and those are not likely to work with hydrogen or electricity. In compliance with statements of Shell, quoted by Professor Schrimpff, mankinds total consume was 3600 billion liters of oil in 1996 [4]. In order to substitute this amount by oil from energy plants, it would be sufficient to irrigate and plant 3.6 Mill. km2, which is only 10 percent of earths desertous areas. This would require 3.6 Mill. km2/38 km2 = 95,000 solar power plants with installations for water-desalination of the type viewed here, that would deliver an electric energy of 4750 GW coincidentally. The DESERTEC - project strives for 10.000 solar Gigawatt only for Europe, the Mediterranean-countries and the Near East. This would make the largest part of fossil power plants in Europe obsolete. These have to be replaced within the next 10 15 years anyway. Whoever still builds a power plant fueled with fossil energy carriers today will extremely resent the risen costs for coal, petroleum or natural gas in 10 years. Solar-power plants will then deliver electricity more cheaply than conventional power plants. Simultaneously, the plant-oil production is a gigantic work-program for the people in developing countries rich in sunshine, because one needs 95,000*2000=190 million workers for the production of plant-oil and food. Together with their families, 475 million people would have work and food. One has to see this in relation to the expected population-growth until 2050. For Africa alone, a population-increase from 1 to 2 billion people is predicted [24].

6. Funding
There might be the objection that the described large-scale plants would only attract multinational concerns again. I would like to answer that smaller installations, which can be expanded over the years, could as well be funded from provident banks, if they would open the WIR-payroll accounting system (described by Professor Berger in [25]) to the general public. An introduction of circulationsecured money (demurrage) would lower the prices of all merchandise by 40 percent on average in few years. The saved amounts in the working population's hands would be consigned in provident banks to a minimal interest and could be invested into the energy supply in adequate projects. Many citizens would then commit their money to those banks that fund these projects. The citizens would give up their interest profits, but get preferred access to the generated plant-oil as sponsors in exchange, which will soon be more favorable than petroleum and the cheaper electricity. Also, local petroleum dealers could use their profits to fund small and middle plantations. This way, they could skip buying expensive fossil oil in Rotterdam, and produce their own plant oil in the developing countries instead. Since the funding of small and middle businesses will be easier through the low interest, there will be enough competition to restrict the profits. The conglomerate, that can only realize their profits using monopolies, will then have the choice to be satisfied with less, or to leave the business to thousands of small producers. The concept of producing plant oil in 10 percent of the worlds desertous areas does not include any economic concentrations, as this means a total area of


3.6 million km2 after all. The acreages would be distributed on all continents and would offer work to some hundred million people. Nobody can administer this centrally. The try to do so would be more expensive than some thousand independent businesses. The petroleum-production was much easier to be centralized. Neither a buyers market, nor a sellers market could possibly arise, as both groups will count millions of market participants each, as soon as through the low interest, every inventive merchant can easily obtain the required capital in order to either run a plantation himself, or act as a dealer. For this reason, the price of the good regularizes itself ("invisible hand of the market") to a level which offers an appropriate income to both groups. Wherever big profits stand out, it swarms with much competition shortly after, and the profits restrict. That is a TRUE MARKET, not what one passes us off as it today. It would even be decentralized just because the production takes place in gigantic areas with millions of people (totally). I don't expect either that we import our entire energy as plant-oil. Our local production of heat and electricity by sun, wind, water and biomass will surely have an important share, maybe 50-70 %. But airplanes, ships and trucks won't be moved with batteries or hydrogen in the foreseeable future. Private cars will be driven by electricity someday, not yet 50 % in 20 years, but rather 10 %. However, the underlying goal is to show that the CO2 can be recollected with these plantations. Even when the plant-oil is not used anymore in Europe, the people in the developing countries will want this fuel. It is generated locally and used immediately in the country. In general, a circulation-secured money would be beneficial for the producing economy as well as the consumers, because the entrepreneurs could buy their pre-products more cheaply and could save a big amount of interest. The consumers could buy more merchandise with the same wage because everything becomes 40 percent cheaper in the cut. The state could save 80 billion interest per year and execute the long-since promised tax cuts, and it would still have enough to spend for our educational system. Even the former recipients of effortless incomes would have advantages, as a stable society cannot be bought with money. Of course we could wait that any billionaires finance such installations, but then, however, we will have to additionally feed their money with the required interest. For Jatropha-plantations in southeast-Asia, yields of 345 percent for the first five years are promised already today [26].

I don't raise the claim to have recognized these things by myself, many students contributed to it during a hands-on seminar of the University of Paderborn. The two final reports [27] (there were two groups) will appear in the internet in the near future. What surprises me the most is the fact that one can only read extremely rarely something about such possibilities in newspapers and magazines. Maybe this is because of the misunderstood nature of the money created by people. There is a law of gravity or the law of energy conservation, but there is no law at all which demands a continuous positive interest of money. Money is only an exchange-aid to satisfy our needs in a work-sharing economy. We have to design the rules in a way which is best for the well-being of the people. As long as we do not introduce an interest-free money-system, such projects which would allow saving the financial, economic or climate system of the earth are not seriously taken into account. But if we wait too long, we wont be able to finance the transfer to a solar energy system. Debited with interest, the plant oil from the desert would be at least 1.5 times as expensive. It would be competitive only with a price of 150 $ / Bl crude oil, or more. But such a high price for crude oil would lead to a deep depression for the world economy. In order to avoid this, gigantic agricultural areas would be withdrawn from food production, or whole rain forests would be cleared for the cultivation of vegetable energy carriers. Both variants would not decrease the CO2-level, but increase it. The consequences would be those described in the IPCC-Report: rising sea levels, some hundred million people on the run, more frequent long-lasting droughts and heavy rain with floods. Therefore, the harvesting of crops in many parts of the world would intermittently plunge dramatically. Which alternative is in the interest of the majority of the people?


1. Business as usual. The interest enforces a continuous economic growth with increasing consumption of energy and material, while ruining the earth simultaneously. 2. Introduction of interest-free money. Many regenerative energy carriers and -extraction methods are promptly cheaper than conventional energy carriers. Concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere can be reduced to a value comparable to the beginning of the 20th century, whereby the feared climate changes can be moderated, available. Whoever thinks through these alternatives should think not only of his personal short-term advantage. The more people have benefits from the solution, the more stable and lasting will it be. If the motorists recognize, for example, that the here described plant-oil-production in the desert meets not only their fuel-demand, but decreases the amount of carbon dioxid in the air as well, they could persuade the governments with the power of their lobby to convert such or similar concepts into reality. If they don't recognize it, they will have to live with scarce, expensive fuel and bad climate-consequences for the coming generations. This vision is only a first attempt and still requires the help of many dedicated people. Many details require the technical knowledge of biologists, geographers, area-planners, etc. Whoever has criticism should please express it, in order to enhance the solution of our problems. Whoever thinks the vision is practicable and desirable might please fight for it, broadcast the idea and win politicians and entrepreneurs for it. We all can only win on that occasion, because in a destroyed world, our money would be worthless as well. Doing nothing won't improve our situation. 20 years ago, tens of thousands called "We are the people" and demanded more freedom. When will the people in Germany demand the full profit of its work? Everyone can calculate for himself how many interests he pays indirectly to the money-owners with every payment (40 percent). Furthermore, he can calculate the necessary height of assets charged with interest just to balance this. For 90 percent of the population the calculation will show that they pay more interest than they get. How long do they still want to let themselves be mastered from the money? WE ARE THE PEOPLE !! The money should serve us, not we him! Then, we will get greater liberty from misery and freedom of self-determination. Acknowledgements My thanks to many co-workers and friends, who read former versions of this article and contributed through their commentaries to a clearer presentation. Email-address of the author: herres(at)thet.upb.de

Literature and comments 1. H. Gral, R. Klingholz.: Wir Klimamacher. Auswege aus dem globalen Treibhaus, We climate-makers. Ways out from the global greenhouse, 1990 IPCC, 2. http://www.law-and-business.de/www_law-andbusiness_de/content/e7/e149/e1092/datei1093/Turre_Nicole_Biosprit_IBLVol20_2008_ger.pdf, http://www.dlv.de/grafiken/3800/AT_04_08Edi_03.pdf, http://dangerzone.ch/viewthread.php?tid=1876, WISU-Magazin 3/07,S.281f, 6/07, S.746f, Nahrungsmittel als Kraftstoffe ?, EPEA Internationale Umweltforschung GmbH, http://www.epea.com/documents/Biokraftstoffe%20ZUSAMMENFASSUNG%20-%20Deutsch.pdf 3. Regenwald-Report 2/2008, s.3 4. Ernst Schrimpff: Humane Wirtschaft, Nov/Dez. 2005, S.15 Treibstoff der Zukunft- Wasserstoff oder Pflanzenl? "Fuel of the future - hydrogen or plant-oil?" 5. DESERTEC-FOUNDATION, http://www.desertec.org/de/konzept/ 6. http://www.dlr.de/tt/Portaldata/41/Resources/ dokumente/institut/ system/projects/aqua-csp/AQUA-CSP-Full-ReportFinal.pdf, http://www.menarec.org/resources/CSP+for+Desalination-MENAREC4.pdf 7. Joseph Fargione, et al., Land Clearing and the Biofuel Carbon Debt, Science Nr. 319,S.1235 (2008), cited in: National Geographic Collectors Edition No.11, Energie, Wege in die Zukunft, S.82 (2009) 8. Michael Streck: Die Klima Prioritten, Campus Verlag, Frankfurt, 2008, ISBN 978-3-593-38676-8


9. Possible Biofuel production in Germany calculates from: Surface of the Federal Republic of Germany: 35.709.200 hh, from it 2,4 percent freely, 53,5 percent for agriculture, profit of raps about 1150 l / ha, sources: http://www.Greenpeace.de / topics / sonstige_themen / fine-causes dust / articles / biodiesel_ mogelpackung auf_kosten_der_umwelt /, population of Germany 82.310.000, Anbaubarer Biofuel per head on free surfaces: 12 l/a, Anbaubarer Biofuel per head with relinquishment on food-production: 267 l/a, consumption: Crude oil-import: 110 Mill.kg / a, i.e. 1336 kg / (a * head), sources: http://www.bmwi.de / BMWi / navigation / energy / energy-statistics, did=180796.html, with a density of the oil of 0,9 kg / l is the 1485 l / (a * head). The surfaces would therefore be required for food-production of Germany times 1485/267=5 ,56. 10. Dr. Fatih Birol, boss-economist of the international energy said Paris agency opposite the newspaper The Independent, that the support of more than 800 oil fields (3/4 of the world-oil-reserves) sank in the year 2009 by 6,7 percent. 2 years ago, the installment was still estimated with 3,7 percent. Follows that can only be promoted 50 percent of the present-day quantity in 10 years from these oil fields, with same relative diminution per year. http://www.independent.co.uk / news / science / warning-oil-supplies-are-running-out-fast -1766585.html 11. "Federal government promotes market-introduction of electro-cars": Until 2020 in Germany approximately one million electro-vehicles should drive after the will of the Federal government. http://de.news.yahoo.com/17/20090916/tbs bundesregierung-foerdert-markteinfue-958911c.html 12. Andasol, http://de.wikipedia.org / wiki / Andasol 13. The Munich Re [14] informed at the 13. July 2009, that it brought together a consortium of German companies, which wants to find 400 billion to the construction of solar-thermal power plants. That will be no gifts to African countries but far-sighted investments in the protection of a favorable source of energy also over the time out, where rising raw material-prices and CO2-Certificate will mark up conventional, fossil sources of energy and nuclear energy immensely. These power plants deliver electricity and make coal and nuclear power plants in Germany redundant. For the world-biggest return-insurer, gigantic costs, that exceed the invested sum about a multiple for the long term, originate through the climate-change. An attenuation of the climate-change would reduce the too expectant damages and with it the emerging costs. For the German companies, sales-markets for their power plant-components and a protection of the jobs present themselves. 14. Munich Re http://www.munichre.com/de/press/press_releases/2009/2009_07_13_press_release.aspx 15. H.K.Barth, Sustainable and effective irrigation through a New subsoil irrigation system (SIS), Agricultural Water management, vol. 40 (1999), S.283-290. In cultivation-attempts with potatoes in Hungary, the water-consumption amounted 2 to only 180-200 l/m2 (SIS) instead of 400-500 l/m (Irrigation), the profit from it, climbed by one third. In North-Africa, the evaporation-installment is higher than in Hungary surely. 16. http://www.jatrophacurcasplantations.com/jatropha-curcas-seeds.htm, first harvest after 6 months, full of profit after 5 years (10-15 kg per tree), lifespan of the trees about 60 years, oil-content of the fruits about 60 percent with correct irrigation and fertilizer, oil-profit 10000 kg/ha and year, planting costs about 1000 US$/ha annual overheads incl. Harvest-costs: 800US$/ha, a worker can 5-8 ha manually reaps. Full-grown trees generate up to 70 tons biomass/ha, therefore 7kg biomasses per kg of oil, in one year. This is bound CO2 in trunk, roots, branches, leaves and press cake about 6 kg, i.e. 3 kg carbons, corresponding to 11 kg CO2. Each kg Jatroph-oil, that later is burned, additionally took 11kg CO2 from the atmosphere. 17. Encyclopaedia Britanica 2 2 In the Nile-delta, live about 28 Mill. People on 27700 km , that is 1010 People/km . On one hectare, 1200- 5000 kg of corn 2 or 1300 4500 kg of wheat can be grown. This is enough for 6-25 people / ha. 4400 people need 4400/6 ha=7.,33 km for the cereal production, additional area for vegetables, fruit, livestock-pasture and settlement. 18. Federal-ministry for economy and technology, BP 19. Gaza - sea-water-desalination, Desertec-Foundation www.desertec.org/downloads/proposal_gaza.pdf (Israel doesn't return the Golan Highs at Syria, because it has to share the water-rights at the lake Tiberias not only with Jordan but also with Syria. The water level in the lake Tiberias and in the Dead sea fell in the last decades by several meters because too much water is taken.) 20. Andreas Hberle et al., The solarmundo line focusing Fresnel collector optical and thermally performance and cost calculation, 2002, http://www.solarpaces.org/CSP_Technology/docs/solarpaces_fresnel_9_2002.pdf http://www.ise.fhg.de/veroeffentlichungen/nach-jahrgaengen/2002/the-solarmundo-line-focussing-fresnel-collector-optica land-thermal-performance-and-cost-ca lculation 21. Desalination-installation-costs, http://www.exportinitiative.de/media/ article006022/4_Kaeufler_synlift.pdf 22. http://www.eex.com/de/Marktdaten/Handelsdaten/Emissionsrechte/ EU%20Emission%20Allowances%20|%20Spotmarkt 23. The CCS-Technologie still is from the economic viability far away. McKinsey refers that in the present early phase still CCSprojects costs 60 to 90 Euro per ton (t) of avoided CO2. In the year 2030, however, the technology could then be competitive and itself the costs of 30 to 45 Euro / t halved, it is called in the study published in September. This is also the price, that is to then be expected in the emission-trade for CO2-Certificates. http://www.produktion.de/news/ca t/5Technologie/ca t/5-Technologie/detail/30299-Stromkonzerne+wollen+ Millarden+ in+C02-arme+Kraftwerke+stecken 24. Neue Westflische, 11./12. July 2009, "the hike-pressure increases after estimates of the UN will increase the worldpopulation of 6,91 billion (2010) on 9,15 billion (2050), from it alone in Africa of 1,03 on 2,00 billion. Professor Ralf. E. Ulrich (Inst). and following Population and health-research, university Bielefeld, assumes that could break off the nutritional-basis for some billions people, if - as he/it expects - the support of the fossil fuels sinks and subsequently the prices approximately for petroleum drastically climbs. "Famines and the confrontation about fossil fuels could increase strongly." 25. Wolfgang Berger / Hermann Schmauder:Ein nachhaltig tragfhiges Geschftsmodell, Humane Wirtschaft, 05/2009, S.812 26. http://www.jatrophacurcasplantations.com / jatropha-plantation-investment.htm 27. Conclusion-reports project-seminar WS 2008/09, university Paderborn, institute for thermodynamics and energy-technology http://thet.uni-paderborn.de/

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