While the world rightly focuses on the human carnage, energy crisis and economic costs from the war in Ukraine, another human toll is quietly unfolding.
Good post, environMENTAL. Both Russia and China are working behind the scenes in the industrialized west and in Asia to convince governments to adopt energy policies that serve Russia's and China's self-interest. Asia and the industrialized west ignore this reality at their peril.
One way to reduce the population of countries not aligned with the western world values is to exacerbate and prolong their food shortages - a convenient by-product of going green. Bravo, Greta...
thanks! We have quite a large amount of water, and it seems we have a large supply in the air of CO2. Was wondering if by some process that could be combined to create methane. Obviously, chemistry was not my strong suit! thanks again.
Congratulations on a wonderful article connecting Dr. Carl Bosch, Dr. Fritz Haber, Dr. Norman Borlaug, and full bellies! I would suspect none of the "intellectuals" developing energy policies today have any knowledge of these three. Keep up the good work!
What always disturbs me about the criticism of ammonia-based fertilizers is that the critics point out its manufacture creates carbon dioxide, without giving it credit for what some researchers say is a 49% increase in biomass in crops where it is used. So is all that CO2 generated by forming ammonia actually just creating a larger carbon sink (while being blamed for increasing CO2 levels)?
Nice post, thank you. I'm curious about a chemistry problem: is it possible to combine water with CO2 to yield methane and Oxygen? CO2 + 2H2O --> CH4 +2O2? Would it be a net energy gain or loss?
You get a 10 out of 10 with this post from me. The problems of poverty, starvation, and even mass deaths would disappear with just a little more thoughtfulness. Regrettably, the average person is blind to the the solution.
There's never been a good idea that hasn't been opposed by well-fed, ignorant, manipulative elitists, who, without a shred of consciousness , never consider the human suffering their evil ideas cause. You mention the politically cased tragedy in Sri Lanka and I'm immediately reminded of Pol Pot's evil vision of utopia with nearly 1/3 of Cambodians dead. You mentioned the work of the brilliant Norman Borlaug and yet in popular appeal Rachel Carson fill more pages of history.
A book I'm reading, "From Miracle to Menace," Alberta, a carbon history graphically shows how political and environmental interference have kept energy development to a snail's pace, largely by restricting access to deep sea and transcontinental shipping.
You talk about the global problem with food and fuel but there is one more aspect, finance, that actually override them both. As you say, the EU has malinvested so very much in impoverishing energy schemes that their own affluence is threatened, reminding me of the fact that our tolerance for abuse from the political class seems to have no boundary. Taxes are the price we pay for the privilege of doing self-supporting activities. The book mentioned above, shows just how had we'll work in order to be productive, even when fought by a government penalizes thrift and rewards those who waste both their time and energy with irresponsible behaviour.
It's rather easy to see that human sensibility remains in short supply.
Heavy stuff. It would seem the goal of these environmentalists is to halve or even quarter the population of humans, mostly in the Third World of Planet Earth. They're comforted with the knowledge that they're rich enough that being poor and starving, for a little while, is a choice.
Here's my history of Fritz Haber (Father of Chemical Warfare) and Carl Bosch, for those interested in reading more. One nitpicky historical fact that doesn't matter much for your argument, but ofc Haber and Bosch got hydrogen from coke not natural gas. It is chemically feasible, though perhaps not economical, to get hydrogen from water instead.
Either way, much more gas and coal gets burned for energy in the nitrate production process than is actually incorporated into the end product as a source of hydrogen.
More to the point, a bigger threat to global food security than access to fertilizer is crop failure due to extreme weather exacerbated by global warming. Not that you'd ever admit that.
Another outstanding article. Thank you for bringing up the issue of food for the masses. I read the book, "The Alchemy of Air" which described the Fritz Haber and Carl Bosh invention of reactors to turn the air with natural gas into ammonia and how the head of Royal Society of Scientists in 1900 proclaimed that the planet could not support more than 2 Billion people. Then along comes Haber! I wrote on my blog about the uselessness of the U.N. for world Peace. It seems odd that they (The UN) is more interested in Ruling the World than in stopping wars and feeding the people in Developing countries. http://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/04/05/energy-world-peace/
Hunger Games
That is an interesting number. Do you have a source? Please advise, thank you.
We need another 400ppm atmospheric CO2, at least - optimal plant growth requires 800-1300ppm - we are in dire deficit
Good post, environMENTAL. Both Russia and China are working behind the scenes in the industrialized west and in Asia to convince governments to adopt energy policies that serve Russia's and China's self-interest. Asia and the industrialized west ignore this reality at their peril.
One way to reduce the population of countries not aligned with the western world values is to exacerbate and prolong their food shortages - a convenient by-product of going green. Bravo, Greta...
And here is data on cost of producing ethanol/gasoline. It only makes sense if you are receiving large subsidies. Meanwhile, as the world appears to be malnourished, we burn food rather than eat it. Whew.... https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2005/07/the-stupidest-federal-subsidy.html
thanks! We have quite a large amount of water, and it seems we have a large supply in the air of CO2. Was wondering if by some process that could be combined to create methane. Obviously, chemistry was not my strong suit! thanks again.
Congratulations on a wonderful article connecting Dr. Carl Bosch, Dr. Fritz Haber, Dr. Norman Borlaug, and full bellies! I would suspect none of the "intellectuals" developing energy policies today have any knowledge of these three. Keep up the good work!
What always disturbs me about the criticism of ammonia-based fertilizers is that the critics point out its manufacture creates carbon dioxide, without giving it credit for what some researchers say is a 49% increase in biomass in crops where it is used. So is all that CO2 generated by forming ammonia actually just creating a larger carbon sink (while being blamed for increasing CO2 levels)?
Nice post, thank you. I'm curious about a chemistry problem: is it possible to combine water with CO2 to yield methane and Oxygen? CO2 + 2H2O --> CH4 +2O2? Would it be a net energy gain or loss?
Drought in western canada is centered on SW Sask and S.E. Alberta, it is a very dry year
Look up “Palliser’s triangle” to understand it
Drought is unfortunately common
You get a 10 out of 10 with this post from me. The problems of poverty, starvation, and even mass deaths would disappear with just a little more thoughtfulness. Regrettably, the average person is blind to the the solution.
There's never been a good idea that hasn't been opposed by well-fed, ignorant, manipulative elitists, who, without a shred of consciousness , never consider the human suffering their evil ideas cause. You mention the politically cased tragedy in Sri Lanka and I'm immediately reminded of Pol Pot's evil vision of utopia with nearly 1/3 of Cambodians dead. You mentioned the work of the brilliant Norman Borlaug and yet in popular appeal Rachel Carson fill more pages of history.
A book I'm reading, "From Miracle to Menace," Alberta, a carbon history graphically shows how political and environmental interference have kept energy development to a snail's pace, largely by restricting access to deep sea and transcontinental shipping.
You talk about the global problem with food and fuel but there is one more aspect, finance, that actually override them both. As you say, the EU has malinvested so very much in impoverishing energy schemes that their own affluence is threatened, reminding me of the fact that our tolerance for abuse from the political class seems to have no boundary. Taxes are the price we pay for the privilege of doing self-supporting activities. The book mentioned above, shows just how had we'll work in order to be productive, even when fought by a government penalizes thrift and rewards those who waste both their time and energy with irresponsible behaviour.
It's rather easy to see that human sensibility remains in short supply.
Heavy stuff. It would seem the goal of these environmentalists is to halve or even quarter the population of humans, mostly in the Third World of Planet Earth. They're comforted with the knowledge that they're rich enough that being poor and starving, for a little while, is a choice.
Here's my history of Fritz Haber (Father of Chemical Warfare) and Carl Bosch, for those interested in reading more. One nitpicky historical fact that doesn't matter much for your argument, but ofc Haber and Bosch got hydrogen from coke not natural gas. It is chemically feasible, though perhaps not economical, to get hydrogen from water instead.
https://apocalypse-confidential.com/2023/04/22/nitrogen/
Either way, much more gas and coal gets burned for energy in the nitrate production process than is actually incorporated into the end product as a source of hydrogen.
More to the point, a bigger threat to global food security than access to fertilizer is crop failure due to extreme weather exacerbated by global warming. Not that you'd ever admit that.
Bravo. On the bright side for Sri Lanka, it has the worlds highest ESG score. We must end this farce: https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/how-to-raise-your-esg-score
Another outstanding article. Thank you for bringing up the issue of food for the masses. I read the book, "The Alchemy of Air" which described the Fritz Haber and Carl Bosh invention of reactors to turn the air with natural gas into ammonia and how the head of Royal Society of Scientists in 1900 proclaimed that the planet could not support more than 2 Billion people. Then along comes Haber! I wrote on my blog about the uselessness of the U.N. for world Peace. It seems odd that they (The UN) is more interested in Ruling the World than in stopping wars and feeding the people in Developing countries. http://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/04/05/energy-world-peace/
Keep up your excellent writings! Dick Storm