AQUATER PAPER 2.0 MATURE SOLUTIONS FOR THE FIVE PROBLEMS BY USE OF THE SEMAN AND THE AQUATER ALLIANCE

The Problem

This is a critical time for humans on earth. Specifically:

  • We are polluting the air and changing the climate.
  • We are running out of the energy we use the most (oil and gas)
  • We are running out of jobs for the coming generation.
  • We are gradually using up our retirement funds (social security, for example), so workers cannot count on being able to retire as planned.
  • We are running out of fresh water and land to grow food on.

It will be shown in AP2.3 that we may be heading toward a runaway global warming condition where reducing carbon dioxide will not be enough to halt the warming trend and more must be done. Also, AP2.4 will describe the difficulties we face in creating enough energy, jobs, food and water for the coming generations. Thus we may be heading toward a situation that will be very difficult for our current civilization to control. Some observers believe that clear evidence of this breakdown will be obvious to all by 2050. However, there is a new technology and life style coming on line that may provide a solution to these problems. 

It has been found to be possible to build a vessel (the SEMAN) that can counter these five problems for individuals and families (see AP1.0). It is natural to ask if enough SEMAN can be launched and operated to overcome these problems world wide to maintain a sustainable civilization with good opportunity and the necessities of life for its citizens and yet not degrade the environment of earth. If so, it may turn out to be the beginning of a new sustainable civilization that will replace the old one that may be breaking down by destroying earth’s environment and exceeding the earth’s resources. It is also important to ask if this task can be completed in time to avoid a 2050 breakdown deadline. 

The Solution

Through years of research and development, it has been found that it may be possible to expand on the use of the SEMAN for individuals and families to develop a sustainable or quasi equilibrium civilization on earth if the population can be stabilized. Calculations indicate that this state can be achieved if enough people choose to use the SEMAN to accomplish these tasks. It is expected that the majority of the people who live on SEMAN will be members of the Aquater Alliance, so they will be called Aquaters. Nevertheless, not all people who live on SEMAN will be members.

Obtaining sustainability requires that a significant portion of mankind provide its own basic needs and also cover a portion of the rest of mankind’s basic needs by earning the capital goods required and providing the labor necessary to accomplish the following tasks:

  • Recycle or sequester mankind’s wastes-especially the critical one, carbon dioxide.
  • Generate the energy mankind needs to replace its fossil fuels.
  • Provide the number of jobs in a new industry needed to employ that part of mankind that is becoming unemployed due to automation by computers and robots.
  • Save the funds mankind needs for the retirement of a critical portion of its elderly.
  • Generate the new supplies of fresh water and food mankind needs to obtain sustainability.

Note that most of the needs of mankind is currently being supplied by the systems currently in place. Only enough increase is needed in these five areas to close the gap.

This appears doable. The first step is for individuals and families to make and live in self-contained living units that supply jobs as was shown in chapter AP1 (AP1.0 through AP1.7). The SEMAN is the most fundamental of these units. This unit provides a:

  • Means of sequestering wastes-especially carbon dioxide
  • Means of harvesting energy and converting it into a useable form
  • A job for two for each SEMAN, and many land support jobs as well
  • Means of saving the funds needed for retirement
  • Means of desalinating water and growing food

This unit was shown to be capable of making a living and a profit for the owner and operator in chapter AP1.0. 

In chapter AP2 (AP2.1 through AP2.6), it will be shown through calculations that if enough people decide to live in SEMAN, they can accomplish all the tasks required to close the gap and thus achieve a sustainable civilization. Each SEMAN can make a profit, and the oceans are capable of supporting the necessary number. Specifically, calculations show that about 200 million SEMAN can operate on the oceans without overcrowding them, and that number can:

  • Sequester all the carbon dioxide currently being emitted plus bring the current level down by 2050.
  • Provide enough clean energy to replace the oil, gas and coal being used by 2050.
  • Provide enough jobs at a middle class salary level to cover world unemployment caused by automation by 2050.
  • Provide enough alternative retirement options to relieve the current retirement funds and make them solvent by 2050.
  • Provide enough safe drinking water to ensure that all nations can have a safe supply, as well as supply the food necessary to augment the existing food supply enough to relieve the pressure on the earth’s environment.

These claims are supported in AP2 below. 

Note that other solutions to these problems are being worked on. The Aquater Alliance may not be the only solution used to solve these problems. However, whatever combination of solutions is used, the Aquater Alliance can provide an answer for whatever problems remain. Thus it is expected that the current institutions of our civilization augmented by the Aquater Alliance and the SEMAN can overcome most of the critical five problems by 2050, which is expected to be the critical time when prior bad practices catch up with us and cause serious survival problems. 

 Summary and Conclusions

Through years of research and development, it has been found that it is possible to work out a near (but not completely) sustainable world civilization on earth if the population can be stabilized. This state can be achieved only if enough people use the SEMAN to accomplish these tasks. The people who live on the SEMAN will be referred to as members of the Aquater Alliance. In the following papers (AP2.1 through AP2.6), it will be shown how this can be accomplished.

 It is expected that the required number of SEMAN will end up on the oceans, since the resulting life is good and well paid. Calculations show that 200 million SEMAN can operate on the oceans without overcrowding them, and that number can:

  • Sequester all the carbon dioxide currently being emitted plus bring the current level down by 2050.
  • Provide enough clean energy to replace the oil, gas and coal being used by 2050.
  • Provide enough jobs at a middle class salary level to cover world unemployment for those with the proper education by 2050.
  • Provide enough alternative retirement options to relieve the current retirement funds by 2050 and make them solvent.
  • Provide enough safe drinking water to ensure all nations can have a safe supply, as well as supply the food necessary to augment the existing food supply.

Note that other solutions to these problems are being worked on. The Aquater Alliance will probably not offer the only solution that will be used to solve these problems. However, whatever combination of solutions is used, the Aquater Alliance can provide an answer for almost all of the problems that remain. Thus it is expected that a civilization augmented by the Aquater Alliance and the SEMAN can overcome all of the five critical problems of our times. However, there will still be some serious problems for our civilization that the Aquater Alliance and the SEMAN do not address. These problems will be discussed in AP2.6 RULES OF OPERATION OF A STATIC CIVILIZATION.