The Problem

I was saddened by the report that global warming appears to be progressing faster than expected. I thought that I had roughly another fifteen years before we would see the indications you described in this article. I was especially disturbed by the indications that the ice loss and permafrost melting feedback mechanisms are starting to kick in. I need those fifteen years to complete the program I am working on to counter global warming. The program has already been slowed by the recent recession, which reduced the funds I had allocated to complete the prototype that is the key to this program. I am trying to complete the program before the feedback mechanisms become so powerful that reversing the warming trend may be so difficult it may not be possible. Let me explain a little about the program, so you can understand what I’m trying to do and its limits.

 

The Solution

Aquater2050 LLC (I am CEO) is working on a program to place ocean based wind turbines, wave generators and solar cells on the high-energy areas (wind speed >15kn) of the oceans.  Calculations indicate that roughly 200 million vessels that harvest energy can operate profitably in these high-energy areas and it is expected that in fifteen years, enough will come on line to have significant impact. Such vessels are non-polluting and inexpensive. The harvesting apparatus can be operated on one platform or vessel (called a SEMAN) to save capital expense. The cost per KWH of the energy they produce is estimated to be ~$0.03/KWH. Wind and wave turbines are the primary energy producers. Solar cells are expensive and consume so much surface area that they can provide only a tenth of the generated power, so they have only a backup roll. The vessel can be moved to find optimum operating conditions, so the Load Factor (fraction of daily time on line) is ~0.85 to 0.95. The owner is expected to be the operator, and the SEMAN grows its own food for the operators, so overhead is saved. Much of the energy produced is converted to fertilizer that has a ready market on the land and then sold on the land for operating expenses and profit. Later, green liquid and gaseous fuels will be produced and sold on the land. There is an excess of energy, however, so some can be used to freeze carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, package it and sink it to the bottom of the ocean where it is sequestered for a very long time.

 

Calculations show that two hundred million SEMAN can sequester all of the carbon dioxide currently generated by fossil fuels with capacity to spare for reducing the concentration in the atmosphere and still sell fertilizer on land. These SEMAN can then sell the right to emit carbon dioxide on land through the Cap and Trade program. Also, the sale of fertilizer by SEMAN frees up natural gas for use to generate electrical energy and fuel autos, and so reduces carbon emission on the land as well. It can also cover the fuel needed to replace fossil fuel for land-based generators as time goes on by making and selling gas and crude oil made from food waste and the harvested energy.

 

Timing and the Overall Capability

 

These SEMAN can be put on the ocean rapidly because the developer, (Aquater2050 LLC), operates with an unusual business model, which uses a different development and operating procedure than is normal for an energy company. Development consists of building and testing one vessel (it is almost complete), capable of immediately making a profit. Thus, people with the funds can individually build and operate their own SEMAN using separate contractors. Aquater2050 LLC also has an Internet site operating to aid in this task. There are charges for this aid. Part of the money received from this site will be put into a fund to supply building materials and aid for those who don’t have money of their own to build a vessel.  So the unemployed will also be able to build and operate vessels. Use of this two-pronged approach ensures that there will be more than one construction base operating. Thus rapid SEMAN increase is possible. Then the sequestering of carbon dioxide can ramp up quickly to face the daunting task of reducing its concentration in the atmosphere.

 

I used to have adequate construction funds to complete the prototype quickly. Also, my research indicated that we would have another fifteen years before the feedback mechanisms (loss of ice and permafrost melting) had a significant impact. However, I lost part of my construction funds in the recent recession, and that slowed me down considerably. Right now, my progress is fund limited. At first, I didn’t think the delay was very important, but the Scientific American article makes me believe that speed is important. The difficulty is that I don’t know if 200 million SEMAN will be able to control greenhouse gasses when the feedback mechanisms are operating full force.

 

 

 

Conclusion

Ocean based energy harvesting vessels called SEMAN may be capable of sequestering enough carbon dioxide to cover the amount currently being emitted as well as begin the process of reducing the amount now in the atmosphere under current conditions. However, difficulties, delays and fund shortages have been encountered in preparing the prototype SEMAN, and global warming is proceeding more rapidly than expected, so a serious problem may be developing. Certain feedback mechanisms increase the warming process by generating greenhouse gasses and increasing surface reflection as the globe warms. Although this problem may not be catastrophic, I am concerned that the feedback mechanisms-ice reduction (which increases solar absorption) and permafrost decay (which increases carbon dioxide and methane emission)- will increase the warming trend so much that it may be difficult if not impossible to reverse it. So I have increased my efforts to complete the prototype SEMAN in the shortest time possible and thus be able to start the process of sequestration of carbon dioxide in the deep ocean. Currently, however, my progress is fund limited, so development speed is limited by the number of people willing to pay $7 to become Aquater members (see the home page on this site). In the mean time, I will continue to work on the prototype with the funds currently available, hoping that completion will still be in time to save the earth from the worst consequences of global warming.