Seawater/Saline

Agriculture for
Energy,Warming,Water,
Rainfall,Land,Food and
Minerals
Dennis M. Bushnell
Chief Scientist
NASA Langley Research Center
   “SPACESHIP EARTH”
We,The crew are:
­ Plundering the ship’s supplies
­ Tinkering with the temperature and life­support
controls
­ Still looking for the instruction manual
­ Engaging in bloody skirmishes in every corner of
the vessel
­ Increasing the size of the crew by 2 million
PER WEEK
P. Creola
 The (Economic) Ages of 
Humankind
•Hunter/Killer groups (~1 Million ­ ~5K 
BC)
•Agriculture (~5K BC ­ ~1850 AD)
•Industrial (~1850 AD ­ ~1950 AD)
•Information (~1950 AD ­ ~2040 AD)
•BIO/NANO (~1995 ­ ~2040)
•Virtual (~2015 ­ ?)
•Hunter­Gatherer ­ “Nature Provided”
•Agriculture ­ Controlled Nature 
(Plants/Animals)
•Industrial ­ Mechanized Agriculture
      [1800­97% Farmers,Now­2%] 
•IT/BIO/Nano ­ Automating 
Industry/Agriculture
•Virtual ­ Robotization of 
IT/Bio/Nano/Industry/Agriculture
Humans Have “Taken Over” and
Vastly Shortened “Evolution”
[Human Engendered~E7 times “Natural”]
Of the Planet
Global Warming/Pollution/Deforestation
Huge “Public Works” (e.g. 3 Gorges 
Dam)
Of the Human Species
Genomic Design and Repair
“Mind Children” (Moravec)
Products/Life Forms
Cross Species Molecular Breeding
“Directed Evolution” (Maxygen etc.)
 - CO2 levels are NOW
greater than at any time in
the last 650,000 Years………
- Tundra Melting,Releasing
huge amounts of Methane…
….
- European Gulf Stream
Heating reduced by 30%
[overlying fresh water from
melting glaciers]…….
              THE KEY TECHNOLOGIES
(highly synergistic / at the frontiers of the small / in 
a “feeding frenzy” off each other)
• IT (comms/computing/sensors/electronics/machine 
intelligence)
• Bio (genomics/molecular biology/designer life forms)
• Nano (coatings/barriers/computers/sensors/materials/
“assemblers”)
• Energetics (HEDM (various)/revol. 
solar/biomass/explosives/propellants/storage)
• Quantum 
[crypto/computing/sensors/optics/Electronics]
• Societal Technological Systems (motivational 
The [Major] Societal Problems
• Warming [Anthropogenic CO2-
Induced,Attendant Arctic Methane
Release]
• Consequent “Green Energy”
Requirement,Simultaneous Demise
of “Cheap Oil”
• Shortages of Water & Arable Land
• An Increasing Food Shortage
 Current Worldwide Energy
Usage
• Petroleum - 140 Exojoules
• Natural Gas - 85
• Coal - 90
• Biomass - 55 [Potential to 4,000+]
• Nuclear Fission - 28
• Hydroelectric - 9
• Others [Wind etc.] - ~ 10
 Petroleum [Transportation
Fuel] Outlook
• In General,”Cheap Oil” Production is peaking
or has peaked.Residual supplies will have
greater production costs.Increasing
Petroleum demand,particularly from the
developing world ,will ensure ever increasing
oil prices and shifts,from purely economic
drivers, to “Alternatives” [H2,Biomass]
• Demand Example - U.S. has 745 vehicles per
1,000 population.China,the second largest oil
importer, has 3 vehicles per 1,000
population.If China goes to 5 Vehicles per
1,000 Population they will have to DOUBLE
their Oil Imports to 10 Million Barrels/Day
 Energy and Warming
• 75% of Energy Usage is releasing climate-
changing amounts of Fossil Carbon as
CO2
• This Fossil CO2 warming is releasing
Fossil Methane from the Tundra,Methane
some 22X more of a warming gas than
CO2,A Warming “Accelerant”
• Of the “Renewables”,only Solar [via
Biomass and “Other Approaches] has the
potential to provide the requisite
“Capacity” [Wind,Hydro,Nuc cannot….]
• Biomass Produces Liquid Fuels and is
less expensive currently than “other
Solar”
 [Direct] Solar Energy
Utilization Spectrum
• Biomass
• PV [emerging Plastic/Nano PV,1/10th the
cost….]
• H2 from Photosynthesis [Genomic
Biologics and artificial Photosynthesis]
• Photo-Catalytic Disassociation of Water
• Solar Furnaces/Concentrators/Direct
Heating [including Zn production for H2
Generation..]
 Biomass Benefits
• Renewable
• Nearly “CO2-Neutral”
• No New H2 infrastructure Required
• Minimal Sulfur
• Relatively Inexpensive
• Energy costs of biomass
production/Processing up to an order of
magnitude less than Energy “Yields”
- Capacity/Tonnage Currently limited by
available water and suitable land
 “Bio-Refineries”
• Bio-Chemical,Enzymatic
Hydrolysis/Fermentation of Biomass into
Sugars,Lignin,alcohol and Methane
• Thermochemical,Pyrolysis/gasification,Co
nversion to gas/liquid/solid mix,catalysis
producing Biopolymers and Liquid or
Gaseous Fuels
• Chemical,Biomass Oil conversion to
“BioDiesel” etc. fuels
- Due to costs of Biomass
transportation,Bio-refineries should be
“Distributed”,Products largely
delivered/deliverable via Pipelines
Sampling - Biomass Utilization
Archipelago
• Transportation/Liquid Fuels [Distill/Refine
it]
• Direct Heat Generation [Burn it]
• Direct Electricity Generation [Bio Fuel
Cells]
• Food [via Genomics]
• “Petro-Chemical Feed-Stock [Plastics etc.]
• Direct H2 Production [e.g.
Fermentation/Algae feeding]
• On Site Micro-Power/Co-[electricity]
Generation
 Biomass Energy Potential[s]
• 6% of U.S. land mass producing
Biomass could supply the U.S. with
current Oil AND Natural Gas Usage
• Estimates indicate that Biomass
grown on the Sahara [only] could
supply the World’s Energy
Requirement[s]…
 “Water Scarcity is now the
single greatest threat to
Human Health,The
Environment and the Global
Food Supply”
 Per Capita Water Availability
in North Africa
• 1955 - 2285 M3
• 1990 - 958 M3
• 2025 ~ 600 M3
- Long Distance Water Transfer Costs [600
Km Plus] for 1.2 Acre Meter of water [1.2
meters of water covering an acre of land
over a years time - required for
Agriculture] is ~ $1200
- Desalinization Costs for 1.2 Acre Meter of
Water by Reverse Osmosis is ~ $2,400
 Sahara Groundwater
Resources
• Vast Distributed underground Aquifers,largely
trans-national and underutilized.
• Often Saline and becoming more so
• Utilization causing land Salinization
• A “Sufficiency” example - For the Nubian
sandstone Aquifer the total water available is
~75 Acre Meters,would suffice for some 60
years [only] of Intensive Agriculture.Water
age some 20,000 years.Compared to
agricultural use rates the fill rates are
negligible.
North African Irrigation Growth
• 65% to 90% of Fresh water utilized
for Agriculture
• 1800 - 8Mha Irrigated
• 1900 - 40Mha
• 2000 - ~ 240Mha
• 20% of Irrigated land affected by
Salinity,Growing at 3Ha PER MINUTE
• By 2025,80% of Food Production
from Irrigated Land
 The Emerging Desert Mantra

• Desert Area Characteristics

- Sunlight
- Brackish/Saline Ground Water
- Many near/on seacoasts
• Utilize these “Resources” For:
- Nano-Plastic PV
- Saline-Seawater Agriculture for
Biomass/Energy and Food
 Conventional/Historical “Wisdom” -
Seawater/Saline
incursions/occurance Detrimental-to-
Disasterous for Agriculture

Unconventional -
Saline/Salt water
Agriculture a Viable-to-
Desirable Alternative to
Conventional
Agriculture
 Saline/Seawater Agriculture
• Quasi-Conventional:
- For Food & Fodder
- “Reclaim”/Desalinate land via Biologics
• Unconventional
- For
Land,Water,Energy,Warming,Mineral
s,Food and Terra-Forming/enhanced
Rainfall i.e. STRATEGIC Not Tactical,
to Contribute to ALL the Major
Problems,not just food
 Advantages of Seawater AG
• 97% of all water is seawater,will not
“Run Out”
• Seawater Contains:
- wide variety of important minerals
- ~ 80% of Nutrients required for
Agriculture [need to add
Nitrogen,Phosphorus and Iron]
• In proximity to a number of
Dry/Desert Areas
 Mineral Extraction from
Seawater
- “[Conventional] mining is one of the most
environmentally damaging activities carried
out by Humans”
• Seawater AG puts “missing/trace Minerals”
back into Food Supply
• Current Seawater Mineral Extraction -
Magnesium,Bromide,Salts,Phosphorites,Meta
llic Sulfides,
• “Seawater and Brines appear destined to
replace Mineral Ores as the main source of
Light Metals”
• Nascent [low cost/energy] Bio/Algae
Extraction Approaches….
 Alternative Seawater AG
Employment Approaches
• Desalinization [in General,too
expensive for Agriculture]
• Cold/deeper Ocean water to [via heat
exchangers] precipitate moisture
from the atmosphere
• Seawater Greenhouses [involve
vaporization/re-precipitation]
• Direct Plant Seawater Irrigation
 Some Numbers
• Sahara some 2E9 Acres
• 1.2 Acre Meters Required for Agriculture/Irrigation
[per year]
• Average Sahara Elevation some 450 Meters
• ~ cost to pump 1.2 acre meters of Seawater to 450
Meters altitude [vertical lift only] some $1200/Acre
• 1 Acre produces 10-to-40 tons of dry Biomass per
year
• I Ton of dry Biomass provides 16E6 BTU’s = 2.75
Barrels of Oil
• @ $60/Barrel of oil,1 ton of Biomass worth [after
“refining”] ~ $165 [other estimates,which include
Addit. Goodness factors [e.g. countering warming]
are as high as $300-$700/ton]
• @ 20 Tons/Acre and $165/ton Value of an Acre of
Biomass = $~3300
 Irrigation Influences Upon
Rainfall
• “Irrigation can Represent an Enormous
Perturbation of the Regional Atmospheric
Water and Heat Balance”
• Cool,Wet Surface increases low level
Atmospheric Instabilities,incites “Storms”
• Various Studies Indicate -
- 18%-25% precipitation Increase [from only .4
acre meter Irrigation]
- Irrigation increased Rainfall by 91%
- Irrigation and Vegetation changes are clear
dominating factors with direct influence upon
atmospheric water content
 Halophyte [Salt-Plant]
Utilization [Per Yensen]
• Patents issued for Halophyte Crop[s]
[Genetics,Genomics]
• 10,000+ “Natural” Halophyte Plants,250 of
these are potential “Staple” crops
• Research ongoing on/for Halophilic [Salt-
LOVING] Halophytes,The more salt the
faster the growth…
• Huge areas worldwide are already salt-
affected [1 B Hectares] and another Billion
Hectares overlie Saline Aquifers.
• Over 100 halophyte plants now in “trials”
for “Commercial” applications
 [Sample] Countries with
Saline AG projects
• China • Egypt
• Mexico • Iran
• Eritria • Morocco
• India • U.S.
• Pakistan • Saudi Arabia
• Israel • Syria
• Libya • UAE
• Jordan • Kuwait
• Tunisia • Australia
- Current Status,Prototype • Sudan
Farms/Experiments for
FOOD
 Chinese Seawater AG
Reporting
• Genetically Modified [grown on “Beaches”
using Seawater]:
- Tomato
- Eggplant
- Pepper
- Wheat
- Rice
- Rapeseed
The Potential[s] for enhanced
[Halophyte] Plant Growth via
Nano/Bio Technology thought
to be Large,60%
improvements thus far,”Only
Beginning”
- An Example Requisite Capability -
Nitrogen Fixation
[utilization/extraction from the air]
 On-going Research Areas
• Enhanced Plant growth rates and enhanced
“Salt-Loving”
• Reduced water/nutrient Requirements
• Irrigation Efficiency Improvements
• Plant /Lifeform tailoring for specific Bio-
Conversion/Refining Processes
• ‘Safe”/’Contained” Saline/Seawater Irrigation
Practices,Avoid-to-Obviate Fresh Aquifer
Contamination
 Suggested North
African/Sahara Biomass
“Solution” Mix
• Seawater Irrigation near “dry” and flattish
Coastal areas
• Saline irrigation where Saline Aquifers are
available at Reasonable Pumping Depths
• Seawater Irrigation inland where Economics
appear feasible
• Enhanced rainfall induced by Irrigation [the
“Terraforming” aspect[s]]
 TerraForming -1
• Altering a Planetary Surface to make it
suitable for Terrestrial life
• Seawater AG for Biomass Energy can be
of sufficient magnitude to qualify as Terra-
Forming
• Humans have long practiced “Anti-
Terraforming” with neither plan nor
prediction
• It appears timely/necessary to attempt
terraforming of North Africa but with both
Plan and Prediction…
TerraForming -2 [Raddatz and
Knom]
• The Biosphere/Surface vegetation plays
a dominant role on climate
• Vegetation can affect continent-scale
atmospheric motion[s],e.g. in North
Africa
• The interaction between Atmosphere
and land cover in North Africa is
HIGHLY NON-LINEAR…..
 [Obvious] Terraforming
Modeling/Computation
Requirements/Inputs
• Irrigated Land Area
• Type of Vegetation/Evaporation Rate
• Vegetation Coverage
• Atmospheric Particulate details [allow
cloud formation at .1% super-saturation]
• Utilization of both “Boundary Layer
Meteorology and Global Circulation/Earth
System Models
• ETC……
 Bottom Line Enablers/”Pull” -
Saline/Seawater Biomass
Irrigation
• Oil Prices now high enough [and going
higher] to make the economics worth looking
into [again]
• H2 Infrastructure Costs & Storage issues
• Potential Halophyte Genomic improvements
• Global Warming,Green Energy Requirements
• Increasing shortages of Sweet water/”Arable
Land”
- Requires SERIOUS Forecasting……