Surviving the Future with Gaia Engineering

1. Surviving the Future with Gaia Engineering Earthship Brighton – The first building utilising TecEco Eco-Cements I will have to race over some slides but the presentation is always downloadable from the TecEco web site if you missed something. John Harrison B.Sc. B.Ec. FCPA. Managing director of TecEco and Chair of AASMIC

2. The Earth System Various biogeochemical cycles Atmosphere Earth Systems Atmospheric composition, climate, land cover, marine ecosystems, pollution, coastal zones, freshwater salinity etc. All totally inter connected in an ideally homeostatic system Anthropo-sphere Biosphere Geosphere Hydrosphere Terrestrial Ecosystems Marine bio and geochemistry

3. Spaceship Earth* is in Trouble • Waste • Around 600 million tonnes. • The underlying moleconomic flow is poisoning our world • Energy • Peak oil has passed and fossil fuel energy costs set to rise. • Water • 1/3 of world population stressed for water • By 2025 2/3 due to global warming • CO2 • Causing global temperature rises • O2 • Going down rapidly All these problems are interconnected To solve these problems we need to change the fundamentals! *Spaceship Earth was a term first used by Buckminster Fuller Source oil diagram: Colin J Campbell

4. The Techno-Process and the Economy The techno-process is the physical interface of our economic system Bio-sphere Underlying the techno-process that describes and controls the flow of matter and energy are molecular stocks and flows. If out of tune with nature these flows have detrimental affects on earth systems. Geo-sphere Detrimental affects on earth systems Waste Small changes such as CO2 and other climate forcing and pollution impact right across all interconnected systems throughout the earth system. Take Move 500-600 billion tonnesUse some 50 billion tonnes Manipulate, Make and Use Techno-sphere To reduce the impact on earth systems new technical paradigms need to be invented that result in underlying molecular flows that mimic or at least do not interfere with natural flows.

5. Detrimental Impacts of the Techno-Process Detrimental Linkages that affect earth system flows Take manipulate and make impacts End of lifecycle impacts There is no such place as “away” Use impacts.Materials are in the Techno-Sphere Utility zone Materials are everything between the take and waste and the underlying molecular flows affect earth system flows. Less Utility Greater Utility

6. Earth Systems Science In the earth system there are positive and negative feedback loops that are being exacerbated by anthropogenic (human) activity. Source graphic: NASA Earth system science treats the entire Earth as a system in its own right, which evolves as a result of positive and negative feedback between constituent systems (Source Wiki).

7. Correlation Between WIP and Emissions World Industrial Product (deflated world `GDP' in real value - i.e. World physical production). CO2 emissions (in CO2 mass units: Doubling time = 29 years. Data: CDIAC; statistics: GDI. The correlation between the WIP and the CO2 emissions is very high. The correlation coefficient r= 0.995, i.e. practically 1 (total correlation). Source: Di Fazio, Alberto, The fallacy of pure efficiency gain measures to control future climate change, Astronomical Observatory of Rome and the Global Dynamics Institute

8. Building is Going Balistic! The relative impact of the built environment is rising as the East catches up with the West! Source of graphic: Rick Fedrizzi SMB 2007

9. The Built Environment and Global Sustainability Source of graphics: Nic Svenningson UNEP SMB2007

10. Cement Production & Emissions are Going Exponential 1 tonne cement ~ 1 tonne CO2 The main contribution is from 3rd World Countries e.g China, India and increasingly Brazil (Source statistics: USGS)

11. We are Hooked On Fossil Fuel Energy Assuming Kyoto commitments are met (which is unlikely) it is estimated that global emissions will be 41% higher in 2010 than in 1990 ( Ford, M., Matysek, A, Jakeman, G., Gurney, A & Fisher B. S. 2006, Perspectives on International Climate Change, paper presented at the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics society 50th Annual Conference. www.aares.info/files/2006_matysek.pdf. Emissions targets are unlikely to be met whilst fossil fuels remain A solution is needed of the utmost urgency to preserve history for many, many generations to come. Sir Richard Branson at the launch of the Virgin Earth Prize Gaia Engineering is the way to do so – John Harrison

12. Carbon Sinks Figure 5 -Carbon Sinks and Anthropogenic Actual and Predicted Consumption of Carbon (after Ziock and Harrison)

13. Under Materials Flows in the Techno-Processes are Molecular Flows Take → Manipulate → Make→ Use → Waste [ ←Materials flow→ ] [ ← Underlying molecular flow → ] If the underlying molecular flows are “out of synch” with nature there is damage to the environmente.g. heavy metals, cfc’s, c=halogen compounds and CO2 Moleconomics is the study of the form of atoms in molecules, their flow, interactions, balances, stocks and positions. What we take from the environment around us, how we manipulate and make materials out of what we take and what we waste result in underlying molecular flows that affect earth systems. These flows should mimic, balance or minimally interfere with natural flows. To fix the molecular flows that are impacting our planet we must first fix the materials flows in a bottom up approach

14. Building and Construction Represents an Insatiable, Large and Indefinitely Continuing Market. • The built environment is made of materials and is our footprint on earth. • It comprises buildings and infrastructure. • Construction materials comprise • 70% of materials flows (buildings, infrastructure etc.) • 40-50% of waste that goes to landfill (15 % of new materials going to site are wasted.) • Around 25 billion tonnes of building materials are used annually on a world wide basis. • The single biggest materials flow (after water) is concrete at around 18 billion tonnes or > 2 tonnes per man, woman and child on the planet. Why not use magnesium carbonate aggregates andbuildingcomponents from Greensols and Eco-Cements from TecEco to bind them together?

15. Innovative New Materials - the Key to Sustainability The choice of materials for building and construction controls emissions, lifetime and embodied energies, user comfort, use of recycled wastes, durability, recyclability and the properties of wastes returned to the bio-geo-sphere. By changing how we make “things” and what we make them with we can fix the underlying molecular flows that are destroying the natural homeostasis of our planet

16. Economically Driven Sustainability New, more profitable technical paradigms are required that result in more sustainable and usually more efficient moleconomic flows that mimic natural flows or better, reverse our damaging flows. $ - ECONOMICS - $ Change is only possible economically. It will not happen because it is necessary or right.

17. Consider Sustainability as Where Culture and Technology Meet Increase in demand/price ratio for greater sustainability due to cultural change. $ Supply Greater Value/for impact (Sustainability) and economic growth Equilibrium Shift ECONOMICS We must rapidly move both the supply and demand curves for sustainability Demand Increase in supply/price ratio for more sustainable products due to technical innovation. # A measure of the degree of sustainability is where the demand for more sustainable technologies is met by their supply.

18. Cultural Change is Happening! • Al Gore (SOS) • CSIRO reports • STERN Report • Lots of Talkfest • IPCC Report • Political change • Branson Prize • Live Earth (07/07/07) The media have an important growing role

19. Changing the Technology Paradigm It is not so much a matter of “dematerialisation” as a question of changing the underlying moleconomic flows. We need materials that require less energy to make them, do not pollute the environment with CO2 and other releases, last much longerand that contribute properties that reduce lifetime energies. The key is to change the technology paradigms • “By enabling us to make productive use of particular raw materials, technology determines what constitutes a physical resource1” • Pilzer, Paul Zane, Unlimited Wealth, The Theory and Practice of Economic Alchemy, Crown Publishers Inc. New York.1990 Or more simply – the technical paradigm determines what is or is not a resource!

20. Changing the Techno-Process Take => manipulate => make => use => waste Driven by fossil fuel energy with detrimental environmental effects. By changing the technology paradigms we can change the materials flows and thus the underlying molecular flows. ReduceRe-useRecycle This is biomimicry! <= Materials => Atoms and Molecules in the global commons Moleconomics

21. Gaia Engineering – Future Survival Strategy Emissions Reduction Emissions reduction through Pilzer first law substitution Total Emissions reduction Emissions reduction through thermodynamic efficiency and sideways minor substitution 2007 The Future It is essential that we ramp up R & D now in order to increase the rate of Pilzer first law substitution

22. Nature is our Mentor (Biomimicry) • All that is alive is very efficiently in balance with surrounding conditions including all else that is alive. • The waste from one plant or animal is the food or home for another. • Photosynthesis balances respiration. • Growth balances disintegration. • There is a strong need for similar efficiency and homeostatic balance in the techno process. • To balance emissions of carbon dioxide with uses and waste nothing that has no natural role on the planet. By studying Nature we learn who we are, what we are and how we are to be.” (Wright, F.L. 1957:269) Nature provides us with survival knowledge from a four billion year old experiment. It is this knowledge, not our genetics that is the key. John Harrison

23. Biomimicry - Geomimicry • The term biomimicry was popularised by the book of the same name written by Janine Benyus • Biomimicry is a method of solving problems that uses natural processes and systems as a source of knowledge and inspiration. • It involves nature as model, measure and mentor. • Geomimicry is similar to biomimicry but models geological rather than biological processes. The theory behind biomimicry is that natural processes and systems have evolved over several billion years through a process of research and development commonly referred to as evolution. A reoccurring theme in natural systems is the cyclical flow of matter in such a way that there is no waste of matter and very little of energy. Geomicry is a natural extension of biomimicry and applies to geological rather than living processes All natural processes are very economical. We must also be MUCH more economical

24. Biomimicry - Ultimate Recyclers • As peak oil starts to cut in and the price of transport rises sharply • We should not just be recycling based on chemical property requiring transport to large centralised sophisticated and expensive facilities • We should be including CO2 and wastes based on physical properties as well as chemical composition in composites whereby they become local resources. Jackdaws and bower bird recycle all sorts of things they find nearby based on physical property. The birds are not concerned about chemical composition and the nests they make could be described as a composite materials. TecEco cements are benign binders that can incorporate all sort of wastes without reaction problems and bind strongly to them by polar bonding with them. We can do the same as the Jackdaw or bower bird

25. Utilizing Carbon and Wastes Sequestering carbon in calcium and magnesium carbonate materials and other wastes in the built environment mimics nature in that carbon is used in the homes or skeletal structures of most plants and animals CO2 In eco-cement concretes the binder is carbonate and the aggregates are preferably carbonates and wastes. This is “geomimicry” CO2 CO2 C CO2 Waste Pervious pavement

26. Geomimicry • There are 1.2-3 grams of magnesium and about .4 grams of calcium in every litre of seawater. • There is enoughcalcium and magnesiumin seawater with replenishmentto last billions of years at current needs for sequestration. • To survive we must build our homes like these seashells using CO2 and alkali metal cations. This is geomimicry • Carbonate sediments such as these cliffs represent billionsof years of sequestrationand cover 7% of the crust.

27. Geomimicry for Planetary Engineers? • Large tonnages of carbon (7% of the crust) were put away during earth’s geological history as limestone, dolomite and magnesite, mostly by the activity of plants and animals. • Orders of magnitude more than as coal or petroleum! • Shellfish built shells from carbon and trees turn it into wood. • These same plants and animals wasted nothing • The waste from one is the food or home for another. • Because of the colossal size of the flows involved the answer to the problems of greenhouse gas and waste is to use them both in an insatiable, large and indefinitely continuing market. • Such a market exists for building and construction materials.

28. Geomimicry for Planetary Engineers? • Such a paradigm shift in resource usage will not occur because it is the right thing to do. • It can only happen economically. • To put an economic value on carbon and wastes • We have not choice but to invent new technical paradigms such as offered by TecEco and the Global Sustainability Alliance (Gaia Engineering). • Evolving culturally to effectively use these technical paradigms • By using carbon dioxide and other wastes as building materials we can economically reduce their concentration in the global commons. Materials are very important!

29. Why Magnesium Carbonates? • Because of the low molecular weight of magnesium, it is ideal for scrubbing CO2 out of the air and sequestering the gas into the built environment: • More CO2 is captured than in calcium systems as the calculations below show. • At 2.09% of the crust magnesium is the 8th most abundant element • Sea-water contains 1.29 g/l compared to calcium at .412 g/l • Magnesium compounds have low pH and polar bond in composites making them suitable for the utilisation of other wastes.

30. Making Carbonate Building Materials to Solve the Global Warming Problem • Magnesium materials from Gaia Engineering are potential low cost. New kiln technology from TecEco will enable easy low cost simple non fossil fuel calcination of magnesium carbonate to make binders with the CO2 recycling to produce more carbonate building material to be used with these binders. • How much magnesium carbonate would have to be deposited to solve the problem of global warming? • The annual flux of CO2 is around 12 billion tonnes ~= 22.99 billion tonnes magnesite • The density of magnesite is 3 gm/cm3 or 3 tonne/metre3 • 22.9/3 billion cubic metres ~= 7.63 cubic kilometres of magnesite would have to be deposited each year. • Compared to the over seven cubic kilometres of concrete we make every year, the problem of global warming looks surmountable. • If magnesite was our building material of choice and we could make it without releases as is the case with Gaia Engineering, we have the problem as good as solved! We must build with carbonate and waste

31. Huge Potential for Sequestration and Waste Utilisation in the Built Environment • Reducing the impact of the take and waste phases of the techno-process by. • including carbon in materialsthey are potentially carbon sinks. • including wastes forphysical properties aswell as chemical compositionthey become resources. • re engineering materials toreduce the lifetime energyof buildings • A durable low pH high bondingbinder system is requiredfor effective waste utilisationsuch as TecEco Tec andEco-Cements Many wastes including CO2 can contribute to physical properties reducing lifetime energies CO2 CO2 CO2 C CO2 Waste Pervious pavement

32. Gaia Engineering Flowchart Portland CementManufacture CaO TecEcoTec-Kiln Industrial CO2 MgO Clays Fresh Water TecEcoCementManufacture MgCO3 and CaCO3“Stone” Brine or Seawater Extraction WasteAcid or Bitterns Eco-Cements Tec-Cements Valuable Commodity Salts or hydrochloric acid. Buildingcomponents & aggregates Extraction inputs and outputs depending on method chosen Other waste Built Environment Building waste

33. The Gaia Engineering is a Tececology The Gaia Engineering tececology could be thought of as an open technical ecology designed to reverse major damaging moleconomic and other system flows outside the tececology Industrial Ecologies are generally thought of as closed loop systems with minimal or low impacts outside the ecology The Gaia Engineering tececology is not closed and is designed to reverse damaging moleconomic flows outside the ecology - LIKE A GIANT ECOLOGICAL PUMP

34. The Gaia Engineering Process CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 Gaia Engineering delivers profitable outcomes whilst reversing underlying undesirable moleconomic flows from other less sustainable techno-processes outside the tececology. Inputs: Atmospheric or industrial CO2,brines, waste acid or bitterns, other wastes Outputs: Carbonate building materials, potable water, valuable commodity salts. Carbonate building components Solar or solar derived energy TecEcoKiln TecEco MgCO2 Cycle MgO Eco-Cement MgCO3 Extraction Process 1.29 gm/l Mg.412 gm/l Ca Coal Fossil fuels Carbon or carbon compoundsMagnesium compounds Oil

35. Gaia Engineering Introduction • Gaia engineering is a combination of new technologies including • A Carbon capture process • TecEco’s Tec-Kiln technology and cements • Carbon dioxide scrubbing technologies • TecEco' Eco-Cements • Gaia engineering profitably geomimics past planetary geological processes and adopted on a large scale will: • Sequester significant amounts of atmospheric CO2 • Produce valuable by-products • Convert large volumes of waste to valuable resource

36. Carbon Capture Front End • Gaia Engineering starts with a process to sequester carbon dioxide using the magnesium contained in bitterns, seawater or brine and to date there are many candidate methods that all require further research and development. • The Greensols process which involves chemical precipitation • A pyrohydrolysis process that can be run in association with salt manufacture • An ultra high speed centrifuge process and a • Biomimetic process. • Outputs will vary according to the ultimate process selected for the concentration of CO2 needed for both Gaia Engineering and “Clean Coal” and are as hereunder: • Greensols - sodium bicarbonate, mineral salts, carbonate building materials and aggregates, Eco-Cements and fresh water • Ultra Centrifuges - provided materials can be found to withstand the forces involved, potentially similar outputs as the Greensols process. • Hydropyrolysis - magnesium oxide and hydrochloric acid. The magnesium oxide can be used for sequestration and hydrochloric acid is used in industry. • Biomimetic Routes – calcium and magnesium carbonates.

37. Gaia Engineering – Greensols Front End 1.354 x 109 km3 Seawater containing 1.728 1017 tonne Mg or suitable brines from other sources Waste Acid Greensols Seawater Carbonation Process. Gypsum + carbon waste (e.g. sewerage) = fertilizers Bicarbonate of Soda (NaHCO3) CO2 from power generation or industry Gypsum (CaSO4) Sewerage compost Other salts Na+,K+, Ca2+,Cl- Simplified TecEco ReactionsTec-Kiln MgCO3 → MgO + CO2- 118 kJ/moleReactor Process MgO + CO2 → MgCO3+ 118 kJ/mole (usually more complex hydrates) MgO Production using solar energy CO2 + H2O =>Energy rich biomass using blue green algae CO2 from power generation, industry or out of the air (MgCO2) Cycle Magnesite (MgCO3) Magnesia (MgO) Tec-Reactor Hydroxide / Carbonate slurry process Solar Process to Produce Magnesium Metal Sequestration Table – Mg from Seawater CO2 Eco-CementTec-Cement Other Wastes

38. Gaia Engineering – Greensols Front End InputsBrinesWaste AcidWastesCO2 OutputsGypsum, Sodium bicarbonate, Salts, Building materials, Potable water

39. Eco-Cement CO2 Release and Capture Eco-Cement – With Capture during Manufacture Eco-Cement – No Capture during Manufacture CO2 capture (Greensols process etc) CO2 MgCO3.3H2O H2O MgCO3.3H2O H2O H2O H2O CO2 from atmosphere MgO MgO Mg(OH)2 Mg(OH)2 H2O H2O Net sequestration less carbon from process emissions Carbon neutral except for carbon from process emissions Use of non fossil fuels => Low or no process emissions

40. The MgCO2 Process (Magnesium Thermodynamic Cycle) The MgCO2 (magnesium thermodynamiccycle) is very important for sequestration and results in the formation of valuable building product TOTAL CALCINING ENERGYRelative to MgCO3Theoretical = 1480 kJ.KgWith inefficiencies = 1948 kJ.Kg-1 Tec-Kiln CO2 + H2O =>Hydrocarbons compounds using algae CO2 Magnesite Dehydration Eco-Cements Calcination Representative of other hydrated mineral carbonates CalcificationMgCO3 => MgO + CO2ΔH = 118.28 kJ.mol-1ΔG = 65.92 kJ.mol-1 Magnesia Nesquehonite CarbonationMg(OH)2.nH2O +CO2 +2H2O => MgCO3.3H2OΔH = - 37.04 kJ.molΔG = - 19.55 kJ.mol HydrationMgO + H2O => Mg(OH)2.nH2OΔH = - 81.24 kJ.molΔG = - 35.74 kJ.mol Carbonation Brucite Tec, Eco and Enviro-Cements

41. The TecEco Tec-Kiln Technology • Runs at low temperatures minimising the development of lattice energy. • Can be powered by various non fossil sources of energy such as solar energy or waste heat. CO2 + H2O =>Hydrocarbons compounds using algae MgO Production using solar energy • Grinds and calcines at the same time thereby operating 25% to 30% more efficiently. • Captures CO2 for return to the Greensols process, bottling or use for fuel manufacture using algae and other life forms or other purposes. • The products – CaO and/or MgO can be used to sequester more CO2 in the MgCO2 process which can be repeated. • Suitable for making the reactive MgO used in TecEco cements.

42. Gaia Engineering will Modify the Carbon Cycle CO2 in the air and water Cellular Respiration Cellular Respiration burning and decay Decay by fungi and bacteria Photosynthesis by plants and algae Gaia Engineering, Building with Man Made Carbonates TecEco Kiln and Eco-Cements) Limestone coal and oil burning Organic compounds made by heterotrophs Organic compounds made by autotrophs Consumed by heterotrophs (mainly animals)

43. Outcomes from Gaia Engineering As the proportion of man made carbonate used in the built environment increases. Critical 450 ppm, level => CO2 in the atmosphere will start to fall. These figures are obviously rubbery, but we hope you get the idea!

44. TecEco Binder Systems SUSTAINABILITY PORTLAND POZZOLAN Hydration of the various components of Portland cement for strength. Reaction of alkali with pozzolans (e.g. lime with fly ash.) for sustainability, durability and strength. TECECO CEMENTS DURABILITY STRENGTH TecEco concretes are a system of blending reactive magnesia, Portland cement and usually a pozzolan with other materials and are a key factor for sustainability. REACTIVE MAGNESIA Hydration of magnesia => brucite for strength, workability, dimensional stability and durability. In Eco-Cements carbonation of brucite => nesquehonite, lansfordite and an amorphous phase for sustainability.

45. Tec & Eco-Cement Theory • Portlandite (Ca(OH)2) is too soluble, mobile and reactive. • It carbonates, reacts with Cl- and SO4- and being soluble can act as an electrolyte. • TecEco generally (but not always) remove Portlandite using the pozzolanic reaction and • TecEco add reactive magnesia • which hydrates, consuming significant water and concentrating alkalis forming Brucite which is another alkali, but much less soluble, mobile or reactive than Portlandite. • In Eco-Cements brucite carbonates forming hydrated compounds with greater volume

46. TecEco Cements • Tec-Cements (Low MgO) • contain more Portland cement than reactive magnesia. Reactive magnesia hydrates in the same rate order as Portland cement forming Brucite which uses up water reducing the voids:paste ratio, increasing density and possibly raising the short term pH. • Reactions with pozzolans are more affective. After all the Portlandite has been consumed Brucite controls the long term pH which is lower and due to it’s low solubility, mobility and reactivity results in greater durability. • Other benefits include improvements in density, strength and rheology, reduced permeability and shrinkage and the use of a wider range of aggregates many of which are potentially wastes without reaction problems.

47. TecEco Cements • Eco-Cements (High MgO) • contain more reactive magnesia than in Tec-Cements. Brucite in permeable materials carbonates forming stronger fibrous mineral carbonates and therefore presenting huge opportunities for waste utilisation and sequestration. The low pH and high hydrogen bonding make Eco-Cements ideal for binding other materials including most wastes. • Enviro-Cements (High MgO) • contain similar ratios of MgO and OPC to Eco-Cements but in non permeable concretes brucite does not carbonate readily. • Higher proportions of magnesia are most suited to toxic and hazardous waste immobilisation and when durability is required. Strength is not developed quickly nor to the same extent.

48. Strength with Blend & Porosity Tec-cement concretes Eco-cement concretes High Porosity Enviro-cement concretes High OPC High Magnesia STRENGTH ON ARBITARY SCALE 1-100

49. Converting Waste to Resource • TecEco cements represent a cost affective option for using localised low impact materials and wastes • Reducing transports costs and emissions • Magnesium hydroxide in particular and to some extent the carbonates are less reactive and mobile and thus result in much more durable concretes • Lower solubility • Lower reactivity • Bleed less • Lower pH • The incredible stick as a result of polar bonding also adds to their ability to bind wastes. TecEco Technology - Converting Waste to Resource

50. Carbonation of Eco-Cements • Have high proportions of reactive magnesium oxide • Carbonate like lime but generally used in a 1:5-1:12 paste basis because much more carbonate “binder” is produced. • Consider nesquehonite the main phase: MgO + H2O <=> Mg(OH)2 + CO2 + 2H2O <=> MgCO3.3H2O 40.31+ liquid <=> 58.31 + gas <=> 138.36 molar mass (at least!) 11.2 + liquid <=> 24.29 + gas <=> 74.77 molar volumes (at least!) • 668% expansion relative to MgO or 308 % expansion relative to Mg(OH)2 (ex water or gas volume reduction) • Total volumetric expansion from magnesium oxide to lansfordite is even more at 811%. MgO + H2O <=> Mg(OH)2 + CO2 + 4H2O <=> MgCO3.5H2O • Because magnesium has a low molecular weight, proportionally a much greater amount of CO2 is captured per mole of MgO than lime or any other carbonate. • Carbonation adds considerable strength and some steel reinforced structural concrete could be replaced with fibre reinforced permeable carbonated concrete. Mostly CO2 and water As Fred Pearce reported in New Scientist Magazine (Pearce, F., 2002), “There is a way to make our city streets as green as the Amazon rainforest”.