Erde, wohin gehst Du?
Solare Bionik-Strategie: Energie-Zukunft nach dem Vorbild der Natur
Tributsch, H.
Shaker media, Aachen (2008) 346 pages
ISBN 978-3-86858-044-0
This book: “Earth, where are you going. Solar bionic strategy: Energy future according to the example of nature” (which is also summarized as book chapter in English language in Ref: 438) analizes the present situation in energy technology and energy politics. It suggests a bio-mimetic approach for the future. Mankind should, over a period of one century, preferently develop energy technologies which approach or copy nature. A detailed work plan is provided. The biggest challenge is seen in the massive production of affordable hydrogen. It is proposed that it should be harvested from stormy oceans with a buoy technology, which operates most sensible equipment sufficiently deep below the agitation level of the waves. The hydrogen should then be combined with gasified biomass for the synthesis of sustainable fuels.
Since there is not sufficient biomass for a global technology, artifical carbon dioxide fixation technologies are needed. A solar powered chemosythsis pathway is proposed, taking advantage of deep sea bacterial biomass production mechanisms around black smokers. Further technologies to be developed are soft photovoltaic cells, based on chemically rectified electron transfer and tensile water technology. The latter is successfully applied in living trees, where solar energy is pulling water at high negative pressure. Such a mechanism is described as a process of dynamic self-organization. Such bio-mimetic technologies may finally conduct mankind back into nature’s sustainable energy strategy, though on a high level of technical sophistication.