Global Climate Change

Houghton & Woodwell

 

“The world is warming. Climatic zones are shifting. Glaciers are melting.  Sea level is rising.   These changes are accelerating as the amounts of carbon dioxide, methane and other trace gases accumulate in the atmosphere.

The warming, rapid now, may become even more rapid as a result of the warming itself, and it will continue into the indefinite future unless we take deliberate steps to slow or stop it. These steps are large and difficult: a 50% reduction in the global consumption of fossil fuels, a halting of deforestation, a massive program of reforestation.

There is little choice. A rapid and continuous warming will not only be destructive to agriculture but also lead to the widespread death of forest trees, increased forest fires, uncertainty in water supplies and the flooding of coastal areas. As the ice now covering the Arctic Ocean melts, further unpredictable changes in the global climate will ensue.  (Houghton & Woodwell, April 1989, in Scientific American, vol. 260, #4)

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When energy is transformed from one form to another or moved from one place to another, or from one system to another, there is energy loss. This means that when energy is converted to a different form, much of the input energy is degraded to an unusable form of energy, like heat. How much energy is lost or degraded?  Each time energy is transformed between 75 – 90% is turned into low grade, disordered heat waste.

 

Energy Lost in Electricity Use – http://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Energy_loss

“Electricity use is a good example that illustrates energy loss in a system. By the time the energy associated with electric power reaches the user, it has taken many forms. Initially, the process begins with the creation of the electricity through some method. For example, the burning of coal in a power plant takes the chemical energy stored in the coal and releases it through combustion, creating heat that produces steam. From here the steam moves turbines, and the mechanical energy here turns a generator to produce electricity. A typical coal-fired electrical plant is around 38% efficient, so ~1/3 of the initial energy content of the fuel is transformed into a useable form of energy while the rest is lost. Further losses occur during the transport of this electricity – about 6% of the electricity is lost in transmission and distribution. Finally, the electricity reaches its destination. This electricity could reach an incandescent light bulb wherein a thin wire is heated until it glows, with a significant amount of energy being lost as heat. The resulting light contains only about 2% of the energy content of the coal used to produce it.  Changing to CFL light bulbs can improve this by about 4x, but that only takes it up to 8% of the initial chemical energy in the coal.

Energy Lost in Vehicles

“There are also significant energy losses within a car’s internal combustion engine. The chemical energy from the gasoline (or diesel) – which originates from the Sun as it is a fossil fuel – is then converted into heat energy, which presses on pistons in the engine. The mechanical energy is then transported to the wheels which increases the kinetic energy of the car. Some of this kinetic energy is lost to the sound of the engine, light from combustion, and to heat energy from the friction between the road and the tires. Current vehicles are only able to use around 20% of the energy content of the fuel as power; the rest is lost.  Although efficiencies can be improved, they can only be increased to a degree because of principles of thermodynamics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These two examples, Energy loss in electrical generation and distribution systems and Energy loss in vehicles, are parts of larger processes.  Centralized electrical systems need towers, wires, poles, transformers, lots of maintenance, corporate management, and large investments.   Cars need roads and bridges, roads and bridges require heavy machines, all of these need coal, iron, copper, aluminum that comes from massive mines where millions of tonnes of earthen materials are moved to access the ores.  To manage all of this, we need large corporations and lots of oil.

When energy is transformed from one form to another or moved from one place to another, or from one system to another, there is energy loss. This means that when energy is converted to a different form, much of the input energy is degraded to an unusable form of energy, like heat. How much energy is lost or degraded?  Each time energy is transformed between 75 – 90% is turned into low grade, disordered heat waste.

 

So, how can we organize our lives to be more energy efficient, less entropic (less wasteful)?

Observations of “thermodynamically efficient processes” in natural systems reveal some fundamental patterns of behavior, action, reaction, and interaction:

• Sunlight photosynthesized by green plants powers life on earth.
• Plants absorb sunlight, store energy in the form of sequestered carbon, build communities, and strive to influence and stabilize their living space.

• The amount of energy photosynthesized through plants determines to total life possible on earth.
• Photosynthesis through green plants also energize the natural processes that maintain internal health and stability in our life support system.  Carbon is sequestered and stored in soil and tall canopies to improve photosynthetic efficiency. Water is transpired and recycled to cool landscapes and increase the opportunities for more life. Respiration pumps out disorder to help maintain health and stability.

• The rich diversity and layering of plants and leaves in a relatively mature forest ecosystem has many species arranged in a structure that apportions the available solar energy as effectively and efficiently as possible.
• These “natural systems” are self-regulating patterns of beings and forces, which take care of themselves and each other. [Self-regulating mechanisms are mechanisms which bring about a return to constancy if a system is caused to change from the stable state by a momentary outside influence.]
• Direct interactions (cell-to-cell, root-to-root, face-to-face exchanges within and across species) are those which enable the self-regulation of life to happen.
• Stability in the community is enhanced by the mutually supportive interactions of a diversity of beings.
• Matter and energy are moved around as little as possible–to minimize entropy (waste and disorder).
• Information is moved around as much as possible–to maximize synergy (efficiency and cooperation), to minimize entropy (waste and discord).
• Open and honest information flows – unobstructed feedback loops – are the processes that allow individuals and groups to self-regulate and self-correct.
• Open-flow feedback loops are necessary for maximizing potential benefits to the ecological community, and in achieving economic efficiency in the use of available solar energy and mineral resources.
• No organism, no mind, can know everything or see the whole picture. Free flow of information provides opportunities for many minds to focus on an issue and share their differing views, and thus develop larger mental descriptions and concepts.
• The greater the diversity of viewpoints and the more honest the information flow, the more complete the picture.
• Full-on competition of ideas and processes, continual feedback, expansion of mental processes, reduction of corruption, all enable continuous adjustment toward high efficiency / low entropy outcomes.

• Organisms in the natural world run themselves in the most energy-efficient way possible, with full “participatory flat power processes” and free flow of (honest) information. There are few (if any) remote-control, rule-from-afar, top-down hierarchical structures – they are just not efficient.

• Small is beautiful, low-entropy is essential

 

We apply these ideas with specific actions:

We invest in our community.  We spend our time and money locally and organically to help generate community economic multipliers.  We share information.

We grow our food in gardens and forests. Organic gardens save energy, money, and reduce CO₂ emissions.  Forest environments are more stable for growing food than open fields.  We extend our growing season with cold frames and a greenhouse.  Our greenhouse is part of our living space.  It grows food and helps warm our house.  We use thermal mass and rocket stove heaters.

We use solar and wind for electricity. We use electricity for pumping water, refrigeration, and lights.  For rural properties, off-grid solar and wind can be more efficient than power generated centrally and distributed through a grid. Cutting of forests for power lines and biofuel is counterproductive in the context of climate change – we need to maximize photosynthetic assimilation rather than chopping it.  And grid systems require a lot of high entropy activity to maintain.

We manage our forests and gardens to maximize photosynthetic assimilation, respiration, entropy pump out, recycling of water, and stability.   We trim lower branches to reduce the risk of wildfire in our forests.  We protect our forests with conservation covenants.

We teach our children to be sympathetic and respectful of natural processes. We show them how to be thoughtful, low-entropy consumers.

 

We are reducing our carbon footprint and increasing photosynthetic assimilation.   Will it be enough to make a difference?

Well, maybe, if we evolve lots of forest-protecting, climate-stabilizing, low-entropy, agrarian communities.

So what might sustainable village cultures look like?

Probably villages of a few hundred to a thousand or more people, spread through forests.  Forested areas will always have less extreme weather compared to non-forested areas. Forests are more efficient absorbers of solar energy (their energy flow budgets are greater) than the energy budgets of grasslands or barrens.  Their capacity for healing damaged habitats is also greater, and they provide habitat for mammals and humans.   Forests supply food, water, and fuel and as they grow to climax, they help stabilize regional climates.  For forests to grow and heal they will need most of the solar energy they photosynthesize.  They need their tall multilayered canopies of leaves to optimize photosynthesis. We must learn to live efficiently with whatever surplus energy the trees give us.   Probably sticks and lower branches for fuel, nuts and fruits for food, and leaves for garden compost.

Gardens for food and beauty – everywhere.

Buildings – often bermed – fire proof – designed for solar efficiency.

Composting toilets – to save water and recycle nutrients to trees.

Villages will have the abilities to reprocess steel, aluminum, plastic, and glass.

Houses will have wind and solar electricity for lights, pumps, and small, efficient appliances, and probably saltwater or nickel-iron batteries for storage.

People will make their living working locally, gardening, food processing, maintaining trails, fireproofing forests and collecting fuel, maintaining water supplies, teaching and caring for children, baking, making pottery, repairing bicycles and appliances, maintaining electrical systems, caring for animals, science and research, health and medicine, working metal, reforming glass, and making music and art.

Senior women will be the repositories of stories, information, and knowledge important to the people of the village – where grow the oaks that produce sweet acorns, where live rare medicinal plants, how to treat uncommon illness, how to ease passage from body to spirit, how to resolve conflicts.  They learned from their grandmothers, and they are teaching their grandchildren.

If we are to survive, there probably won’t be governments run by real estate developers, bankers, and oil company executives.  Nation states may fracture into bio-regional confederations.  Most decisions will be made at the village level.   Elder women will probably guide the process.

Every citizen will be active in defense of their habitat, their patch of forest, but bloody conflicts fueled by testosterone, adrenaline, and greed will be rare because war destroys habitat, destroys life, and it is high entropy.

So, we encourage people to find habitat, form communities, evolve village economies and social structures, and do it soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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