Members as at Feb 07: Greensols Pty. Ltd. (Prof. Chris Cuff) greensols.au

1. Gaia Engineering Global Sustainability Alliance Members as at Feb 07: Greensols Pty. Ltd. (Prof. Chris Cuff) www.greensols.com.au TecEco Pty. Ltd. (John Harrison) www.tececo.com The name Gaia Engineering is a tribute to James Lovelock who got us all thinking that “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." (Einstein)

2. Even if the annual flow of emissions was frozen today, the level of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere would still reach double its pre-industrial levels by 2050. In fact, emissions are increasing rapidly and the level of 550ppm could be reached as early as 2035. Stern review Executive Summary Page 3 para 6 Our view is that this is a crisis and it is time we stopped stuffing around and went for the solution that can solve the problem quickly, economically and without huge suffering and losses. Gaia Engineering is that solution

3. Gaia Engineering Presentation Roadmap • The Global Sustainability Alliance • Background • Materials through the Techno-Process • The supply and waste chains and in use • Economics • Biomimicry/Geomimicry • Gaia Engineering • Introduction • Components of Gaia Engineering • Outcomes of Gaia Engineering

4. Global Sustainability Alliance • Our mission is to develop Gaia Engineering that substantially reverses damaging molecular flows that are a consequence of materials flows on the planet • As the built environment is man made and involves large flows it is the obvious place to permanently fix CO2 and other wastes • Gaia engineering is potentially profitable as it results in the production of valuable commodities including fresh water and building materials

5. ? ? Demographic Explosion Undeveloped Countries A Planet in Crisis Developed Countries Global population, consumption per capita and our footprint on the planet are exploding.

6. Ecological FootprintExceeds Capacity Source: WWF State of the Planet, 2005 Our footprint is exceeding the capacity of the planet to support it. We are not longer sustainable and the environment is no longer sustainable – we must change our ways to survive

7. Energy Peak Oil Production (Campell 2004) Most models of oil reserves, production and consumption show peak oil around 2010 (Campbell 2005) and serious undersupply and rapidly escalating prices by 2025. It follows that there will be economic mayhem unless the we act now to reduce and change the energy base of our economies.

8. The Carbon Cycle and Emissions Emissions from fossil fuels and cement production are a significant cause of the global warming. We need to increase the sedimentary carbon sink 4.5 billion years of geological sequestration have resulted in 7% of the crust being carbonate Units: GtC GtC/yr After: David Schimel and Lisa Dilling, National Centre for Atmospheric Research 2003

9. Global Warming Rises in the levels of greenhouse gases Are causing a rapid rise in temperature

10. CO2 and Temperature • The correlation between temperature and CO2 in the atmosphere over the last 450,000 years is very good Hansen, J et. al. Climate Change and Trace Gases Should we continue to live in denial?

11. Fresh Water • A finite resource • Population rising • Per capita use rising • Water-stress • 1/3 world's population • By 2025, 2/3 due to global warming. • 1 person in 5 do not have access to safe drinking water • Yet water is the most common substance on the planet.

12. Waste & Pollution • Ill health. • Contamination of global commons with dangerous molecules. • Increased traffic, noise, odours, smoke, dust, litter and pests. There are various estimates, but we produce about 5-600 million tonnes of waste each year. Tec and Eco-Cements use waste.

13. One Planet, Many People, Many Interconnected Problems Global Sustainability Alliance Partners are in the BIGGEST Business on the Planet – Economic Solutions to our Energy, Global Warming, Water and Waste Problems.

14. The Techno-Process Underlying the techno-process that describes and controls the flow of matter and energy through the supply and waste chains are molecular stocks and flows. If out of synch with nature these moleconomic flows have detrimental affects on earth systems. Biosphere Geosphere Detrimental affects on earth systems Waste Take Move 500-600 billion tonnesUse some 50 billion tonnes Materials Manipulate Materials Make and Use Anthroposphere To reduce the impact on earth systems new technical paradigms need to be invented and cultural changes evolve that result in materials flows with underlying molecular flows that mimic or at least do not interfere with natural flows and that support rather than detrimentally impact on earth systems.

15. Earth Systems Science Courtesy 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 (Wiki)

16. The Earth System The earth system consists of positive and negative feedback loops. Small changes caused by man such as CO2 and otherclimate forcing as well as pollution impact right across all interconnected systems throughout the global commons Atmosphere Anthropo-sphere Biosphere Geosphere Hydrosphere

17. How Flows in the Techno-Process Effect Earth Systems Take → Manipulate → Make → Use → Waste [ ←Materials→ ][ ← Underlying molecular flow → ] These underlying molecular flows are damaging the environment e.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 or minimally interfere with natural flows.

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

19. Materials – Important for Sustainability The choice of materials controls underlying molecular flows, (the study of moleconomics) Affected are emissions, lifetime and embodied energies, physical properties such as specific heat and conductance, use of recycled wastes, durability, recyclability and the properties of wastes returned to the biosphereand geosphere

20. Changing the Techno-Process Take => manipulate => make => use => waste Driven by fossil fuel energy with detrimental moleconomic effects. ReduceRe-useRecycle Materials Atoms and Molecules in the global commons

21. 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.

22. 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

23. Cultural Change • Al Gore (SOS) • CSIRO reports • STERN Report • Lots of Talkfest • IPCC Report • Branson Prize • Live Earth (07/07/07) The media have a growing role

24. Sustainability is Where Culture and Technology Meet Economics 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 of an industrial ecology is where the demand for more sustainable technologies is met by their supply.

25. Learning from Nature (Biomimicry) • Nature is the most frugal economist of all. • The waste from one plant or animal is the food or home for another. • In nature photosynthesis balances respiration and recycling is the norm • By studying nature “we learn who we are, what we are and how we are to be.” (Wright, F.L. 1957:269) • There is a strong need for similar efficiency and balance in our techno-process By learning from Nature we can all live together

26. Biomimicry • 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. 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. Nature is very economical about all Processes. We must also be MUCH more economical

27. Biomimicry - Ultimate Recyclers • As peak oil start to bite 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. The Jackdaw recycles all sorts of things it finds nearby based on physical property. The bird is not concerned about chemical composition and the nest it makes could be described as a composite material. TecEco cements are benign binders that can incorporate all sort of wastes without reaction problems. We can do the same as the Jackdaw

28. CO2 CO2 CO2 C Waste CO2 Utilizing Carbon and Wastes • During earth's geological history large tonnages of carbon were put away as limestone and other carbonates and as coal and petroleum by the activity of plants and animals. • 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. We all use carbon and wastes to make our homes! In eco-cement blocks and mortars the binder is carbonate and the aggregates are preferably wastes “Biomimicry - Geomimicry”

29. Geomimicry • There are 1.2-3 grams of magnesium and about .4 grams of calcium in every litre of seawater. • There is enough calcium and magnesium in seawater with replenishment to 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.

30. Geomimicry for Planetary Engineers? • Large tonnages of carbon were put away during earth’s geological history as limestone, dolomite, magnesite, coal and oil by the activity of plants and animals. • Shellfish built shells from it and • Trees turned it into wood. • These same plants and animals wasted nothing • The waste from one was 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 building materials. Materials are very important

31. Geomimicry for Planetary Engineers? • The answer to the problems of greenhouse gas and waste is to use them both in building materials. • Such a paradigm shift in resource usage will not occur because it is the right thing to do. • It can only happen economically. • We must put an economic value on carbon to solve global warming by • inventing new technical paradigms such as offered by the Global Sustainability Alliance in Gaia Engineering. • Evolving culturally to effectively use these technical paradigms • By using carbon dioxide and other wastes as a building materials we could economically reduce their concentration in the global commons. Materials are very important

32. Making Carbonate Building Materials to Solve the Global Warming Problem • How much magnesium carbonate would have to be deposited to solve the problem of global warming? • 12 billion tonnes CO2 ~= 22.99 billion tonnes magnesite • The density of magnesite is 3 gm/cm3 or 3 tonne/metre3 • Thus 22.9/3 billion cubic metres ~= 7.63 cubic kilometres of magnesite are required 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

33. CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 The Gaia Engineering Process Gaia Engineering delivers profitable outcomes whilst reversing underlying undesirable moleconomic flows from other less sustainable techno-processes outside the tececology. Inputs: Atmospheric or smokestack CO2, brines,waste acid, other wastes Outputs: Potable water, gypsum, sodium bicarbonate, salts, building materials, bottled concentrated CO2 (for algal fuel production and other uses). Carbonate building components Solar or solar derived energy TecEcoKiln TecEco MgCO2 Cycle MgO Eco-Cement MgCO3 Greensols Process 1.29 gm/l Mg Coal Fossil fuels Carbon or carbon compoundsMagnesium compounds Oil

34. Gaia Engineering Introduction • Gaia Engineering is a combination of new technologies including • A seawater separation technology from Greensols Pty. Ltd. • TecEco’s Tec-Kiln technology and cements • Carbon dioxide scrubbing technologies • TecEco' Eco-Cements

35. Gaia Engineering Introduction (2) • Gaia engineering profitably geomimics past planetary geological processes and adopted on a large scale will: • Sequester significant amounts of atmospheric CO2 • Add value to the salts recoverable from sea water • Convert large volumes of waste to valuable resource • Produce fresh water.

36. Gaia Engineering Introduction (3) • Gaia Engineering works like a giant ecological pump. • Inputs include • Seawater or suitable brine • CO2 • Waste acid • Other wastes of all kinds • A small amount of energy • Outputs include • Gypsum, sodium bicarbonate and various other valuable salts. • Magnesium carbonate building components. • TecEco Tec, Eco and Enviro-Cements. • Waste utlisation. • Fresh water.

37. Gaia Engineering 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

38. Gaia Engineering Greensols Seawater Carbonation Process. 1.354 x 109 km3 Seawater containing 1.728 1017 tonne Mg or suitable brines from other sources Waste Acid 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

39. Gaia Engineering InputsBrinesWaste AcidWastesCO2 OutputsGypsum, Sodium bicarbonate, Salts, Building materials, Potable water

40. Greensols – Making Carbonate Building Components • Greensols Pty. Ltd is an Australian company with an economic technology to precipitate out carbonates and other valuable compounds from sea water and brines and in the process sequester significant amounts of carbon dioxide and produce valuable by products including fresh water.

41. Greensols Carbon Capture • Strongly charged ions such as calcium, magnesium and carbonate attract hydration shells of water around them. Magnesium and calcium ions polar bond to oxygen and the negative carbonate ion to hydrogen. These bonds can propagate through several layers of water and are strong enough to prevent the formation of calcium and magnesium carbonates even from supersaturated solutions.

42. The Greensols Process • The Greensols process uses waste acid to de-polarise a statistical proportion of water molecules by attaching a proton whereby positively charged sodium, calcium or magnesium ions as well as negatively charged ions including carbonate ions are released, can combine and then precipitate.

43. Greensols Carbon Capture Hydration shelling of water around calcium or magnesium Ions because of the strong charge of especially magnesium to the oxygen end of water Similar hydration shelling occurs around the negative carbonate ion through polar bonding to the hydrogen ends of water

44. Greensols Carbon Capture The addition of a proton to water using strong waste acid results in its depolarisation whereby it no longer electronically holds as many ions (sodium, calcium, magnesium or carbonate etc.) statistically releasing them and allowing them to combine and precipitate as carbonates and other more valuable salts leaving behind essentially fresh water

45. Greensols Carbon Capture = + Mg++ + CO3_ _ => MgCO3 The statistical release of both cations and anions results in precipitation of for example magnesium carbonate as shown above.

46. Advantages of Greensols

47. The Tec-Reactor Hydroxide CarbonateSlurry Process • The solubility of carbon dioxide gas in seawater • Increases as the temperature approached zero and • Is at a maxima around 4oC • This phenomenon is related to the chemical nature of CO2 and water and • Can be utilised in a carbonate – hydroxide slurry process to capture CO2 out of the air and release it to storage or use in a controlled manner

48. The MgCO2 Process (Magnesium Thermodynamic Cycle) The MgCO2 (magnesium thermodynamiccycle) is very important for sequestration and is used for 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

49. 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 running 25% to 30% more efficiency. • Brings mineral sequestration and geological sequestration together. • Captures CO2 for bottling and use for fuel manufacture using algae and other life forms o other purposes. • The products – CaO and/or MgO can be used to sequester more CO2 and then be re-calcined. This cycle can then be repeated. • Suitable for making reactive reactive MgO.Will result in new markets for ultra reactive low lattice energy MgO (e.g. cement, paper and environment industries)

50. Why Magnesium Carbonates for Sequestration? • 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 gm/litre • Magnesium minerals are potential low cost. New kiln technology from TecEco will enable easy low cost simple non fossil fuel calcination of magnesium carbonate with CO2 capture for other uses. (e.g. algal production of fuel) • Magnesium compounds have low pH and polar bond in composites making them suitable for waste utilisation.