Bioenergy to save the world. Producing novel energy plants for growth on abandoned land.

• Published in: Environmental Science and Pollution Research
• Main Authors: Schröder, P., Herzig, R., Bojinov, B., Ruttens, A., Nehnevajova, E., Stamatiadis, S., Memon, A., Vassilev, A., Caviezel, M., Vangronsveld, J.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 2008
• Subjects: Agriculture; bioenergy; biogas; biomass; CO2 levels; energy plants; fossil fuels; greenhouse gases; Kyoto protocol; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: https://push-zb.helmholtz-muenchen.de/frontdoor.php?source_opus=1816; https://doi.org/10.1065/espr2008.03.481

Following to the 2006 climate summit, the European Union formally set the goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. But even today, climate change is already affecting people and ecosystems. Examples are melting glaciers and polar ice, reports about thawing permafrost areas, dying coral reefs, rising sea levels, changing ecosystems and fatal heat periods. Within the last 150 years, CO2 levels rose from 280 ppm to currently over 400 ppm. If we continue on our present course, CO2 equivalent levels could approach 600 ppm by 2035. However, if CO2 levels are not stabilized at the 450-550 ppm level, the consequences could be quite severe. Hence, if we do not act now, the opportunity to stabilise at even 550 ppm is likely to slip away. Long-term stabilisation will require that CO2 emissions ultimately be reduced to more than 80% below current levels. This will require major changes in how we operate. RESULTS: Reducing greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels seems to be the most promising approach to counterbalance the dramatic climate changes we would face in the near future. It is clear since the Kyoto protocol that the availability of fossil carbon resources will not match our future requirements. Furthermore, the distribution of fossil carbon sources around the globe makes them an even less reliable source in the future. We propose to screen crop and non-crop species for high biomass production and good survival on marginal soils as well as to produce mutants from the same species by chemical mutagenesis or related methods. These plants, when grown in adequate crop rotation, will provide local farming communities with biomass for the fermentation in decentralized biogas reactors, and the resulting nitrogen rich manure can be distributed on the fields to improve the soil. DISCUSSION: Such an approach will open new economic perspectives to small farmers, and provide a clever way to self sufficient and sustainable rural development. Together with the present economic reality, where energy and raw ...