21^st Century Ag Energy (21^st CAE)
21^st CAE’s Green Economy Initiative
Let’s Transform Carroll County into Bio-County USA

Greenhouse Gases How We Handle It

The balance between the plant carbon dioxide removal and animal carbon dioxide generation is equalized also by the formation of carbonates in the oceans. This removes excess carbon dioxide from the air and water (both of which are in equilibrium with regard to carbon dioxide). Fossil fuels, such as petroleum and coal, as well as more recent fuels such as bio-fuels, peat and wood generate carbon dioxide when burned. This air pollutant is also inherent in the production of bio-fuels and in fuel reformers coupled with fuel cells (dependant on type of operating fuels).

Human activity has greatly increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in air. This increase has led to global warming, an increase in temperatures around the world, the Greenhouse Effect. The increase in carbon dioxide and other pollutants in the air has also led to acid rain, where water falls through polluted air and chemically combines with carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, and sulfur oxides, producing rainfall with pH as low as 4. This results in fish kills and changes in soil pH which can alter the natural vegetation and uses of the land. The Global Warming problem can lead to melting of the ice caps in Greenland and Antarctica, raising sea-level as much as 120 meters. Changes in sea-level and temperature would affect climate changes, altering belts of grain production and rainfall patterns.

Plants may be viewed as carbon “sinks”, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and oceans by fixing it into organic chemicals. Plants also produce some carbon dioxide by their respiration, but this is quickly used by photosynthesis. Plants also convert energy from light into chemical energy of C-C covalent bonds. Animals are carbon dioxide producers that derive their energy from carbohydrates and other chemicals produced by plants by the process of photosynthesis.

We can write the overall reaction of this process as:

6H₂O + 6CO₂ ----------> C₆H₁₂O₆+ 6O₂

Most of us don't speak chemicalese, so the above chemical equation translates as:

Six molecules of water plus six molecules of carbon dioxide produce one molecule of sugar plus six molecules of oxygen

How We Handle It?

The natural system for reduction or elimination of this global warming gas is inherent in the Alternative Green Energy concept and the description of this air pollutant… Greenhouses!

21^st Century Ag Energy has researched this matter beginning in late 1999 while working with the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension and Rutgers University EcoComplex studying the use of alternative energy sources. It became apparent that commercial greenhouses would be the natural solution for handling CO2.

The amount of overall CO2 conversion by plants growing in optimal conditions is basically proportional to the amount of CO2 available, sunlight, and contact efficiency.  Therefore, an increase of CO2 in the atmosphere will lead to higher rates of plant growth. This is usually the case in an agricultural setting, where nutrients and water availability are not limiting. Even where limitations other than the CO2 concentration do limit plant productivity, increasing the CO2 concentration has been found to raise these limits.

Carbon dioxide gas must be introduced into greenhouses to maintain plant growth, as even in vented greenhouses the carbon dioxide concentration can fall during daylight hours to as low as 200 ppm, at which level photosynthesis is significantly retarded. Venting can help offset the drop in carbon dioxide, but will never raise it back to ambient levels of 340ppm. Carbon dioxide supplementation is the only known method to overcome this deficiency. Direct introduction of pure carbon dioxide is ideal, but rarely done because of cost constraints. Plants can potentially grow up to 50 percent faster in concentrations of 1000ppm CO2 when compared with ambient conditions.

Alternative Green Energy

Although there is no pollution reduction in internal combustion engines using bio-fuels rather than petroleum derivatives, it is our belief and hopes that improved hybrid transportation systems will soon greatly alleviate the need for either fuel, and thus result in greatly improved air quality. This will leave the bio-fuels production and use primarily to generate electrical energy.

Under this scenario, rural farming communities, in conjunction with bio-fuel production plants coupled with fuel cells, would be the primary generator of their own energy needs…greatly relieving the load on utility providers. Following this rational to its logical conclusion, we would find that less; not more, coal and oil need be removed from our earth.  Green!! Less, not more, base-load power plants will be needed to meet our energy demands.  Green!!

As noted above greenhouses require additional CO2 for optimal growth and pure CO2 is ideal. Interestingly, the 21st Century Ag Energy’s combined plan for green energy includes bio-fuel plants and fuel cells, which are the ultimate source of pure carbon dioxide. Logically, one would include greenhouses into the plan to facilitate carbon handling. (this conclusion was submitted to Department of Energy) What’s more, since fuel cells also produce heat, the greenhouses may be operated year-round… even during cold seasons! The greenhouse as the CO2 handling facility finalizing the Alternative Green Energy concept would place bio-fuel facilities well beyond other energy producers in environmental stewardship.

Socio-Economic Impacts

The Commercial Greenhouses will expand agricultural opportunities by adding horticultural produce diversity as a commercial commodity; expand educational research (greenhouse); attract greenhouse support services and manufacturing, while increasing the local tax base. This readily translates into retaining our young adults, while attracting outside citizenry… with diversified jobs and educational opportunities right here in Carroll County!