Folke Günther Holon Ecosystem Consultant [email protected] Creating nutrient cycles The why’s and...
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Transcript of Folke Günther Holon Ecosystem Consultant [email protected] Creating nutrient cycles The why’s and...
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Creating nutrient cycles
The why’s and how’s
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
The history of the living organisms conquering land
Nutrients in food
Nutrients in urine
Elementary nutrients
1. The situation in the primordial sea, 400 millon years ago
CREATCEAN SEA
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
What happened when the living organisms conquered land ?
Nutrients in food
Nutrients in urine
2 The situation after the first organisms had conquered land
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
After just a few tousand years:
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Where are the green fields my ancestors
were bragging about?
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Interlude:
What are ’nutrients’ ?
’Nutrients’ are the essential elements needed to construct a body
These elements need to be attainable in right proportionsE.g.: You need four times more tires than steering wheels
to build a car
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Without gaseous phases — must be transported as solids or liquids
More common in the Earth crust than in the body
The constituents of an animal (or vegetable) body:HHOOCCNNSSPPNaNaKKCaCa……6464
PP
HHOOCCNNSS
NaNaKKCaCa……6464
With gaseous phases — can be transported by the air
Nutrients
– phosphorus is the most important nutrient !
PP 10 times more common in the body than in the Earth crust
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Nutrients are essential for life -- but phosphorus is the most
crucial
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
We need a method to use the phosphorus molecules several
times, without losses, so we can retain
phosphorus on land!!
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
If we could transfer the phosphorus seamless from
organism to organism without losses to sea, we might solve it !
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
PO4
DNA
Urine
Consumption
Recycling
Reconstruction
The regenerative cycle, basic for living systems-- ecosystem level:
A seamless transport ofphosphorus from organism to organism!
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Petrified newspaper found in the Cretaceous – Devon geosynclinal
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
PO4
DNA
Urine
Consumption
Recycling
Reconstruction
The regenerative cycle
High exergy
Low exergy
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Ecosystem maturationA v a i l a b l e s o l a r e x e r g y
Immature system
• Low diversity• Annual plants• Competition• Parasitism• Nutrient leakage• Export• Fast change• Water export by drainage
Mature system• High diversity• Perennial plants• Co-operation• Mutualism• Nutrient circulation• On-site consumption• Slow change• Water export by evaporation
Mat
urat
ion
Mat
urat
ion
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Phosphorus and nitrogen were collected by plants
In preindustrial times, the farmland nutrients came from the meadows
Meadows
PO4
N
A certain amount of meadows was therfore needed to maintain the farmland
Manure
Feed
FoodFarmland
PO4
Phosphorus was extracted from the soil by the meadow plants
The manure was placed on the farmland, to feed the demanding food crops
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
During industrialisation, people moved into cities
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
PO4
N
The nutrients that went away to the cities never came back
ManureFeed
Food
Other nutrients were collected by the meadow plants
In the cities, they also needed food,
food from the farmsThe food contained nutrients
The export led to an impoverishment of the agricultural land
Food
PO4
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
PO
4Foo
d
The impoverished land produced insufficient harvests
This triggered emigration
The industrialisation process mighthave been halted by the loss of nutrients in farmland
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
PO4
FoodPO4
Food
The situation was solved by the invention of artificial fertilizers
By that, the nutrients from the meadows became unnecessary
Even more food could be produced
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
PO4
Food
PO4Pollu-tion
PO4Pollu-tion PO4Pollu-
tion
PO4Pollu-tion
PO4Pollu-tion
But in the cities, the situation was becoming problematic
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
PO4
Food
PO4Pollu-tion
PO4Pollu-tion PO4Pollu-
tion
PO4Pollu-tion
PO4Pollu-tion
But the invention of the piping system eased the problems
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
PO4
PO4Pollu-tion
PO4Pollu-tion
However, at the end of the pipe, new problems were encountered
Plancton algae multiplied gladly from the new phosphorus
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Linear flows
HEAP
HEAP
A linear flow from sources to seaPO4
Energy demanding and unsustainable
PO4
Feed
PO4 Food
PO4
Food
Urine
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Remember ?
Nutrients in food
Nutrients in urine
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
PP
Nutrients
– phosphorus is the most important nutrient
Will energy price affect phosphorus
availability?
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Extraction horizons of phosphorus
At higher energy price:
?? years
100 – 150 yearsAt current energy price:
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Is the regenerative cycle possible at societal level?
We face the same problem as the first terrestrial organisms
But the solution is more urgent
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
If we could transfer the phosphorus seamless from
organism to organism without losses to sea, we might solve it !
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
PO4
Urine
DNA
Micro-
organisms
Agriculture ConsumersConsumption
Recycling
Reconstruction
As long as the sun shines, the regenerative cycle on societal level could go on like this:
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
In a more practical way, the regenerative cycle can be implemented by the cooperation between a balanced agriculture and a group of people
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Balanced agriculture: Animals are fed with
plants growing from their manure ─ about 80%
circulation of nutrients
PO4
Feed Urine
One hectare:
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
.. but 3-4 kg of the phosphorus (20%) is exported as food
The 3-4 kg amounts to the P content of the excrements from 5 persons
PO4
Feed Urine
Food
Urine
= 0,2 ha/pers
One hectare:
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
.. these nutrients must be returned to close the cycle
With source-separating toilets,
these nutrients can be recycled
PO4
Feed Urine
Food
Urine
PO4
= 0,2 ha/pers
One hectare:
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Or, in an even more practical description, think of a few hundred people living in
association with a farm
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
The eco-unit, a small population maintained by a balanced agriculture
Balanced agriculture
Providing most of the human foodand all of the animal fodder
Area: 50 ha for 200 inhabitants
• High diversity• Perennial plants• Co-operation• Nutrient circulation• On-site consumption
•Nutrient reclaim•Landscape diversity•Predator habitat•Lee – planting•Biomass production
Open ditches
Nutrients from the settlement is recycled to agricultural land
Balanced agriculture,aimed at the
support of thelocal population
Small population,about 200,
supported by the
agriculture
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
The eco-unit
Biological greywater treatment plant (wetpark)Clean water is returned to
the households
• High diversity• Perennial plants• Co-operation• Mutualism• Nutrient circulation• On-site consumption• Water export by evaporation
Feed
PO4FoodPO
4
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
The ’ruralisation’ scenario: A city is successively integrated with its hinterland
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Year:
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
The ’ruralisation’ scenario: A city is successively integrated with its hinterland
689101171213141516
Year:
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
The ’ruralisation’ scenario: A city is successively integrated with its hinterland
17192021221823242526272829303132333435
Year:
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
The ’ruralisation’ scenario: A city is successively integrated with its hinterland
363839404137424344454647484950
Year:
• High diversity• Perennial plants• Co-operation• Mutualism• Nutrient circulation• On-site consumption• Water export by evaporation
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected] kr
15 000 kr
30 000 kr
60 000 kr
Economic effects of local food production
Annual consumer cost for food (four person family)
60.000 SEK (about € 6.500)
Payment to producer, less than 25%
Trade, distribution and processingabout 75% of the total price
Producer cost (fuel, interests etc.)80% of producer payment
Producer salary, about 3.000 SEK (5% of consumer cost)
Total energy investment: about 40.000 kWh / 4 pers
Energy delivered: about 4.000 kWh/ 4 p.
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Assume a group of consumers subscribe for food from a local farmer
They will drive the industry out of the market by paying the double industrial price (half of the consumer price)
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
15 000
30 000
45 000
60 000
Expenses
Salary
Distribution and trade
Traditional system
But:
Because of the increased food diversity produced, the farmers expenses will increase, here assumed to +50%
..but the remaining is the salary, which will increase from 3.000 to
12.000, 400%
The consumer cost for the food will decrease with 50%
13.000
18.000
60.000
30.000
12.000
3.000
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Let’s hope that the consumers will usetheir saved money to invest in the agriculture…
Cheaper food
Saved money
A win-win-win relation
Increased salary
Nutrient circulation
Folke GüntherHolon Ecosystem Consultant
www.holon.se/folke/ [email protected]
Thank you!
For more information, go to my homepage
holon.se