Synthetic fuels, and a sustainable set of civilizations

Abstract

Described in this paper is a concept that combines a set of technologies with a set of economic and social concepts that would allow people to create sustainable ecologies for their region or country. As such it describes a possible implementation path. The technologies are: solar electricity, power satellites, wireless power transmission, electrolytic hydrogen, and synthetic liquid fuels manufactured from air, water, and electricity. Economic initiatives and policies include creating sustainable economic development regions through the use of tax incentives and tax penalties. The technologies and economies are brought together by social concepts such as Technopolis and the theory of self-organizing and self-energizing social systems, i.e. creating wealth where there was none through sweat equity. Existing organizational structures such as credit unions, kibbutz's and agricultural and marketing cooperatives provide methods by which global marco-projects can be implemented on a local level. The unique topics of this paper are: • • Creating global markets by solving global problems or how to breakout of the chicken or egg paradox that has stymied the development of energy from space for so long. • • Linking energy availability to self-help economic development programs that create sustainable cultures while benefiting both the local and global environment. • • Integrating solar hydrogen research with energy from space and synthetic liquid fuels. • • Bartering energy for orbital slots and frequency allocations, i.e. energy has foreign aid. The proposed approach builds on current distribution systems in use for electricity, natural gas, and liquid fuels. We have the technology to expand the horizons and options of mankind, hasten its descent into the swamp of overpopulation, or wipe the slate clean and let nature try again. While the questions of which path will we choose and how will we choose it is beyond the scope of this paper it is within the scope of this paper to map out a possible path. Whether these technologies and concepts are implemented depends on choices made not by engineers and scientists but the people, their governments, and the religious leaders they choose to support for without the development of an ethical system of values that gives equal or greater weight to the importance of the quality of existence with respect to the mandate to procreate technology and economics will never be able to keep up with the growth in population. The bottom line of this paper is that linking the concept of baseload energy from Solar Power Satellites to the concepts of a hydrogen energy economy and capitalistic based economic cooperatives could create paths to sustainable futures for the cultures and civilizations of the world. This would expand the horizons and options of mankind while improving or at least maintaining the current quality of our biosphere. The unanswered question is can we do it before we run out of economical and environmentally acceptable recoverable fossil fuel resources.