Abstract

Climate change is to be eliminated through the annual transfer of a defined quantity of non-agriculturally produced plant biomass from the earth’s aerobic natural carbon cycle to the anaerobic lithosphere, which is not covered by this cycle. This amount of biomass should correspond to the amount of fossil-based CO₂ that is released into the atmosphere from industry in the same time. The further use of fossil carbon, in particular for energy production, would thus be possible without any negative consequences for the climate. The biomass stored in the lithosphere shall be subjected to biological and chemical reactions that produce hydrocarbons analogous to those of natural gas and mineral oil. As a result, the current time limit on the availability of these raw materials could be lifted. Introducing global control of the processes involved is useful in order to maintain the constancy of the atmospheric CO₂-concentration. Problems to be overcome are to provide the transport capacity for collecting the required amount of biomass above ground and to convey it underground. Furthermore, the spaces in the subsoil must be determined that are suitable for the storage of the biomass and the formation of the hydrocarbons. The proclaimed decarbonization should be redefined in terms of content and goal.

Keywords:Biogas; Biomass ; Biotechnology ; Cannizzaro reaction (Specific Redox Reaction); Carbon cycle; Climate change; CH₄ (Methane); CO₂ (Carbon Dioxide); Decarbonization; Fossil carbon; Green energy reserves (Wild Vegetation); Hydrocarbons