Avoiding Extinction

Graciela Chichilnisky

Columbia University New YorkGlobal Thermostat LLC

Green Economics Institute Oxford University UK July 2013

TEDxBuenos Aires - UTN May 4 2013

Human Dominated WorldHuman Beings are today the largest geological force in the planet

We are changing the planet’s atmosphere, its body of waters, and the complex web of species that makes life on earth

Climate Change

Global Risks• Climate Change• Biodiversity Extinction• Clean Water scarcity• Life in the Seas going extinct

Avoiding Extinction

URGENCY

Why are we being called to respond to

The Climate Question

Catastrophic Risks• Global sea level raise threatens the survival of 43 island

nations • Polar Caps melt - accelerating warming trend• Record breaking tornadoes, floods, droughts and

devastating fires• 30 million climate migration in 2011 • National Security at Risk US Pentagon 2009

Oceans - the origin of life – going extinct

Are Humans Next?• Need Action Now• Waited too long• Industrial economies 20% of world population

cause most of world’s C02 emissions

Energy from fossil fuels 45% of global emissions

89% power plants fossil – $55Trillion infrastructure

Clean Energy is the Only Solution

So far Western economics• Lacks connections between people • Lacks connections between economy and

environment• Lacks connections across generations

Sustainable Development requires building connections

WHY?

Because humans dominate the planet

• For the first time in recorded history• Following an era of rapid globalization

Humans dominate Planet Earth

• We are connecting and changing the planet’s atmosphere, its bodies of water, and the complex web of species that makes life on Earth

This means natural resource limits

• As we reach natural resource and environmental limits

The survival of humankind is at stake

• Need connections with the ecology, between people and with the future of our species

Can Western Economics adjust?

Can Markets become Sustainable?

Sustainable Economics

How to do it

The Missing Signal• If we destroy all trees & make toilet paper our economy improves – why?• Because Toilet Paper has Market Value & Trees do not.

We lack Market PricesNew Market prices = New Values

New costs and New benefits

The Carbon Market Provides the Missing Signal

Emission Limits are the basis of Carbon Market

How does it Work

CHANGES THE ENTIRE

GLOBAL ECONOMY

$25/TON EMITTED

CARBON PRICES ARE THE Missing

Signal

Carbon Makes Clean

Energy profitable

Dirty Energy expensive

and Undesirable

Dirty pays clean – ZERO

overall costs

Carbon MarketLinks to Global Economy

Everything is made with energy Economic growth = Energy Use

Link to EnergyCarbon Market provides Missing Signal

New Market Prices = New ValuesAll clean products more valuable

Where are We?

What comes Next?

Economy, the Earth and our Species• Need to develop connections with the earth’s resources,

between people and with the future of our species

Basic needs• The Basic Needs of 80% of Humankind who live in developing nations –

over 1Bn people below Basic needs living with <$2 /day• Undermined by resource intensive economics: over-extraction of raw

materials from the poorest nations in Africa and Latin America• Resources exported and over-consumed by 20% of world population in

the industrial world

What to do?• Changing International Law• Changing Economics

We just have to do it

• For the survival of our Species

Changing Economics is KeyHOW?

New Types of MarketsNew Economics over Time

• Provide Missing Connections• Between People, with the Environment, • Between the Present & the Future

New GDP• Carbon market changes notion of

economic progress

• Of two identical nations

• The one using clean energy has a larger GDP

New Markets to Value Global Commons

• Carbon Markets - value the atmosphere• Water markets – value oceans and clean water globally• Biodiversity markets– the value of forests & life

Create new GDP Must be adopted NOW as required by G20

Chichilnisky: UNESCAP 2010

The Oscar Wilde Moment

The Global Commons

New Economics

From maximizing profits toeconomic progress

that ensures survival of our species

Technology Urgently Neededto put all this in practice

• To Reduce Carbon from the Atmosphere

• In a Profitable Way

• To support and Create Political Will

The Word needs Energy

CLEAN ENERGY FOR DEVELOPING NATIONS

Global Thermostat Pilot Plant, SRI International - Menlo Park CaliforniaFebruary 2011

What is a Carbon Negative Solution

Global Thermostat Company Confidential Page 23

Carbon Neutral is not enough• Neutralizing emissions does not prevent

further increases in atmospheric CO2 • Even the most aggressive efficiency

improvements and renewables adoption are unlikely to keep CO2 concentration at the generally agreed 450ppm to avoid catastrophic climate risk

Negative Carbon is the solution1

• Air capture enables direct and rapid reduction of CO2 concentration

• GT allows for the capture of even more CO2 than we are loading into the atmosphere or that the earth’s systems can absorb – Negative Carbon GT’s technology directly reduces

carbon concentration in the air, making carbon negative possible

Pre-Ind Ti

mes2030

20800

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Reducing CO2 Concentrations in the Atmosphere

Business as UsualConstant GrowthWedges Approach / StabilizationGlobal ThermostatHazardous Level 450 ppm

CO2

Part

s per

Mill

ion

(PPM

)

1 United Nations Headquarters, New York, November 12, 2009. Presentation by G. Chichilnisky on"The Rising Tide at Copenhagen: A Win-Win Solution for Industrialized and Developing Nations"

Closing the Carbon Cycle• GT Technology Captures Carbon from Air• Inexpensive: Uses Low Process Heat • Cogenerates Power Production withCarbon Capture• The More Power is Produced – the More Carbon is

reduced• Makes Coal Plants Carbon Negative• Makes Solar Power Plants even more Carbon

Negative

GT’s Air Capture TechnologyThree-Step Process Produces Concentrated CO 2 Stream

Step 1Air Input

Transport and Injection

Compression Other Applications

Key to GT’s technology is cogeneration using

low temperature process heat to

capture CO 2

Subsequent steps are shared by all CO 2 capture methods though pipelining costs can be reduced by co-locating

where CO 2 is stored or used

Step 2CO 2 Capture

Step 3CO 2

Regeneration

Absorbing CO2

Pipes to oil well or algae

UP

Releasing CO2

Pipes to oil well or algae ponds

DOWN

Applications & Markets for Captured CO2

Global Thermostat Company Confidential Page 28

Storage Enhanced Oil Recovery*

Algae-Based Biofuels*

Hydrogen-Based Fuels

Products cement, fertilizer, plastics,

greenhouses

*EOR and Algae-based biofuels represent most

significant opportunities for commercial applications

of CO2 captured using GT’s technology

Unique Advantages of GT’s Technology

Measurable advantages over other forms of carbon capture

Low-Cost Provider•Powered by low cost & widely available process heat

Scalable Design•Modular design adapts to different sized applications

Carbon Negative Solution•An energy or industrial plant can capture even more CO2 than is emitted – a carbon negative solution

Flexible Integration• Fossil, renewable, nuclear plants, industrial plants, (cement, steel) – anywhere heat is available

First GT Pilot Plant at SRI - October 1, 2010

Global Thermostat Company Confidential Page 30

Second GT Commercial Demo at SRIMarch 1, 2013

In Daphne Alabama USA 2013

Third GT plantCommercial Demo Algae Systems IHI

Global Thermostat Company Confidential Page 32

Desalination

CO2

Wastewater

Algae Production Dewatering Fuel

Production

Fuels,Electricity &

Biochar

TreatedWastewater

Drinking Water

•Produces carbon negative transportation fuels (jet fuel)•Treats municipal wastewater and produces drinking water•Generates green electricity and Biochar fertilizers

Provides critical municipal services while producing energy

As Green As It Gets

Solar Energy

A Vision of a New Economy• Very conservative about Natural Resources

• Very innovative about Knowledge

Knowledge Based