From Carbohydrate (CHFrom Carbohydrate (CH220)0)n n to to Hydrocarbon CHydrocarbon CnnHH22nn Economy Economy

ImplicationsSolar Flow

-fixed daily flow-flow almost eternal -tech increases

access without depletion

-use reverses entropy

Fossil-Fuel Stock-geologically fixed-flow exhaustible-tech increases

access by more depletion

-use increases entropy

From Carbohydrate to Hydrocarbon

Primary producersUsing:- Minerals from soil- H20 CO2- Photosynthesis6CO2 + 6H2O + sunlight C6H12O6 + 6O2-------------------------------Anaerobic decompositionCarbohydrate hydrocarbonA geochemical oddity, fluke

Consumers-herbivores-primary carnivores-secondary carnivores-scavengers, detritovores-decomposersC6H12O6 + 6O2

6CO2+6H2O + chemical energy

Coalification

Geology of Oil

Coal Chain (2) Peat to Coal

From Solar Flow to Fossil Fuel Stock

• Population growth cut timber a) domestic heating b) industrial fuel (charcoal) c) clear arable land• Regional supply crises Burning coal for direct energy - household (dirty, smelly) - some industries (progress) No real advance until 18th C in- understanding combustion- illumination technology (open oil lamps)Spread of coal technological and intellectual revolution

Happy Miners

Dangers (among others)

“choke damp” CO2 sudden rush

“white damp” CO after fire, explosion

“fire damp” methane leaks build up shaft roof

miners open flame lamp

PLUS – pneumoconiosis

Coal Feeds On ItselfNewcomen – Watt steam

enginesUses: (1) pump water from

coal mines (2) railways to carry

coal to urban industry (3) replace human

labor in industryShift: water power to steam power

mass rural-urban shift

handicraft to mass prod.

Economic and Political Results

• Urbanization• Industrialization• Mass employment• Chemical agric.• Triumph of Market• Mass consumption• Competive exports• Economic warfare

Public health disasterLand aggrandizementMass unemploymentChemical toxificationTriumph of the Market!Commodity fetishismEnd of protectionismEnd of autarky

Chemicals: From Biomass to Synthetic

OrganicHeating coal: coke, coal-gas,

tar • Uses of coke, from iron to steelCoke advantages -less sulfur to ruin iron -greater heat permits steel -less fumes • Commercialize coal-gas IR, lightening revolution – fossil

solar light• Uses of coal tar first pitch for navy then explore chemical nature

Early Organic Transformations

Early Human Interventions by:

- Distillation- Heat Transformation- FermentationKey: processes mimic

(accelerate) natureproducts chemically simpler

than sourcesrelatively few combos C H

Coal-Chemical Revolution

• Uses fossilized instead of biomass C• Fantastic number of combinations• Complex molecules • No natural analogues• Toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic• Non or slow degradation• Breakdown products sometimes worse

Early Coal Tar Derivatives

-Macintosh waterproof (coal tar and rubber)

-phenol or carbolic acid (medicine)

-synthetic urea (fertilizer)

-isolating benzene (first “evergreen”)

-search for synthetic quinine led to…

-first chemical dyes

Coal Tech-Breakthroughs

• Dyestuffs--• Medical – anaesthics and antiseptics antipyrin, aspirin etc. antibiotics follow• Plastics, synthetic fibres etc.• Range of industrial, commercial chemicalsIMPACT- Transform consumer products- Emergence of transnational firms

Coal-Chemical PioneersGermany – BASF (dyes, fertilizers) Bayer (dyes, drugs) Hoescht (drugs) AGFA (film, plastics)Switzerland – Geigy CIBA Hoffman-Laroche

Emerging Warfare-Welfare State: Guns or

Butter

Nitrogen Cyclebuilding block for amino acids (proteins)atmosphere 80% - non reactive N2,

plants need NN2 traditionally split by – electricity (lightning) - bacterial (N2NH3NO3) (crop rotation)Or other bioavailable nitrogen from manure etc.

Nitrogen:Historical Solutions

1) Fallowing fields (lightning, bacterial decomp. etc)2) 18th C Agricultural Revolution crop rotation clover nodules3) 19 early 20 C extensive exploitation new lands, nitrogen bank horse power (oats, natural fertilizer) mixed farms, grain for cash sales4) Nitrogen wars (nitrate rock & guano rush)5) Search for high tech solution

High Tech Solutionsa) coke or coal gas ammonia byproductb) Haber-Bosch ProcessGeorge Haber (dye merchant family)Carl Bosch (Badische Anilin- und Soda-

Fabrik)N from air, H from coalN2+3H22NH3

Haber-Bosch: Ends the Guns-Butter Tradeoff?

Impact of World War INature of War Demand:

- explosives (ammonia supply - Haber Bosch)

- poison gas- medical needs- food requirements, agro changes (HB)- food storage, transport changes (trucks

replacing horses)

Search for a Scapegoat

-Bolshevik Revolution, need to placate working class at home

-Realization Germany really ought to have won first total war

-need for scapegoat – gas warfare, German chemical industry

Looting German Chemical Industry -

Versailles-surrender 50% stored dyes-plus 25% monthly production-80% dye works in Occupied Rhineland-all future production monitored by Allies-patents, trademarks permanently lost-Allies tore down some facilities (competitive)-Allied officials encouraged industrial theft, espionage-lost coal Silesia, Saar-huge coal reparations France Belgium-massive confiscation railway cars

The DuPont Empire-history with US military-WWI 40% Allied explosives-War profits lead to

takeovers-target German patents,

scientists-political power gets tariffs

etc.-wave of new coal-chemical

products(fertilizers, pesticides, textiles,

industrial chemicals etc.)

American Auto-Craze 1920s

• Impact World War I• Rising disposable income• Price cutting competition• Cheap gasoline• Government road building• US social psychology• Mass market strategy - installment credit second hand market annual model change mass advertising

20th Century Industrial Transformation

1) Impact of World War I -mass industries, war demand

-modern advertising industry

(tax exempt for war prop.)2) 1920s (“Modern Times”)- assembly line

homogenized product, - homogenized consumer- divert political dissent

into self indulgence

Emergence of Mass Consumption

Tools – mass media brand loyalty packagingImpact: -homogenized

consumer tastes -changing role of

merchant -importance of “sales

effort”

Chemurgy: Gasahol Revolution

Required:-end of Prohibition-special tax breaks-counter political power of oil companies-support of chemical, auto industry BUT INSTEAD:1. World War II2. Postwar Auto Craze 3. Petrochemical Revolution4. Military Keynesianism

Automobiles: In Search of Fuel?

Options: steam electricity biofuels gasoline?Formerly an unprofitable, largely

useless or dangerous byproduct of kerosene

Petrochemical Coup? Results of Marijuana Tax Act

Killed legal hemp business (yes)

Helped consolidate shift from biomass to fossil fuel (?)

Real reason:-US oil glut-impact World War II