Back to poems
The elephant in the room is climate change.
The weather now has a wider range
And though it seems exceedingly strange
Some outliers deny the change.
It wasn’t my intent to grouse
But this extends to the White House.
For energy we clearly see
That climate change is the key.
This is a problem for every nation
And until we succeed in sequestration
The constant emission of GHGs
Will very soon just have to cease.
Technology can pave the way
Technology can save the day.
It already has played a role
In getting us closer to the goal.
Economists quite quickly saw
That solar also tracks Moore’s law.
It already has surpassed the goal
Of being cheaper than dirty coal.
No one now can make the claim
That if development is our aim
We can’t afford to be green
No contradiction should be seen.
But to be completely fair
One problem is clearly there
While wind and solar are both clean
One challenge though is clearly seen.
The critics justifiably scoff
These power sources go on and off.
When both of them are in the mix,
We easily can find a fix,
The variability is then less
But all the same there is some stress.
But certainly we should take stock
Of sources that work round the clock.
Now geothermal can be found
Everywhere deep underground.
And I have heard some experts say
That Plasma Tunneling is the way.
If no environmental concern is found
This technology could prove quite sound.
We shouldn’t rule out from our vision
Nuclear fusion or even fission!
Now biomass can fill the breach.
For storage solutions we can reach:
Super capacitors and batteries
Are the solutions one usually sees
But scientists are very bold
Thermal storage both heat or cold.
Mechanical could be a way,
Flywheels and pumps can also play.
I’m sure that all of you can see
We have enough technology.
Its growth’s an exponential trend
We're very far from the end.
But all the same we clearly see
The need in policy and economy
For constantly expanding innovation
Around the world, in every nation.
And though renewables have grown
A lot of money is still thrown
At coal. Hopefully we will see
Much progress in mobility.
The sharing economy is growing fast
Ownership’s a concept of the past.
If assets are better utilised
Of course the cost is optimised
And resources are better used
And Nature too is not abused!
There's extra benefit we see
In the case of shared mobility.
The vehicle runs for many an hour.
This encourages electric power
As variable cost is very low
And even though as we all know
The capital cost is rather high
But since the cab is known to ply
For many hours, the high utilisation
Leads to lower amortisation.
And thus it is clearly seen
That shared mobility’s doubly clean.
Technology will rapidly grow
And many benefits will flow.
There’s little hope for salvation
Without recycling or sequestration
Of Carbon. Fortunately there’s scope
As in this field there is much hope.
Now some may think it very sound
To merely trap it underground.
This scourge is easier abated
If CO2 is concentrated.
Indeed much hope is always there
If Oxygen replaces air.
There is a higher concentration
Of CO2 from fermentation.
Recycling is another way.
We have two different ways to play.
Excuse my being pedagogical,
They are chemical and biological.
Now chemical needs energy!
But there are places where we see
Green energy completely stranded
From where electricity can’t be landed.
The Sahara Desert comes to mind
In distant Iceland we can find
Geothermal abundantly.
We could use this energy
To convert CO2 to methanol
Or other alcohols like ethanol!
And thus our problem can be sorted
As these fuels can be transported!
To me Chemistry is very dear
As I’m a Chemical Engineer
But in Nature the Chemistry
That we very often see
Is driven by biology
So powerfully evolutionary!
And photosynthesis is a feat
That’s very hard for us to beat.
And plants need CO2 to grow.
In nature this is very slow.
Each plant uses a little light
A single crop is a wasteful blight.
A forest though can use much more.
There’s collective synergy for sure.
We find some cause for elation
That with a higher concentration
Of CO2 and precise light
Our future could be very bright!
Vertical agriculture is what we need
With it we surely can succeed.
Our yields can be multiplied
Two hundred fold can be tried.
No more fields for crops to grow
Trees can replace them, now we know.
Both orchards and afforestation
Cause biological sequestration!
This is the power we can wield
In vertical towers and in the field.
And surely to avoid the heat
We could eat much less meat.
No wholesale ban would be needed
If better practices are heeded.
Efficient feeds can play a role
No methane emissions could be a goal.
Let’s produce responsibly.
A simple solution that I see
Is feedstuff grown vertically.
So I am sure you will agree
That unless we collectively
Recycle every gram of C
And also pull out somewhat more
We would be doomed and that’s for sure!
There’s work to do but there is scope!
Let’s not despair there is still hope!
Suggested Poem
Earth Care Awards