Peak Oil, Ecological Engineering, Indigenous Knowledge: Problems, Opportunities, Ideas

Peak Oil, Ecological Engineering, Indigenous Knowledge:

Problems, Opportunities, Ideas

Jay Martin

Food, Agricultural & Biological Engineering

Ohio State University

Special Thanks to Charlie Hall, SUNY-ESF

Peak Oil: It happened, as predicted in the US

King Hubbert

Laherrere 2006

(Campbell, 2009)

Global

Currently, we use 2-4 times more oil each year than we find

1. Decreasing oil production and increasing demand.

2. Declining Energy Return on Investment (EROI)

3. Low EROI of alternatives

Three convincing points: Importance of “Peak Oil”

DEFINITION of EROI

Energy return on investment for an activity:

Energy delivered to society

EROI = __________________________

Energy put into that activity

(Hall, 2008)

Global Global Energy Energy TroubleTrouble

Oil and NG = >55% Energy Supporting Society

Lower Lower Energy Energy FutureFuture

The design of ecosystems for the mutual benefit of humans and nature. (Mitsch and Jogensen 1989)

Solutions to environmental problems would be grounded in the technology from natural systems so that the human engineering required would be supplementary rather than primary (Odum 1963)

FromSecondaryTreatment

Nitrification Denitrification Settling River

Pumps &Fuel & CO2

ChemicalsC o n v e n t i o n a l M e t h o d

W e t l a n d M e t h o d

Ecological Engineering: Wastewater Treatment

Ecological Engineering Research Addressing Peak Oil Problems

Presentations from the 2012 AEES meetingResearch Areas Presentations

Stream Mgt. & Restoration 18Wetlands & Water Treatment 17Rain Gardens & Storm Water Mgt. 8Agroecosystems & Food Prod. 8Restoration Degraded Sites 7Coastal & Lake Mgt. & Restoration 5Energy Generation & Digesters 4Social Ecological Systems 4Developing Countries/Intl. Apps. 4Sustainability Analysis 3Climate Change 2+Eco. Eng. Education 1Miscellaneous 1

???

Ecological Engineering Research Addressing Peak Oil Problems

Presentations from the 2012 AEES meetingResearch Areas Presentations

Stream Mgt. & Restoration 18Wetlands & Water Treatment 17Rain Gardens & Storm Water Mgt. 8Agroecosystems & Food Prod. 8Restoration Degraded Sites 7Coastal & Lake Mgt. & Restoration 5Energy Generation & Digesters 4Social Ecological Systems 4Developing Countries/Intl. Apps. 4Sustainability Analysis 3Climate Change 2+Eco. Eng. Education 1Miscellaneous 1

???

AEES Conferences:Educational & Fun

• Great Talks & Posters• Certificate of Eco. Design• Field Trips: Mud Volcanoes!• Great music: Sophistafunk• Good food & breaks• Student design competition

AEES 2013 June 9-12

Stream Mgt. & Restoration (18)

• Ecosystem services: Restoring & Maintaining

• Two stage Ag. drainage ditches

• Nutrient cycling/removal

• Designing for climate change impacts

• Case studies of specific sites

Wetlands & Water Treatment (17)• Treating agricultural runoff

• Distributed wastewater systems

• Design to remove pharmaceuticals

• Largest stormwater treatment wetlands in Canada & Europe

• Algal-based treatment systems

Rain Gardens & Stormwater Mgt. (8)

• Nutrient & water retention

• Retrofit gardens

• Rainwater harvesting

• Green roofs

• Porous pavements

Agroecosystems & Food Production (8)

• Recycling of materials

• Rainwater harvesting for food production

Restoration of Degraded Sites (7)• Tar Sands sites• Mining sites• Ecosystem design

(willows, other species)

Restoration of Degraded Sites (7)Big Scales-Big Impacts

Fracking

Tar Sands

Restoration of Degraded Sites (7)Big Scales-Big Impacts

End Pit Lakes

Coastal & Lake Mgt./Restoration (5)

• Impacts of green infrastructure

• Engineered reefs

Energy Generation & Digesters (4)

• Low costs digesters

• Biodegradation of Plastics

Social Ecological Systems (4)

• Interdisciplinary advantage

• Linkages between humans and ecosystems

International Applications (4)• Appropriate Technologies

• Technology Transfer

Lake Erie Algal Bloom

Sustainability Analysis (3)

• Emergy/Energy analyses

• Prepare for future with declining resources

Climate Change (2+)• Ecosystems for cooler urban areas

• Ecosystem services from urban forests

Indigenous KnowledgeTraditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)

Chief Oren LyonsOnondaga Nation Iroquois Confederacy

3000-4000 years!

Ecological Engineering &Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)

Ecological Engineering 45 (2012) 30-44

Ecological Engineering 36 (2010) 839-849

NSF grant Stewart Diemont et al. 2012

TEK: PhilosophyTEK: Philosophy

• Ecosystem & connections: “No such thing as nature that exists independent of humans and their activities” (Pierotti and Wildcat 2000)

– “Conservation through use”

• Uncertainty and unpredictability are intrinsic to all ecosystems. “Control” is impossible. TEK adaptive over time.

• Long-term vision– A failure of current resource managment is a lack of attention to long-

term implications.– Iroquios- seventh generation

• Similarities with Ecological Engineering & Systems Ecology

Corn Production ComparisonCorn Production ComparisonAll flows in are 10All flows in are 101414 sej/ha/yr sej/ha/yr

Cornproduction

RenewableResources

Non-renewableResources

PurchasedResources

6.52.2

121

130

R

F

N

YPolyculturalproduction

RenewableResources

Non-renewableResources

PurchasedResources

32.30.5

2.93

35.7

R

N

F

Y

Kansas, Conventional Mexico, Indigenous

ConventionalIndigenousPercent Renewable Energy 5% 91%Emergy Sustainability Index 0.06 116

Terre PretaTerre PretaSoil BuildingSoil Building

Terre Pretawebsite

Scarborough et al. 1991

Tikal, Tikal, Guatemala:Guatemala:Catchments & Catchments & ReserviorsReserviors

“Some older ways, persisting in cultural memory, may be needed again when times of lower energy return” (Odum 2007)

Conclusions

1. Peak Oil will result in a lower energy future.

2. Ecological Engineering can help with designs based on ecosystem processes and renewable energy.

3. Traditional Ecological Knowledge can inspire designs for future.

4. Come to AEES 2013 at Michigan State (June 9-12)

Conclusions

(Odum, 1996)

Ecological Engineering Can Help

How Can TEK Help?How Can TEK Help?Example: Water ManagementExample: Water Management

• Problems: Water scarcity and Stormwater runoff

• Design urban areas to capture and reuse stormwater

• Past cultures adapted to climate change with water catchment and this is advocated for our future (Pandey et

al. 2003)

http://econ.worldbank.org

Energy Prices

Other Prices and “Peaks”

Natural Gas: Declining EROI

Coal: US and China

US Oil Field SizeUS Oil Field Size

0

20

40

60

80

1900 1920 1940 1960 1980

Millions of barrels

Why helpful for Ecological Why helpful for Ecological Engineering?Engineering?

design ecosystems for the mutual benefit of humans and nature.

Why helpful for Ecological Why helpful for Ecological Engineering?Engineering?

Indigenous cultures relied on renewable energies to design ecosystems for the mutual benefit of humans and nature.

Storage Producer Consumer

Switch Tranaction Interaction Heat Sink

Constant ForceSource

Flow LimitedSource

Combined Units Showing Interior Details

Petroleum production in Norway in 1970 – 2008

EROI Example:

Energetic cost of petroleum production in Norway in 1991 – 2008

Grandell, 2011

EROI of Norwegian petroleum production in 1991 – 2008

EROI for Norwegian oil has declined by half in 11 years

EROI for Oil: US and other

Mayan Chultunes: Water capture & Mayan Chultunes: Water capture & storagestorage

Matheny et al. 1983

Change of Direction in Change of Direction in Information FlowInformation Flow

“People from an industrial-agricultural region who go to a low energy country to advise on improving agriculture can help only if there is a cheap fuel supply for another zone of fossil fuel agriculture.As fuel prices rise and fuel use decreases, the advice will come in the opposite direction.” Odum 2007

GreenRevolution

2010…

TEK “can speed … emergence of agroecological principles, … and biodiversity conservation … in industrial and developing countries” – Miguel Altieri

Miscellaneous (1)

Deploying Four-legged Engineers: Giant Tortoises on Pinta Island, Galapagos

Elizabeth Hunter, SUNY-ESF

Global Global Energy Energy TroubleTrouble

Oil and NG = >55% Energy Supporting Society

Lower Lower Energy Energy FutureFuture

Hallock, 2011

United Kingdom (Low-DP50-5 - 2012 scenarios N)

0

300

600

900

1200

1500

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045

Million barrels / year

Actual Demand

Projected Demand"Production Forecast - High-EUR

"Production Forecast - Mid-EURProduction Forecast - Low-EUR

Actual Production