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https://theconversation.com/sulfuric-acid-the-next-resource-crisis-that-could-stifle-green-tech-and-threaten-food-security-186765>
"Without sulfur in the form of sulfuric acid, industries would struggle to
produce the phosphorus fertilisers that raise farm yields or extract the
essential metals used in everything from solar panels to electric car
batteries.
Yet a problem looms, which has gone largely unnoticed. More than 80% of the
global sulfur supply is a waste product, extracted from fossil fuels like oil
and natural gas (which typically contain between 1% and 3% sulfur by weight) to
reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, the gas that causes acid rain.
Eliminating fossil fuels to rein in climate change will slash the annual supply
of sulfuric acid just as demand is increasing. The world already uses over 246
million tonnes of sulfuric acid annually. Rapid growth in the green economy and
intensive agriculture could see demand rise to over 400 million tonnes by 2040.
According to our latest study, a rapid reduction in fossil fuel use required to
achieve net zero emissions by 2050 could create a shortfall of sulfuric acid as
large as 320 million tonnes by 2040, or 130% of present day production.
Sulfuric acid prices would rise, stoking competition in which more profitable
green technology industries are likely to outbid fertiliser producers. This
would increase the cost of food production and make food more expensive for
consumers, especially in developing countries where farmers are least able to
afford the higher costs."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
