PROGRESS AND VISION FOR THE BLUE REVOLUTION

Blue Revolution Hawaii last year organized a session at Aquaculture America 2018 to encourage early thinking of the concept.  Board member Benny Ron has been working with NOAA and international partners in advancing the field.

Usually, on all campuses world-wide, there is a solid core of ocean scientists dedicated to measuring, modeling and repeating the process with better equipment over time.  Now and then there might be a couple of ocean engineers, half helping those scientists with the technology of measurement, and the other half attempting to create a career to apply ocean science knowledge, linking with industry to do something useful for the economy and world.  There is almost no federal funding in this esoteric area.

In essence, the Blue Revolution is that esoteric field.  The Blue Revolution has been touted for three decades as something ideal for the future of our society, for, while producing sustainable products and clean energy, shows promise for reducing the incidence of hurricanes and remediating global warming.  As the ocean gets most of the warming, the concept shows promise for reversing climate change.

While we have been drawing together the various elements to build the first Blue Revolution Platform, the greater vision has to do with what could be the ultimate outcome.  The magnitude of this effort could well rival the to monumental accomplishments in modern history:  The Manhattan Project and Project Apollo.

So let us first quickly review those two previous great challenges:  beating Hitler in his quest for the Atomic Bomb, and overcoming the Soviet Union in space with Project Apollo to the Moon.  Both efforts cost $25 billion, but only $2 billion was spent to build the bombs, which has a worth of $25 billion today.  On the other hand, Apollo actually cost $25 billion in the early to mid 70's, or $150 billion in 2019 dollars.

If Hitler succeeded before the Allies, who knows what the world would be today.  The success of the Apollo Project has been said to be primary reason why the USA prevailed over the Soviet Union around 1990, bringing an end to the Cold War and the fear of a nuclear winter.  Sure, we still have a mettlesome North Korea, a pugnaciously commercial China and a noisy Russia, but the Doomsday Clock remains precariously set at 2 minutes to Midnight mostly because of global climate change.

So that is the next greatest challenge for Humanity and Planet Earth?  Overcoming Hitler led to nuclear power, but fission using Uranium and Plutonium, with the potential for more bombs, led to Chernobyl and Fukushima, with a continuing rocky future.  The Apollo Project showed that there was no really attractive commercial case for the Moon.  How now, can we go one better by marshaling international cooperation towards a reduction of carbon dioxide combustion, while actually enhancing long-term human productivity?

This was the breakthrough clue I needed to make the Blue Revolution the next great solution.  The key is that the Blue Revolution can be profitable.  Just absorbing carbon dioxide makes no sense because it is too expensive.  Clean coal technology similarly is a money-loser.  There is no way to make a profit from reducing carbon burning, except using something else.  And one of these could well be ocean thermal energy conversion, or OTEC.

That is the advantage of the Blue Revolution, for the whole process will be powered by OTEC, a technology that begins to become competitive only at 1000 MW sizes and larger.  The total system, thus, uses the heat of the ocean, which is replenished by the sun, with the cold portion coming from Arctic and Antarctic regions.  In addition to electricity and freshwater, there will be a cornucopia of desirable products such as next generation fisheries, marine biomass plantations, hydrogen, biomethanol, comfortable new habitation options, exciting entertainment enterprises and much more.  These Blue Revolution platforms will in time become floating cities.  Most of them will be positioned along the equator, where the temperature difference is the greatest, and where hurricanes don't cross.  Of course, many platforms will be in hurricane formation zones, and the drop of ocean surface temperatures by a degree or two can eliminate the formation of these ocean storms.  And much of the ocean can be utilized for these purposes:

Let us say, then, that ocean cities and Disneys-at-Sea someday become significant, how exactly will global warming be remediated?  For now, take my word that there is promise. Not conventional snake oil, I have evidence in the next paragraph

The French invented OTEC (to the right, Jacques-Arsene d'Arsonval).  Here are two French sources I co-authored, providing intriguing insights:

• Energy from the Sea:  The Potential and Realities of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
• Artificial Upwelling for Environmental Enhancement

For decades, our team has hinted that a sum of $1.5 billion was necessary to kick-start the Blue Revolution.  This will get you a floating platform, possibly powered by a 10MW OTEC facility, supporting an array of experiments to develop sustainable co-products.  At least, at this cost, perhaps an enterprising billionaire seeking a legacy could be found to lead the effort.

The reality is that something closer to $150 billion will be required to support a full industrial park with a 1000 MW OTEC plant.  If the first system makes money, more will be built.  After all, the Navy has proposed a Columbia-class nuclear submarine force estimated to have a lifecycle cost of $347 billion.  What a $150 billion tab does is eliminate a simple billionaire, for even Jeff Bezos only has $131 billion.  But what an opportunity to save the Planet while making money.

No question that this military expense will improve our national fighting-ship.  But why, for we always annually spend more for war than the next seven nations put together.  Well, Bernie Sanders has said that the correct answer is 12 countries, but certainly somewhere in between those numbers.  Perhaps Bernie has special info, for the estimated U.S. military spending from 1 October 2019 to 20 September 2020 shows our country spending more on defense than the next NINE countries, combined.

For the record, here are some 2018 graphics showing the last official comparison:

$150 billion Blue Revolution platform (to the left, actually, is something from the Seasteading Institute) will be step one to solve our looming global warming problem.  Why?  Each will turn a healthy profit, while remediating climate change.  The more money they make, the more they will be built.  After all, remember how expensive both the Manhattan and Apollo Projects were?  Well:

So, you ask, where can anyone find $150 billion to build the first Blue Revolution Challenger?  Blue Revolution Hawaii has taken on that mission, with the first step to be an experimental platform.

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THE BLUE REVOLUTION: Wanted...Imaginative Mega-Billionaire!

All of our efforts to Save Planet Earth and Humanity could well be validated with this posting today.  We all wonder if there is a purpose to our life, and one simple answer is no.  So read on.

The Big Bang, if there was one, created our Universe, and for nearly 14 billion years, stars, planets and life were created, while in sequence, pretty much at random.  It is said there might be a septillion stars out there, which is 1 followed by 24 zeroes, or a trillion trillion.  Yet, we might well be the only life form anywhere.  Until we get obviously alien signals (flying saucers are pure fantasy) confirmed to be real, we are the only intelligence.  Next, maybe robots and artificial intelligence, but those won't be developed unless humans perfect them.

Life is tough, for forming only a little more than 300 million years after Planet Earth appeared 4.6 billion years ago, of the more than five billion species, 99% are now extinct.  Evolution and extinctions resulted in hominins (our earliest ancestors) perhaps 6.5 million years ago.  Mammoths only appeared 4.8 million years ago.  The first Homo genus came as long as 2 million years ago, with us, Homo sapiens, possibly 200,000 years ago, but these dates keep changing.

BBC has an excellent video of the 25 biggest turning points in our history, ending with the advent of Man, so let me move ahead to 2000 years ago with Jesus Christ, while new technology like light begun to come two centuries in the past.  We now have 7.6 billion people and 19 billion chickens, but we are exceeded by maybe 100 billion rodents.  These numbers pale to the 200 trillion 3-inch bristlemouth fish living at the bottom of the ocean.

Many of us have problems with ants, and now you know why.  There are a septillion of them.  Again 1 followed by 24 zeroes. There are more bacteria in a gram of dental plaque than all the people who have ever lived.  We can go on and on, but let us end by saying that there are 1 followed by 31 zeroes worth of viruses, and placed end to end (and you can imagine how small they are) you wouldn't be able to guess how far they would stretch.  We'll tell you anyway, 100 million light years, just about the diameter of the Milky Way Galaxy.  But viruses aren't alive, are they?

By now you should be impressed about life on Planet Earth anyway.  So what has all this to do with the Blue Revolution?  Well, Humanity is at the threshold of ruining our world with global warming and not particularly liking each other to boot.

The solution?  The Blue Revolution.  Here is a future that will only happen if the world gets together and proceeds to develop OTEC, using this technology to power floating cities and industrial parks, while producing sustainable energy and resources, plus remediating climate change and minimizing tropical storms.

What is standing in the way of progress?  Money. And motivation.  An iPhone 10 sells for less than $1000.  The Pacific Ocean International Station, the first proposed step towards the Blue Revolution, could easily run beyond $1.5 billion.  There is no financing mechanism for anything so risky and bold.

The Apollo Project was indeed a giant leap for mankind, and came in with an initial budget of $25.4 billion 55 years ago.  Today, the value is $200 billion.  But the USA chose to go to the Moon by 1969 mainly for political reasons.  We were concerned about the Soviet Union, and this decision helped to bankrupt our adversary, ending the Cold War two decades later.

The Blue Revolution does not have the glamour of the Mars Project.  There is a range of cost estimates, but $1.5 trillion sounds about right to get to that enigmatic globe.  Elon Musk says he can do it cheaper and earlier.

In any case, how many can afford Musk's $200,000 flight ticket for tourists to get there?  Maybe this was only a one way price.  So, we reach Mars, what is the point?   Walking on the Moon ended the Cold War, and this was worth $200 billion. But Mars?  Billionaires missed the memo that said outer space has become obsolete for now.

Some mention space mining.  But for what mineral?  Others point to Stephen Hawking's prediction that we only have a century left before something terrible happens on Planet Earth.  Business Insider reports on five reasons why we need to colonize Mars now:

• Ensure survival of our species.  (Asteroids?  Far-fetched.  The last serious impact was 66 million years ago when the dinosaurs died off.  We are supposedly now in a serious sixth extinction event, but I can't get too excited about the lethality.)

• Discover life on Mars. (We have failed so far with remote instrumentation, but if life is found, so what?)
• Improve quality of life on Earth (I miss this point).
• Growing as a species.  (Huh?  Going to Mars is an awfully expensive way to grow-up, in fact, sounds irresponsible to me.)
• Demonstrating political and economic leadership. 

On that fifth reason above, yes, it would be a fine achievement for the world to partner for the good of Humanity and Planet Earth.  But any Mars project will not result in anything all that useful, save for some dubious ego satisfaction.  What about the Blue Revolution?  The former would be an amazing feat if life is found and a few end up surviving on the Red Planet.  But that's about all.  The latter:

• Sustainable energy and resource pathways:
• hydrogen
• freshwater
• biofuels
• methanol
• rare earths
• much more

• New economic development.
• Attractive habitats for an alternative life style.
• Replenishment of fisheries.
• Prevention of hurricanes.
• Remediation of global warming.

I can add to the above cornucopia of benefits, but this comparison is almost pointless.

Mind you, one of us once worked for NASA's Ames Research Center on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, and we all are fans of space.  We should continue much of the scientific activity, and more, really.  Someday, of course, we almost surely might need to send pioneers to other worlds.  But the timing is not now.  In a millennium, maybe, but more probably closer to a million years when we have mastered travel through wormholes, if that is ever achieved.

The 2017 Forbes billionaires list numbered 2043.  Their total net worth was $7.67 trillion.  Bill Gates has been #1 for 18 of the past 23 years and Jeff Bezos, who is now #3, added $27.6 billion in one year.  Mainland China had 76 newly recognized billionaires.  Click on iBlue Revolution to review a history of analyses regarding billionaires and the Blue Revolution.  To quote one posting:

In any case, you don't just go up to a billionaire and ask for money.  You need that key connection, compelling vision and fundamental link to a special passion.  Most desire to help the downtrodden, prevent diseases and reverse poverty.  Surely, among the 2000 psyches there just has to be a particular enlightened individual dedicated to Planet Earth, wishing for something extraordinary to provide some key commodities in harmony with the natural environment.  For only $1.5 billion--one percent the cost of the International Space Station, a $150 billion space adventure that meant well, but will crash into oblivion in the Year 2020--the Blue Revolution represents the next economic frontier for Humanity to generate a cornucopia of sustainable products while enhancing our environment.

We tried, even personally donated funds to  show commitment, and certainly haven't given up on finding a major benefactor.  But perhaps you're better suited to involve that special tycoon.  If so, you really don't need us.  Go ahead, take the leadership role.  Involve that billionaire to Save Humanity and Planet Earth with the Blue Revolution.  Glad to be of service should you need any advice.

Practicality will prevail, so the first Blue Revolution prototype will no doubt be placed in a reasonably ideal location where natural conditions will permit the utilization of OTEC.

Frankly something closer to the equator would be best, for no hurricane has ever crossed from one hemisphere to the other, plus this is where the surface temperatures are at a maximum, with 4 degrees Celsius still available at 1000 meter depths.

All things considered, then, Hawaii would be the perfect spot to build and test the Pacific Ocean International Station because we have succeeded in more workable OTEC experiments than anyone else, have a thriving Natural Energy Laboratory Laboratory Authority to provide expertise and have chaired more conferences and workshops  on related subjects.  As mentioned two days ago we already have billionaires with close association to this 50th State with ideal names:

• Pierre Omidyar International Station (POI Station)
• Larry Ellison International Station (LEI Station)

We can add a third:  Pacific Ocean Steve Case or POS Case, a stretch, but there no doubt are others.  We would welcome someone from Japan, China or anywhere else.  Most important is that sincere drive to consider the ocean as the solution for Humanity and Planet Earth. 

Anyone reading this posting linked to a potential mega-supporter, please contact Blue Revolution Hawaii.  Three coordinators are co-authoring a presentation on the Blue Revolution at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas next week:

• Leighton Chong (left, LKMChong@aol.com) directs the Hawaii effort, is a patent attorney and trademarked Blue Revolution for our organization,
• Benny Ron (right, TetsuzanBennyRon@gmail.com) originally from Israel with a special zen association in Japan, is marshaling the session, and
• Patrick Takahashi (PatKenTak@hotmail.com) will give the talk.

That billionaire would not be expected to personally come up with the full $1.5 billion.  He/She can serve as the illuminous catalyst to launch the effort...someone who convert Fantasy into REALITY.

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