Oh, patents! eConcrete®

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The eConcrete® invention arose from observing the impact of coastline colonization on marine life and the fragile supporting ecosystems. With more than 50% of coastlines inhabited, the impact of coastal economic development is commensurate. Even without factoring in global warming, which will only increase sea levels, compounding soil erosion and the resulting need for more protective concrete armoring of coastlines. However, the construction of cities, ports, piers, sea walls, jetties, or shoreline armoring, is hardly mindful of marine life. Costal constructions, 70% made of concrete, are even detrimental to marine ecosystems. Detrimental, because, for example, traditional concrete is far more alkaline than the ocean, and releases chemicals into the sea. Traditional Coastal Marine Infrastructure (CMI), made of concrete, is also produced with surfaces that are far too smooth and inclined for marine flora and fauna to take hold and grow. Instead, harmful bacteria and invasive species proliferate on the concrete, destroying corals, fish, and marine ecosystems.

Thus, in response to the existing recklessness of human coastal colonization, ecologically engineered eConcrete® changes both the composition and design of concrete structures to produce responsible concrete constructions, able to support marine life, and to cooperate with nature. In contrast to the prior art, for example, the engineered hospitality of eConcrete® marine constructions enables marine flora and fauna  to attach to the concrete infrastructures and to thrive, thus also creating natural bioprotection for the eConcrete® marine constructions. Bioprotection resulting from biogenic buildup, that oysters, serpulid worms, barnacles and corals deposit as calcium carbonate (CaCO3) skeletons on hard surfaces. Buildup that creates natural armoring, in turn also offering habitat for more diverse and valuable species.

A recipient of too many accolades to list, the responsible eConcrete® marine constructions are informed by three synergistic principles: 1. composition, 2. microsurface properties, and 3. three-dimensional design. Together, these principles inform stunningly and variously engineered, 3D marine concrete constructions (see image below), that are also good for the environment, marine life in particular. 

The properties of eConcrete® microsurfaces, the design of three-dimensional structures, and their compositions, are all researched and patented. A patent family, in particular the family member US9538732B2, titled Methods and matrices for promoting fauna and flora growth recites the various aspects of the eConcrete® invention, together with supporting research. Research carried out to evaluate the performance of five innovative concrete matrices. Evaluation of the innovative concrete matrices' capacity to promote biodiversity, against traditional concrete, while still complying with marine construction requirements. The yearlong experiment, deployed in both the tropical Red sea waters, and the more temperate Mediterranean, showed that the new matrices had the capacity to enhance both the qualitative and quantitative growth of marine fauna and flora, without compromising concrete durability.

The abstract of the invention is included below, together with the patent Figures 5a and 5b. Specifically, the Figures 5a and 5b show one set of significant results of the research, respectively for the Red sea (5a) and the Mediterranean sea (5b). The Figures 5a and 5b, show the accumulation of organic (dotted line “O”), and inorganic (straight line “I”) biomass, on the five eConcrete® matrices (M1, M1… M5), against prior art "Portland" concrete, 6 and 12 months, post-deployment.

The invention provides a marine infrastructure comprising a concrete matrix having a pH of less than 12 for use in promoting the growth of fauna and flora in aquatic environment, and methods for promoting the growth of fauna and flora in aquatic environment, including endolitic and epilitic flora and endolitic and epilitic anaerobic and aerobic flora and fauna. [Abstract US9538732B2]

In June 2022, the eConcrete® invention was selected as one of the finalists for a European Inventor Award, in the category of non-European Patent Organization countries.

The Youtube video below shows one of the many eConcrete® projects. Specifically, this project concerns New York Harbor School students, collaborating with †Shimrit Finkel, deceased co-founder of eConcrete Tech Ltd., to restore the oyster habitat that used to thrive on the coastline, and which is capable of naturally protecting the shoreline from erosion. The urgency of the project is palpable, with memories still swaying of hurricane Sandy (Oct. 22 - Nov. 2, 2012), which wreaked havoc, closing down the school for more than a month.

References

eConcrete Tech. Ltd. (Israel) 

https://econcretetech.com/

eConcrete Inc.
https://youtu.be/KanmayUa2ME

eConcrete Inc., Achievements in 2018.
https://youtu.be/0yDGx8KrEx4

Klinefelter, A. (Aug. 31, 2020). ECOncrete®’s co-founders on reconnecting to nature and finding inspiration for revitalizing marine ecosystems (Part 1).
https://biomimicry.org/econcretes-co-founders-on-reconnecting-to-nature-and-finding-inspiration-for-revitalizing-marine-ecosystems-part-1/

Steffen, A. D. (Feb. 28, 2021). eConcrete turns marine infrastructure into thriving natural ecosystems.
https://www.intelligentliving.co/econcrete-marine-infrastructures-thriving-natural-ecosystems/

COP26 - The 2021 UNFCCC COP26 Glasgow Climate Pact

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

In a nutshell:

The COP26 Glasgow Climate Pact, approved by 200 nations, reaffirmed the 2015 Paris Agreement commitment to keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius, and to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, above pre-industrial levels [Section IV, paragraph (20)]. A reaffirmed commitment, despite the parties' expressed “alarm and concern” [I(3)] that global warming had already reached 1.1 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level. 

Consistent with the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, the Climate Pact recognizes that the consequences of climate change will be far less at 1.5 degrees Celsius, above pre-industrial temperatures, than those at 2 degrees Celsius. Thus, the Climate Pact calls for a 45% decrease in global carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 [IV(22)], in order to achieve net-zero (1) by 2050. The Climate Pact also calls for deep cuts in other sorts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, such as methane, inviting nations to further reduce their emissions by 2030 [IV(37)].

For the first time in history, the UNFCCC Climate Pact explicitly addressed "the elephant in the room", setting forth a controversial ‘phasing out” of coal and fossil fuels, held primarily responsible for global warming. Despite opposition from developing nations, who are relying on coal for development, and large producers of coal, who would prefer to see “phasing-down”, the Climate Pact [IV(36)]:

"Calls upon Parties to accelerate the development, deployment and dissemination of technologies, and the adoption of policies, to transition towards low-emission energy systems […] including accelerating efforts towards the phase out of unabated coal power and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies” [italics mine].

 An unprecedented call that is mindfully un-dissociated from both the concept of climate justice, specified in the preamble, an the need for just transition to clean energy (specified in several instances: [IV(32)], [IV(36)] and [VII(85)].

The Glasgow Climate Pact also “Urges developed country Parties to at least double their collective provision of climate finance for adaptation to developing country Parties from 2019 levels by 2025” [III(18)]", while noting subsequently with “deep regret” the failure of developing nations to meet the Paris Agreement goal of jointly mobilizing 100 billion USD per year by the year 2020 [V(44)]. Funding to have been provided to developing nations, for the purposes of mitigating the effects of climate change, for which developed countries are held responsible. Thus, the Climate Pact also urges developed nations to renew their commitment, in view of fully delivering on their Paris Agreement promises of 100 billion USD per year through to the later date of 2025, while calling for more clarity and specificity on each of the nation’s pledges in this regard [V(45)]. The Climate Pact also explicitly calls for financial flows to urgently support pathways to low-emissions and climate-resistant development, within the context of the UN sustainable development program, and the eradication of poverty [V(54)].

The Climate Pact also includes a whole section VI on Loss and Damages, already incurred as a result of climate change. In this regard, the Santiago Network (2), is to be provided with funding for the purposes of further addressing, averting, minimizing, supporting and compensating climate-related Loss and Damages [VI(67)].

A Climate Pact that concludes with a section VIII, re-iterating the welcomed collaboration between Parties (i.e. nations) and Civil Society, including explicit mention of indigenous people, local and regional communities, women, youth, and other Non-Party Stakeholders. A Climate Pact where the final paragraph places a contingency on all the climate action specified, based on the availability of financial resources [VIII(97)].

Disappointing for those who believe the urgency of the situation, and see the pact as not enough to avert the disastrous consequences of climate change; heralded as a breakthrough by others (e.g., Aljazeera, Nov 14, 2021; Jordans, AP New Nov. 13, 2021; Rathi & Shankleman, Nov. 13, 2021). The final word on the UNFCCC COP26 Glasgow Climate Pact was spoken by António Guterres, Secretary-General to the United Nations:

The COP26 outcome is a compromise, reflecting the interests, contradictions & state of political will in the world today. It's an important step, but it's not enough. It's time to go into emergency mode. The climate battle is the fight of our lives & that fight must be won. (Guterres, Nov. 13, 2021)

Indeed, if the Secretary-General spoke the truth at the conclusion of COP 26, then the Climate Pact compromise is short on delivering all the hope and possibilities expressed in Sir David Attenborough's spirited send-off address, on Nov. 1, 2021, at COP 26,  in Glasgow, UK. 

Notes
(1)  "Net-zero refers to a state in which the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by removal out of the atmosphere." (Net Zero Climate)

(2) The Santiago Network, previously set forth during COP25, in Madrid, under the presidency of Chile, was designed to bring together multiple parties for technical assistance, in connection with reports of climate-related loss and damages, occurring particularly in developing and vulnerable countries. The Santiago Network is accessible via the UNFCCC portal  (Santiago Network, UNFCCC). 

References

Aljazeera Staff (Nov 14, 2021). Betrayal of people planet: World reacts to COP Climate Pact. 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/14/betrayal-of-people-planet-world-reacts-to-cop26-climate-pact

Jordans, F. (Nov. 13, 2021). Good COP, bad COP? Takeaways from the new climate deal. 

https://apnews.com/article/climate-business-scotland-glasgow-europe-ef49bd6336c3cbd5356aea1e8af19f6d

Guterres, A. (Nov 13, 2021). Re: UNFCCC COP26 Glasgow Climate Pact.  Tweet https://twitter.com/antonioguterres/status/1459615542764093447?r

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report. 
https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6/

Net Zero Climate -  https://netzeroclimate.org/what-is-net-zero/

Rathi, A. & J. Shankleman (Nov. 13, 2021). COP26 seals breakthrough climate deal after major compromises.
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/cop26-seals-breakthrough-climate-deal-after-major-compromises

Santiago Network at the UNFCCC 

https://unfccc.int/santiago-network/about 

United Nations Climate Action  https://www.un.org/climatechange

UNFCCC COP21 Paris Agreement  

https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement

UNFCCC COP26 Glasgow Climate Pact (Advanced version - Nov. 13, 2021)
https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/cma2021_L16_adv.pdf 

UNFCCC (Dec. 3, 2020) - COP 25 & Incoming COP 26 - Developing the Santiago Network for loss and damages. 

https://unfccc.int/event/developing-the-santiago-network-for-loss-and-damage

NASA's eye-poppin' global warming CO2 emissions

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

 The following video animation from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center shows the accelerated life-cycle of global warming CO2 greenhouse gas emissions, during a year, from Sept. 1, 2014 to Aug. 31, 2015. 

The NASA Goddard Earth Observing System Model - 5 (GEOS-5)  simulation data was combined with live observations and measurements collected by the NASA Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite, in a process called "data assimilation" to provide a better understanding of  carbon flux - that is, the sorts of exchanges occurring between CO2 emissions and the absorption taking place on land and in the oceans. The OCO-2 satellite returned about 100,000 CO2 estimates, daily from the Earth to inform the modeling process.

As you can see the red and purple-colored CO2 emissions are concentrated in the Northern hemisphere, and they change during the year as about 50% of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions are absorbed through photosynthesis during the summer and by ocean sinks. 

Scientists are seeking to answer such questions as which ecosystems sink CO2 emissions, and most importantly whether the rate of absorption on-land and in the ocean will remain constant, or eventually saturate, considering rates of increased CO2 emissions arising primarily from burning fossil fuels for energy. 

References

NASA - OCO-2 and GEOS team up to produce a new view of carbon dioxide

https://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/research/science_snapshots/new-view-CO2.php 

NASA - Eye-popping view of CO2, critical step for carbon-cyle science

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/eye-popping-view-of-co2-critical-step-for-carbon-cycle-science 

Global warming and clean air (Paris)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

This week, Paris recorded the worse air quality in 10 years with a spike in airborne pollution of particles measuring less than 10 microns (PM₁₀) equal to  80 ɥg/m³ (Willshire, 2016 The Guardian) 

French air quality norms are set to PM10 < 50 ɥg/m³ (daily mean) with an alert threshold of 80 ɥg/m³ (AirParif). 

As a result, public transportation in Paris is operating free of charge, and an odd/even car use ban. similar to that which operates in New Delhi, was implemented to combat air pollution, under virtually windless conditions.

 This means that only cars with odd license plates could operate on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016, whereas only cars with even license plates could operate on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2017. Today, the car use ban is still effective with only odd license plate vehicles allowed to operate (carpool, emergency vehicles, hybrids and EV excluded). (Sharman, 2016 The Independent). And the same sort of ban has been implemented in the city of Lyon. 

The spike in Paris air pollution was determined due to a combination of factors: household heating, transportation exhaust and windless weather conditions. 

According to The World Health Organization (WHO) :

Ambient (outdoor air pollution) in both cities and rural areas was estimated to cause 3 million premature deaths worldwide per year in 2012; this mortality is due to exposure to small particulate matter of 10 microns or less in diameter (PM₁₀), which cause cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and cancers

References 

Airparif – French Air quality standards

http://www.airparif.asso.fr/en/reglementation/normes-francaises
Durand, A. (Dec. 9, 2016) La pollution de l'air en 9 question - Le Monde.
http://abonnes.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2016/12/09/la-pollution-de-l-air-en-9-questions_5046076_4355770.html  

Sharman, J (Dec. 8, 2016) Paris makes all public transport free in battle against 'worst air pollution for 10 years – The Independent

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/paris-public-transport-free-air-pollution-spike-a7460191.html 

 Van Eeckhout, L.  (Dec. 8, 2016) Qualité de l’air : de nouvelles limites d’émissions polluantes dans l’Union européenne – Le Monde
http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2016/12/08/qualite-de-l-air-de-nouvelles-limites-d-emissions-polluantes-dans-l-union-europeenne_5045957_3244.html#kPxp7bAPvcC5pzM9.99

WHO – Fact Sheet:   Ambient (outdoor) air quality and health

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/

Willshire, K. (Dec. 7, 2016) Paris bans cars for second day running as pollution chokes city - The Guardian 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/07/paris-bans-cars-for-second-day-running-as-pollution-strikes

Oh patents! Green, what’s green?

Copyrights © Françoise Herrmann

Emeralds, duh!..

.

All that is green, as in the green economy, green tech and green patents is connected to global warming, assumed to arise from the accumulation of greenhouse gasses (GHG) in the atmosphere. 

The accumulation of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere arises as a consequence of burning excessive amounts of fossil fuels (such as gas, coal and oil). Fossil fuels are also called “dirty” fuels in contrast to “clean” green fuels which do not produce emissions of gasses with a greenhouse effect. .

 

The quest for finding sustainable solutions to the problem of global warming and the consequences of climate change are part of a geo-engineering framework, and the IP solutions presented within this framework,  as inventions or patents, are all designed to address global warning in their own very different ways.

 

The WIPO green portal (World Intellectual Property Office, under the auspices of the United Nations) offers a green marketplace portal for the exchange of green technologies, knowhow and IP, with six particularly useful categories for the various areas of green activity. 

These six areas include:

1. Alternative energy production

2. Administrative, regulatory or design

3. Waste management

4. Transportation

5. Energy conservation

6. Agriculture and forestry

 

It is well worth exploring each of these categories to critically discover and understand the implications of some of the types of inventions connected to global warming, and invoked in each of these areas of activity. Emissions trading, for example, is part of the second above listed categories, namely --administrative, regulatory or design activity invoked in the efforts to curb global warming.

 

Succinctly, lets see how green is green in some of these categories --not necessarily in the exact same order.

 

Caution...there are also unintended consequences… 

The Irish are going to have several field days... ..! 

 No duh!

Oh, patents! Emissions trading

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Here’s an interesting commodities market in the domain of green technology, supported by green patents, in the quest for reducing greenhouse gasses to curb global warming,

Carbon emissions trading, also called the carbon emission allowances and credit market is a system arising out of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 designed to incorporate “flex-mex” (flexible mechanisms) in the binding targets for reducing emissions of greenhouse gasses.

The idea, which remains seen as a very controversial compromise among various civil society groups and advisory committees to the UN, is to offer firms the possibility of selling their unused carbon emission allowances at a carbon emissions marketplace in the form of credits. This becomes possible as governments seek to regulate and cap the emissions of greenhouse gasses with emission permits for a particular pollutant. Thus, the government sets a limit to the amount of pollutant that can be emitted and sells this amount as a permit. If a firm falls below the permitted amount of pollutants they may sell their unused carbon emission allowances on the market as a credit to a company which is producing in excess of their permitted allowances for emissions.  Alternatively, a company may also be engaged in a project elsewhere that “sinks” carbon, providing allowances to offset excess emissions.

At the end of the day, the proponents of this market commodity approach to greenhouse emissions believe they are offering a panacea for meeting regulatory targets, all the while providing incentives to reduce emissions, and penalizing excess production of emissions.

The carbon emission units are quantifiable (1 unit is equal to 1 metric ton of CO2). And within the framework of the UN Convention on Climate change, carbon emission units may take various credit commodity forms such as the following: 

-          CRU - Carbon Removal Unit for land use, land use change or forestry such as reforestation
-          ERU – Emission Reduction Unit in a joint implementation project
-          CER Certified Emission Reduction generated in a clean emission development project

The largest greenhouse market is the European Union Emission Scheme.

The US has a national market for reducing acid rain and several local markets for trading nitrogen oxides, which were founded in 1970 by the former US Environmental Protection Agency, as an incentive for pollution abatement.

A search for “emissions trading” patents at the EPO yielded 75 hits. Below you will find a selection of these patents, supporting the technology of greenhouse gas emission markets:

• JP2013061897 CO2 emissions trading system
• WO2013010160 Process for tracking greenhouse gas emission/carbon reductions and other environmental credit in open and closed trading systems
• US2011144921   Greenhouse gas emission trading system, greenhouse gas emission apparatus, greenhouse gas emission trading method and program
• WO2012176949 System for converting greenhouse gas emission to carbon credit and method for same
• US2012117003 Geo-engineering method of business using Carbon counterbalance Credits.
• WO2011002710 System, method and media for trading energy efficiency (Chicago climate Exchange Inc.)

 UN advisory critics of these flex-mex mechanisms point out that the ultimate goal of climate change policy is for the industrialized North to convert economies to clean ones rather than to find ways to pursue unclean activity using paid credits or developing other activities that will offset the carbon that is produced. They argue that emissions trading, in fact, promotes and supports the trading of allowances rather than curbing emissions (ETC Group, 2011).

Indeed, according to the carbon trading think tank Sandbag, an oversupply of emissions permits due to recession and dubious sink projects worldwide will cancel out carbon emission savings gained with renewable energy and energy efficiency efforts.  A situation in which Sandbag actually calls for the destruction of surplus permits rather than backloading for later use. (Carrington, 2013)

 Bored of tracking NASDAQ?  Try Sandbag…!

References
ETC Group (2011)– EARTH GRAB: Geopiracy, the New BioMassters and Capturing Climate Gene
Carrington, D. (July 25 ,2013) EU emissions trading scheme to cancel out renewable energy gain  http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jun/25/eu-emissions-trading-scheme-energ
Sandbag – www.sandbag.org.uk/