Sulfur Shortage Predicted

Fir Trees Die in Record Numbers

According to unpublished research by the U.S. Forest Service reported by Columbia Insight, fir trees in Oregon and Washington died in record-breaking numbers in 2022. Labeled “Firmageddon” by researchers, the event involved more than 1.23 million acres across the two states, with Oregon being hardest hit. In some areas, an estimated 50 percent or more of fir trees died.

According to a study in The Geographical Journal led by University College London, a shift away from fossil fuels and an increase in agricultural demand will cause the demand for sulfuric acid to increase considerably from 246 to 400 million metric tons by 2040. The result is an annual supply shortfall of between 100 and 320 million metric tons, or between 40 and 130 percent of the current supply. Sulfur is a byproduct of processing crude oil and natural gas. As the world decarbonizes in response to climate change, there will be a diminished supply of both fossil fuels and sulfur. Sulfuric acid is required for the manufacture of phosphorus fertilizers used in global food production and for the extraction of rare metals from ores crucial to the transition to a green economy, such as cobalt and nickel used in batteries.

Unless action is taken to reduce the need for this chemical, the study authors warn, environmentally damaging mining will be required to fill the shortfall.

Surveys of more than 69 million forest acres (over 100,000 square miles) in Oregon, Washington, and small sections of California and Idaho were conducted using a combination of fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, drones and satellite imagery.

Although fir die-offs have been recorded as far back as 1952, when surveys began, Firmageddon dwarfs all previous accounts. The causes are believed to be drought compounded by insects and fungal diseases working together to weaken and kill trees. Extreme heat, including a record-breaking heat dome, is also being investigated as a possible factor. The dead fir trees pose a major fire risk, especially during the next two years while the trees hold onto their dried-out needles.

Using Algae for Industrial Carbon Capture, Food, Fuel and Plastic

In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint, Honda is experimenting with the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii class of algae they have nicknamed “Dreamo”, which can eat twice its weight in carbon dioxide in three to five days, depending on the time of year. Developers are growing Dreamo on the roof of a car factory in Tochigi, Japan, where it can absorb CO2 emissions from manufacturing. It has been genetically modified to grow hardier and five times faster than ordinary microalgae, allowing the growth solution to last months instead of weeks.

The development team is also exploring additional uses for Dreamo. After serving its pollution-fighting role, the algae can be harvested, dried and turned into food, fuel or plastic. Depending upon the amount of nitrogen applied to the algae, its cellular composition can be modified to be either predominantly carbohydrate- or protein-based. When the algae is mostly protein, an enzyme can be added to easily extract the starch to be used as food or as a raw material in animal food, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals. When the algae is mostly carbohydrate, it can be extracted as glucose and ethanol to be converted into plastic resin or jet fuel.