Eating the Sun: How Plants Power the Planet
by Oliver Morton
I really enjoyed this book, and it is my inspiration to start the OG Book Club. The first section of the book explains how plants converts the electromagnetic energy from the sun into the chemical energy that the plant actually uses. This explanation is centered around the scientists who discovered the different processes of photosynthesis. By the end of the first section, the reader will understand the how the plant uses light, water, and carbon dioxide to create sugars. This was my favorite section of the book.
The second section of the book explains how the evolution of plants, and photosynthesis, have changed the planet on a geological scale. It also explains how the planet has feedback mechanisms to maintain a fairly consistent temperature over long periods of time. One fascinating section shows how carbon dioxide levels change throughout the day as the total biomass of plants on the planet “breathes”.
The final section of the book takes a look at how humans, and the burning of fossil fuels, are changing the planet even further. This chapter takes a look at how the rapid release of carbon dioxide is disrupting some of the natural feedback mechanisms. This section wasn’t all doom and gloom, it actually describes the amount of energy that different renewable resources could provide.
Overall, the book is well written and very informative. I would definitely recommend it, particularly the first section.
One thing for sure is that everything is made up of carbon and photosynthesis is produced by lighting from the sun wich makes the world evolve and go round. Without plants of any kind there would be no 3rd world countries.
That’s pretty much the whole point of the second section of the book. Photosynthesis indeed powers the planet and has in for a whole lot longer than humans have been around.
The final section found that one of the more efficient forms of producing energy was growing biomass for fuel. Though it wasn’t in the book, I can forsee hemp filling that role. Henry Ford envisioned the internal combustion engine running on biofuels made from hemp.
Yes diesel engines use a “thicker fuel” compared to gas engines powered by gasoline Wich is a thined out version of diesel. Gas engines use a thined out fuel wich are derived from foselfuels. All come from crude oil.
Any flamible substance would be considered fuel as long as it burns… wood, hemp, paper can power a combustible engine. Coal was first used for steam engines… coal heated water that then expanded to compress the pistons in a combustible engine thato we all drive today.
Instead of using wood or plants to burn to create this combustion we use more flamible substances like gasoline and diesel fuel which is more combustive and that gives us power. Horse power. Rpms… until we convince farmers that hemp can be used for fuel and paper there will be none…