The ecological time-scale violation by industrial society and the chemical challenges for transition to a sustainable global entropy export management

Abstract

The urgent need for a radical conversion of chemical production is described in the context of the drastic violation of time scales for the natural regeneration of resources. Besides renewable energy sources, we need a transition to a completely sustainable production and application of materials and other substances. Decentralized chemical facilities, microreaction technology, and the coupling between energy conversion and chemical conversion will play a crucial role in this process. All these developments must be connected with the ongoing natural global entropy export system. Some general examples for the required future developments in chemical technologies are given and discussed against a background of a vision of a complete sustainable substance management in the future and a technological sustainability in the industrial transition process where powerful bridging technologies are used.