We are also heading towards a "zero-waste economy” where nothing is thrown away and everything is recycled. Thus, bulk commodities like animal fats,

vegetable fats, and palm oil are gaining value, and are traded in large quantities. As an example, vegetable fats are now trading around €0.8/kg and milk costs €0.4/kg! Today big companies like McDonald’s make a fortune by selling the used oil from French fries, the US meat giant Tyson is doing the same thing in animal fats, and Weyerhaeuser makes cellulosic ethanol from woodchips together with Chevron.

Today, we capture just a fraction of the total output of greenhouse gas emis­sions, and we recycle only a tiny part of industrial, municipal, agricultural, animal, and forest residues. We are witnessing breakthroughs in biology and new opportunities present themselves to turn waste streams into value streams. Con­version, carbon capture, and repurposing of all industrial wastes are industrial goals for the coming generation.

However, like anything else in life, a change towards a zero-waste economy must start in the mind first!

22.8

Our World in 2030

Finally, a few predictions. I often discuss with friends how our world will look like

in the future and here are my thoughts of our world in 2030:

• We will live in a low-carbon society.

• Our world will have 8 billion people, 60% living in megacities.

• We will all pay if we pollute: we will all be subject to direct carbon footprint taxes.

• Centers of big cities will be closed for cars.

• Liquid transport fuels will be biofuels and not fossil fuel based.

• We will live in self-sufficient (“autarchic”) houses and villages — we will sell electricity to the grid.

• Airplanes will emit 50% less carbon dioxide than today; they will fly partly on biokerosene.

• We will buy fewer cars, but share more cars through partial ownership.

• We will have an electric bike in the garage. The electricity will come from solar panels, thermo-solar electricity, geothermic electricity, or biomass.

• Agriculture will become a high-tech industry. New grain, tree, and vegetable varieties with a high protein content will be developed.

• Biotechnology and agriculture will merge more and more. Energy will partly come from dedicated energy crops and energy farms.

• Clean energy will come from algae, solar, wind, wave, and energy crops.

• Glasshouses with vegetables will be on top of supermarkets — the produce will be sold downstairs.

• Agriculture and rain forests will provide us with medicine against AIDS, cancer, and so on.

• Life expectancy will be 90 years and people will work until 75.

• We will have to save money for our old age — state pension plans are something of the past.

• We might be subject to resource, water, or religious wars.

• There will be the creation of the United States of Asia.

• A new world currency will be backed by the global resources or an index of resource currencies.

• The US dollar will be “second-tier” currency.

• There will be earthquakes in California.

• China will be the number one world power and have a population of 1.5 billion people.

• India will be the second largest world power and have a population of 1.5 billion people.

• “Chindia” will have 40% of the world population.

• In schools, Mandarin will become obligatory, like English.

• Democracy in the Arab world will be the norm.

• Oil will be 50% depleted — Saudi Arabia returns to poverty.

• Old-age people will be the norm in Europe and Japan.

• The white race will be a minority in the United States.

• There will be a chronic deficit of women in China — a population now decreasing.

• Worldwide, Islam will be the religion of 30% of the global population.

• The Internet will be everywhere: on your fridge, in your car, in trains, airplanes, and so on.

• We will deposit a hair with insurance companies instead of filling out forms — our DNA will be our passport.

• Intelligence: the police and security forces will know exactly where we are at all times.

• Great advancements will made in medicine: there will be cures for cancer, AIDS, Ant Aging Medicine, and so on.

• In medicine the black box we call the “brain” will become more transparent.

• Bacterial diseases will start to spread.

• Water desalination with solar power will be the norm.

• The Sahara will be the solar power grid for Europe.

• High-speed trains across Europe and Asia will be the norm. We will fly less and take the train much more.

• Africa will becomes a powerful, rich continent, delivering natural resources to the world.

• Next to new energy, nature and agriculture are the sources for new medicines and many new products like biodegradable plastics and packaging material and ultra light car bodies made from active carbon.

• We will use more and more products made out of degradable active carbon. We will drive cars made out of active carbon fueled by hydrogen, electricity, or biofuels.

Remember: stock markets might go down, real estate prices might be shrinking, the

dollar might go down, the euro might fall apart, but agriculture and forests always keep

on growing. Always!