Biotechnology

• Modern technology is almost totally dependent on fossil fuels. Approximately 93% of fossil fuel consumed throughout the world is for energy production, with only 7% being used by industry for the production of solvents, plastics and a host of other organic chemicals.
• Biomass such as forest, agriculture and animal residues and industrial and domestic organic wastes can now be converted by physico-chemical and/or fermentation processes to clean fuels and petrochemical substitutes.
• Photosynthetic organisms can be considered as continuous solar energy converters and are constantly renewable. Per annum, plant photosynthesis alone fixes about 2x1011 joules, which represents about 10 times the world's annual energy use and 200 times our food energy consumption.

Timeline