Proposal 2008 Facility Self-Sufficiency Program

VII. FACILITY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM

We have alluded to self-sufficiency possibilities in the previous section, as a stepping stone to pursuit of happiness. The following diagram is the proposed neosubsistence180 strategy of Factor e Farm:

Figure 10. Components of Factor e Farm neo-subsistence strategy.

As of this writing, the CEB is well on its way to neo-commercialization. The Babington heat and solar turbine are our next major projects.

It should be pointed out that aluminum extraction from clay is a worthy proposition, but has not been placed in the diagram because we have not yet evaluated the feasibility. We are not talking of the typical, high-temperature, energy-intensive smelting processes characteristic of those using aluminum oxide (bauxite) as the ore. Such processes require approximately the equivalent of a liter of fuel per kilogram of aluminum produced181. We are nstead talking of using regular clays, or aluminosilicates. Imagine: the same material from which we make compressed earth blocks is used to make aluminum. This is not science fiction, as there is a patent182 for extracting aluminum from clays using baking followed by an acid process.

Why should we care about aluminum? At one point, it was a strategic resource. Today, it retains an essential role in a high-tech economy. It is superior to steel in its weight-to strength ratio, it is easier to machine, and it does not rust like steel. If aluminum could be produced locally, steel would probably be phased out in many applications. The influence on global geopolitics could be profound.