SAVING THE WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20708, 4 May 1929, Page 19

SAVING THE WORLD.

FROM STARVATION. FUTURE\ OF- CHEMISTRY. In 1849 a druggist of Pittsburgh, in the United States, collected a few pints of “ rock; oil," or potiol<yjm, Tioui a briiie well and sold it as a “natural remedy celebrated for its wonderful curative powers”; at the present time more than 10.000,000 gallons of petroleum are being produced per annual, and this, after being distilled and refined by chemical processes, yields, petrol lor- use in motor cars" 2 and. aeroplanes, paraffin aud lubricating bilt and was for candles (writes S.’, (Stasstone, D.Sc., in the Daily Chronicle') About 45. yeafs ago Charddnet, a Fieuchman, developed a practical. method -for making an artiheial silk-like\-fibre,- by chemical means; during 1928 _the rvrorld production of. artificial silk’ reached a total of nearly ; 300,000,0001 b, and the whole of this | material ■ was made, from cotton or wood .by’chemical processes.'- , . -1 This --great-'development'%M r ndt--o,nV meant that a fabric-of attractive appearance is . now available *at a 'reasonable price, but there are important economic implications; it -is stated that for - evWy worker directly engaged’in tlm -manufacture of artificial silk,, ten others'are ciuployed in allied processes. ■ ■ ; ■ r : : Just over TOO.years. ago; hr 1827, the metal aluminium > was "first extracted from its ores, but for 'many' years it. was 'regarded as a chemical curiosity- with- no practical importance. Between 188$. and IBop,Miowcver, processes were’: developed which made it possible to extract aluminium on a large scale at a -fairly Tow price. - - ' ■ :. CHEMISTRY. AND.' METALS. The result of these, chemical, discoveries is that the cost of-the metal is now about Is per pound, and-the world's output is roughly, T7ojooo tons per annu m . ’ Aluminium and its alloys are widely used for motor cars, aeroplanes, and, airships, and also in the home for kitchen utensils.- • A consideration of: these- examples, chosen at random, will , show that the chemical, discoveries of the past centurv have profoundly, although at first sight not obviously, 'affected our daily lives- u is -natural, therefore, to ask, What of ’the future?. '

It is always safe to prophesy for the distant, future, but this is not very helpful and so we will restrict .ourselves-to the nearer future and to developments which at the moment seem probable. As it is impossible in the course of this short; article to cover all the aspects of chemical progress, three of importance have been chosen; food, clothing'-.ahffvfuel ,' l0 .m, aro t* lo essentials of life to-day. ’ . Tllc P°i ,u iation of the earth la incrans* T g , EO rapidly -that, famine has been foreshadowed unless better use is made of the • land. - Already the chemist has obtained fertilisers from the nitrogen of the air and from other sources, so that the far- 1 mens independent of natural manures to a ereat extent. In this way the fertility of the soil and’its yield oferops has been increased. . SYNTHETIC FOOD. Furtherincreases -arc,., however; probable. If is known that. p- green plant can only grow in sunlight . and in ' the presence of carbon-dioxide- gas derived from the air, and both these factors can be affected. Artificial light will-ih ’due course, supplement sunlight, and carbondioxide -gas. will be supplied, artificially,so that plant growth . will ‘ occur mote rapidly. ■ -, , _ ; ; ' Moreover, it has boon .found recently that smuli traces of certain materials can stimulate plant growth;’ • The-addition ’ of- a .’small amount of iodine to . the soil, for .example,"' makes ’ peas / grow.;, more ‘ .rapidly. Disepyeries of this kind : will, obviously, have a profound .influence on flic crop production of the future: ’ - ■ ■l* kas often been fancifully ' suggested that synthetic- food in - tablet ' form will eventually replace our natural diet! This is extremely imprpbable, ‘for two reasons. " In the first' place" an average person needs 21 ounces .of concentrated .food each day to supply .-the energy required by the body; and in the second; place our digestive systems are so .constructed; as to be unable, to work ;on concentrated Materia! 1 only; a. certain amount' of undigestibk roughage ”is always required. ;■ It'is unlikely that we shall obtain all thm in a few -tablets! ' ; ■ _'V, . With regard to clothing, ‘thie only progress which seems probable is the improvement of silk. At the present time this material, although attractive in appearapee, is not very strong when .wc-t, neither does it keep the body warm; these ' disadvantages - Will; be ' Overcome m the .future arid we shair have a verj* valuable clothing fabric. . ' ‘ Although wood and poftph are now the sourefefe .of artificial, silk,, in due course grass and leaves- ipay be used as the faw“ 1 materials. ; : ; The, chief. fuels of modern- ■ times are coal and-oil; the world rcsQurcea mf tlie' latter cannot,>as far ;-as we know, last more than 100 years. " Goal supplies’however, are not likely- to ..be.-so'soon-.''ex-hausted;-. at the- present rat - of consumption the coakin Great Britain shonia.laßt - another . 600 years, ,al-thongh .the world ’ supplies, may last for 60p0 years. '' In. the more immediate future coal'will be used as a source of oil; attempts to achieve this end have already-met with partial success. The discovery of, an economical method of converting coal into • a petrol-like oil would save the industrial position of Great-Britain. Not only would the _ coal industry bo stimulated by >n additional demand Of nedrly 100,000,666 tons per annum, hut the .vast sums of . money, about 180,000,000 each year, paid for - imported oil, would- not leave the country. ■ • :