MICROBIOLOGY AND INDUSTRY 



For the time being the organic-chemical industry still remained 

 dependent for its raw materials on the fossil and extant vegetable 

 kingdom. The conversion of carbon dioxide of the atmosphere into 

 organic matter, accomplished in the leaves of green plants under the 

 influence of solar energy, remains a problem that the chemical engi- 

 neer has so far failed to solve, at least in an economically practicable 

 manner. 



Now it is in particular in connexion with the utilisation of the fos- 

 sil raw materials, coal, bitumen, lignite, and petroleum, that the 

 organic-chemical industry can boast of its greatest triumphs. Even 

 though in many places the sugar-, oil-, and starch industries have 

 been enormously expanded, one should not lose sight of the fact that 

 in all these cases the plants, e.g. the sugar cane, coconut, or potato, 

 are the true manufacturers of the desired raw materials ; it is merely 

 the isolation therefrom of the ingredients most valuable to man that 

 is carried out in the factories. 



The world's reservoirs of fossil raw materials are, however, far from 

 inexhaustible ; on the contrary, sundry investigations concur in leading 

 to the conclusion that several of these products will be depleted in the 

 not too distant future. Their ever increasing exploitation makes one 

 fear for the worst in this respect. In a study of the energy provision of 

 the U.S.A. Steinmetz has calculated that since 1870 the coal produc- 

 tion has increased on the average by 6.35 per cent annually. From 10 

 million tons in 1852 it has risen to 100 million tons in 1882; in 1920 it 

 has probably exceeded 1000 million tons; and, if the increase con- 

 tinues at the same rate, it should amount to 10,000 million tons by 

 1958. Similar considerations generally apply to other countries, except 

 for the fact that the world war has caused temporary perturbations. 

 Although Svante Arrhenius recently estimated that the known coal 

 deposits in the world would be sufficient for 1500 years on the basis of 

 current consumption data, the Steinmetz figures indicate that the time 

 at which coal rationing will have to be imposed in certain parts of the 

 world is apt to be reached considerably earlier, in fact, in the foresee- 

 able future. 



The prospects for the petroleum industry are even more dire. Au- 

 thorities whose judgement carries weight do not consider it improb- 

 able that within a few decades the maximum rate of petroleum pro- 

 duction will be reached. Equally pessimistic views have frequently 



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