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Polders and the Delta Works – Dutch water tech has not gone unnoticed in the world. It is what always stuck in the back of PhD candidate Qingdian Shu. Ultimately, he got stuck with the related CO2 capture theme – inventing a new green way to catch the gas. But it’s just the beginning, he humbly says.
The person behind the science and the science behind the person
Leeuwarden is the capital of Water Technology. Famous water tech oft stems from the Frisian province nowadays – and of course, the Netherlands in general. Even abroad, our country is seen as more than the land of tulips and cheese – polders and their water-pumping windmills are just as memorable.
It always stuck to the back of the mind of Chinese water supply engineer Qingdian Shu. So when it came to continuing his studies, he fittingly found the master’s Water technology. “I thought it would be great to study in the Netherlands. And in the capital of a province at that. Though I later learned that you have a different definition of a big city here.”
“And of course, because studying in the EU is different from doing so in China too. There, we are more focused on improving existing technologies. Here, complex, more abstract innovation is very much welcome.”
During his second year of study, Qingdian stumbled upon the beginning of such an invention – CO2 capture from the air. Both his internship and thesis he did on the topic. As well as his PhD. “After I had done my studies in Leeuwarden for two years, I thought I wanted to do a PhD anywhere but Leeuwarden, but then the perfect chance came along.”
The CO2 group was just developing as Shu arrived at the scene. “The theme evolved from the electrochemistry of the Blue Energy theme.” Having that almost alchemical knowledge and know-how on membranes, the researchers got into CO2 capture.
Though catching the greenhouse gas is nothing new, the way to do it is not optimal. Using organic – often amine-based – solvents is not quite as green as the goal seems. Qingdian: “Especially if you consider that to extract CO2 again, you need to put in a lot of energy and heat that can degrade the solvent too. Thus, replace it time and time again.”
“So I started to work on a concept to get carbon dioxide another way. We developed a column carrying a solid adsorbent that can adsorb it from the air with just renewable energy. But in the end, I feel like I became the biggest emitter,” he adds jokingly. “All the testing with adsorbing and releasing the CO2.”
Just finding a location to test was not easy. Even what is to be expected to be the perfect testing grounds – the lab – was not suited. “We tried the lab, but with others doing their experiments around, it didn’t work. We could for instance tell when Chris was working on his animal manure research as our equipment recorded CO2 spikes. So, we moved on to the roof, as we figured we’d have the cleanest air there. But there, we did not think about the boiler’s exhaust, so we finally settled for the bike shed.”
The capturing and release works by altering the acidity grade in the column. CO2 adsorbs into the column at caustic levels, and in opposite circumstances, it rereleases the gas. The whole workings are delicately regulated through electricity and electrochemistry. That’s an entirely new green way of doing so, and required copious amounts of research time and energy, yet it sounds so simple in concept.
It illustrates the humble nature of Shu. He thinks his research is a mere beginning and that he can contribute so much more. When asked about his pride, it is in his students. And for now, he has been passing his knowledge on to the theme in a pre-post-doc concept. But what the future will bring, he doesn’t know yet. “Perhaps I want to explore other fields too. Not something with microbiology though; life is too unpredictable.”
Qingdian will defend his thesis on June 2.
Abstract
The realisation of a circular economy has thus far unfolded under the assumption that it would fit within existing economic arrangements. In practice, we witness many circular initiatives struggling to give shape to their ambitions, let alone develop to maturity. These past months, various material recycling organisations terminated their activities, seeing virgin alternatives from other parts of the world flooding the market at prices against they cannot compete. If the transition towards a circular economy (i.e. an economy of value preservation) is to be taken seriously, a new perspective on value in our economic system seems unavoidable, as the rewriting of the rules of the economic game. At this moment, current perceptions of value stand in the way of this transition both at micro as well as macro levels. Several contours for a collective exploration of new directions of value and economic configuration that foster circular transition will be addressed.
Abstract
In his key note he will conclude after a life of innovations that it is impossible that humanity will stay within the save planetary boundaries with innovation only. We should be more critical about the behaviour of the rich population in the world and more critical about new innovations that prove to be dangerous, like the PFAS crisis shows at this moment. In his keynote he will investigate how to look at the world that can stay within the save planetary boundaries, how should we change ourselves? It is clear if we only talk about the words of science and systems we miss the essential words of how we should cooperate and change ourselves. And his search for coherent save innovations. Which innovations will be save and will lead to a fair and sustainable world? And will lead to a world we want to live in.
Abstract
There is a growing number of new sustainable, inclusive, cohesive, participatory, just and humane economic models. A possible next step in the discourse about them is the comparative analysis in order to find out key commonalities, potential synergies, and “requirements” for a future-fit economic model. The author and initiator of the Economy for the Common Good provides an overview of these „new sustainable economic models“ and compares them according to underlying values, principles, and practical ways of implementation. The keynote addresses the cooperative spirit of the conference and prepares the ground for its public highlight on the eve of June 3rd, the round table with representatives of diverse future-fit economic models.
Abstract
The scientific debate on whether economies should always continue to grow increasingly becomes a political and societal debate. On the one hand further growth for the most affluent countries seems neither possible nor valuable, but on the other hand there is still lack of understanding and knowledge what a non-growing economy should look like and could best be governed. In this lecture we discuss various policy measures that can be realistically implemented, take into account government finances and aim at a higher quality of life despite a non-growing economy.
Abstract
Democracy is under pressure, and less and less able to stir the economy into a sustainable direction. Therefore, to stabilize democracy and to make possible the socio-ecological transformation of the economy, democratic principles need to be implemented directly in the economy. This is not only a matter of morality, but also has practical advantages. Democratizing the economy can increase legitimacy and take advantage of the “knowledge of the many” to accelerate the transformation. Democratic practices, especially deliberation, allow bringing together different forms of knowledge, which is crucial for the local implementation of principles of social and ecological sustainability. This talk explores what this idea means in more concrete terms, from democratic participation in the workplace to the democratization of time.
Abstract
Over the past decades, markets have conventionally been seen as the best instrument to stimulate economic growth and enhance prosperity and well-being. The automatic link between markets and economic growth is increasingly questioned, however, as well as the automatic link between economic growth and enhancement of well-being. This has led to attempts to capture well-being development more directly than through GDP per capita figures and has produced a more variegated picture of well-being growth. Also, this has led to a shift of focus to other coordination systems than the market, as primarily the state but increasingly also the association. Analyses of the historical record suggest that especially the latter could be a vital component in future well-being.
