Walter Greiling
Encyclopedia
Walter Greiling was a German chemist and futurologist
. He sometimes used the pseudonym Walt Grey.
and Marburg
(Dr. phil. 1921). He partially earned his living as a worker in coal
and sulfide mining
.
Greiling did research in the field of agricultural microbiology
. He worked at the Technische Hochschule in Hanover
, as an assistant, as well as for the Hamburgisches Welt-Wirtschafts-Archiv (Hamburg archive of world economy). He participated in designing the Brussels Atomium
for Expo 58, was an editor of the social and economic magazine Wirtschaftsdienst, editor-in-chief of Chemische Industrie (chemical industry), and a collaborator of the London and Cambridge Economic Service. He led the information service of the main association of the chemical industry of Germany and wrote several books on developments in sciences and technique.
natural resource
s. He foretold that from 1990 to 1995, there would begin systematic international efforts to mitigate climate change and that, shortly after the turn of the millennium, there would for the first time come about a sudden and crisis-laden shortage of the international supply of petroleum
. World population would balance out at about nine billion, rather earlier than later in 21st century. During 21st century, mankind would succeed to cooperate internationally in shifting to biological raw material
s. This and big undertakings to humidify
the Sahara
, Turkestan
and further regions of the Earth would make it possible to feed ten billion people with comparative ease. Greiling warns of attempts to use nuclear energy
. He starts the question how one would handle the newly gained wealth, once the pressing difficulties would be overcome so that people would be urged to pause for inspiration.
Futurology
Futures studies is the study of postulating possible, probable, and preferable futures and the worldviews and myths that underlie them. There is a debate as to whether this discipline is an art or science. In general, it can be considered as a branch under the more general scope of the field of...
. He sometimes used the pseudonym Walt Grey.
Life
Greiling studied social and natural sciences in FrankfurtFrankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
and Marburg
Marburg
Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...
(Dr. phil. 1921). He partially earned his living as a worker in coal
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
and sulfide mining
Sulfide mining
Sulfide mining a colloquial term used in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota to describe the act of mining of ore which contains significant quantities of sulfide minerals....
.
Greiling did research in the field of agricultural microbiology
Agricultural microbiology
Agricultural microbiology is a branch of microbiology dealing with plant-associated microbes and plant and animal diseases. It also deals with the microbiology of soil fertility, such as microbial degradation of organic matter and soil nutrient transformations....
. He worked at the Technische Hochschule in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, as an assistant, as well as for the Hamburgisches Welt-Wirtschafts-Archiv (Hamburg archive of world economy). He participated in designing the Brussels Atomium
Atomium
The Atomium is a monument in Brussels, originally built for Expo '58, the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. Designed by André Waterkeyn, it stands 102 metres tall...
for Expo 58, was an editor of the social and economic magazine Wirtschaftsdienst, editor-in-chief of Chemische Industrie (chemical industry), and a collaborator of the London and Cambridge Economic Service. He led the information service of the main association of the chemical industry of Germany and wrote several books on developments in sciences and technique.
Greiling's predictions till 2100
Greiling, in his work Wie werden wir leben? Ein Buch von den Aufgaben unserer Zeit (How are we going to live? A book of the tasks of our time; 1954), foresaw the rest of the 20th century as a time in which there would, for the present, further be overexploitedOverexploitation
Overexploitation, also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Sustained overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource...
natural resource
Natural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
s. He foretold that from 1990 to 1995, there would begin systematic international efforts to mitigate climate change and that, shortly after the turn of the millennium, there would for the first time come about a sudden and crisis-laden shortage of the international supply of petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
. World population would balance out at about nine billion, rather earlier than later in 21st century. During 21st century, mankind would succeed to cooperate internationally in shifting to biological raw material
Raw material
A raw material or feedstock is the basic material from which a product is manufactured or made, frequently used with an extended meaning. For example, the term is used to denote material that came from nature and is in an unprocessed or minimally processed state. Latex, iron ore, logs, and crude...
s. This and big undertakings to humidify
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
, Turkestan
Turkestan
Turkestan, spelled also as Turkistan, literally means "Land of the Turks".The term Turkestan is of Persian origin and has never been in use to denote a single nation. It was first used by Persian geographers to describe the place of Turkish peoples...
and further regions of the Earth would make it possible to feed ten billion people with comparative ease. Greiling warns of attempts to use nuclear energy
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
. He starts the question how one would handle the newly gained wealth, once the pressing difficulties would be overcome so that people would be urged to pause for inspiration.
Works
- Chemie erobert die Welt (Chemistry conquers the world). Econ-Verlag, Munich 1951
- Vernichtungs-Strahlen (Rays of destruction). Hoch-Verlag, Düsseldorf 1952
- Paul Ehrlich. Econ-Verlag, Munich 1954
- Wie werden wir leben? Ein Buch von den Aufgaben unserer Zeit (How are we going to live? A book of the tasks of our time). Econ-Verlag, Munich 1954
- Chemie, Motor der Zukunft (Chemistry — engine of future). BertelsmannBertelsmannBertelsmann AG is a multinational media corporation founded in 1835, based in Gütersloh, Germany. The company operates in 63 countries and employs 102,983 workers , which makes it the most international media corporation in the world. In 2008 the company reported a €16.118 billion consolidated...
Lesering, Gütersloh 1961 - Mehr Brot für mehr Menschen (More bread for people). Franckh-Verlag, Stuttgart 1963
- Chemie und Elektronik verändern die Welt. Leben mit dem Fortschritt (Chemistry and electronics change the world. Living with progress). Econ-Verlag, Munich 1971