Using the biological cycle as a model is definitely a good idea IMO. Biology relies on a steady flow of energy and accumulations of power, and to me it’s extremely important for us to put reliable long term energy solutions in place, to drive either the once through or the circular economy.

Another suggestion I have for anyone interested in the possibilities is to read Eric Drexler’s books on atomically precise manufacturing. I especially recommend his technical book Nanosystems – Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation. In it he uses his concept of exploratory engineering to look at the minimum performance we can expect out of atomically and molecularly precise engineering and manufacturing. I think it’s worth treating as a college course – use wikipedia, Khan Academy, and other online resources to educate yourself until it’s comprehensible. IMO too few futurists and visionaries have taken the possibilities that Drexler outlines into account.

All too many of the science and technology press releases I see describe the maximum performance we could expect out of a discovery once it is hand-waved into an industrial technology. Which doesn’t seem to happen too often.