making plastics out of orange peel & CO2 instead of petroleum

[The Real Rick Springfield]

Cornell University researchers created a novel polymer using CO2, an oil present in orange peel and a catalyst that speeds the reaction along.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/science/nature/4191737.stm


the question is, how fast before the petroleum industry moves to quash this?


john

[TheAmazon]

i hope they don't that's awesomeness.

what's the cost of this process compared to the current process for making.... say plastic bags for the grocery store?

And, I'm not just talking about the issue of scale.... I'm asking can this process be used without increasing production costs....excepting out the cost of retooling existing production lines?

[Krash]

Originally Posted by xiannaix

what's the cost of this process compared to the current process for making.... say plastic bags for the grocery store?

And, I'm not just talking about the issue of scale.... I'm asking can this process be used without increasing production costs....excepting out the cost of retooling existing production lines?

Surely a slight increase in the cost of production would be acceptable to further reduce our dependancy on oil and, particularly, OPEC?

Originally Posted by Krash

Surely a slight increase in the cost of production would be acceptable to further reduce our dependancy on oil and, particularly, OPEC?

a slight one surely....

now define slight for me

[johnny861]

Originally Posted by Krash

Surely a slight increase in the cost of production would be acceptable to further reduce our dependancy on oil and, particularly, OPEC?

Ideally, but to put it in perspective, how many people spend an extra two to three dollars for recycled paper products in the grocery stores, ie. toilet rolls, paper towels, etc. vs. those who go for the cheaper product?

I'd imagine the same line of thinking would occur in corporations purchasing these plastics.

Again, this all depends on how much of an increase there would be and if there are incentives to start purchasing these new plastics vs. their current purchasing habits.

[Krash]

Originally Posted by xiannaix

a slight one surely....

now define slight for me

Well, given the choice of ordering other people to "secure" that resource, how about 100%?

200%?

What is a life worth? By being dependent on that region, by having to spend HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS of dollars, as well as risking hundreds of thousands of soldiers AND killing 10's, even hundreds of thousands of civillians, to effectively subsidise this "cheap" product, how much are we actually spending on these products?

Originally Posted by Krash

Well, given the choice of ordering other people to "secure" that resource, how about 100%?

200%?

What is a life worth? By being dependent on that region, by having to spend HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS of dollars, as well as risking hundreds of thousands of soldiers AND killing 10's, even hundreds of thousands of civillians, to effectively subsidise this "cheap" product, how much are we actually spending on these products?

but you're being rhetorical now Krash.... if life is so precious as to require us to take all measures available to save it..... we would not be permitted to use cars, fly airplanes, swim in pools etc. etc.

Also, you'll have to find some statistcs on what percentage of western oil consumption is used in the plastics industry. I'm thinking relative to oil use for fuel and lubricant its gonna be pretty far down the list. Thus rendering this discussion essentially meaningless... although pedantically interesting.

I'm impressed and all that this guy figured out how to make plastic from oranges... but let's be frank about it.... the world makes choices based on efficiency of means. Too few people will buy the more expensive product in the market in order to save a tree Krash - too few to justify continued production of the more expensive product... that's just the way it is.

and for the record... I always ask for paper bags at the grocery store... so I'm doing my part to not consume plastic bags

[Krash]

Good work on the paper bags, is that small ones designed specifcally for the plastic bottle of whisky?

As for the "wouldn't be allowed to fly etc etc" statement - that's a null argument, because the only reason we can do so is because our governments choose to enforce that means of propulsion (oil based produce) on us. We are singularly incapable of choosing any other form of efficient transport because that choice has been denied to us. For the trillions of dollars that have been spent since WWII on keeping oil as our main source of energy does anyone really believe we couldn't of developed something better?

Society has attitude, those attitudes are changed on a regular basis by government, either regulation or taxation - the current state of affairs we find ourselves in is not through lack of ability, people do what they are told, it is through lack of will - both by people and by government.

[Dionysos]

Originally Posted by xiannaix

Also, you'll have to find some statistcs on what percentage of western oil consumption is used in the plastics industry. I'm thinking relative to oil use for fuel and lubricant its gonna be pretty far down the list. Thus rendering this discussion essentially meaningless... although pedantically interesting.

More info:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/p...20by%20Product

http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/p..._cons_prod.htm

As of 2002: up to 20%.

Originally Posted by Krash

Good work on the paper bags, is that small ones designed specifcally for the plastic bottle of whisky?

As for the "wouldn't be allowed to fly etc etc" statement - that's a null argument, because the only reason we can do so is because our governments choose to enforce that means of propulsion (oil based produce) on us. We are singularly incapable of choosing any other form of efficient transport because that choice has been denied to us. For the trillions of dollars that have been spent since WWII on keeping oil as our main source of energy does anyone really believe we couldn't of developed something better?

I can think of activities that take lives which we tolerate in order to have modern conveniences... that's the point.

Originally Posted by Krash

Society has attitude, those attitudes are changed on a regular basis by government, either regulation or taxation - the current state of affairs we find ourselves in is not through lack of ability, people do what they are told, it is through lack of will - both by people and by government.

and if this guy can turn oranges into plastic cheaper than the petroleum industry he'll be a rish man....

Originally Posted by Dionysos

More info:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/p...20by%20Product

http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/p..._cons_prod.htm

As of 2002: up to 20%.

much higher than I would have thought.... interesting