Comments on: What’s Stopping Bioplastic? http://www.boldlygo.org/whats-stopping-bioplastic Science Fiction, Philosophy, and the Future... Wed, 12 May 2010 15:44:50 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: J. Alden Page http://www.boldlygo.org/whats-stopping-bioplastic/comment-page-1#comment-2062 J. Alden Page Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:57:23 +0000 http://boldlygo.org/blog/whats-stopping-bioplastic/#comment-2062 NEC has been creating bioplastic that can resist high temperatures. <a href="http://www.nec.co.jp/rd/en/Topics/index.html" rel="nofollow">This Link</a> is some press releases from them about their work in overcoming that particular hurdle. Here is another link that you might think is interesting. It's a youtube video on how to make bioplastic at home. I want to try this sometime to make sure that it works. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LskPNBvbuqM&feature=related NEC has been creating bioplastic that can resist high temperatures. This Link is some press releases from them about their work in overcoming that particular hurdle.

Here is another link that you might think is interesting. It’s a youtube video on how to make bioplastic at home. I want to try this sometime to make sure that it works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LskPNBvbuqM&feature=related

]]> By: Angelin4 http://www.boldlygo.org/whats-stopping-bioplastic/comment-page-1#comment-2043 Angelin4 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:39:21 +0000 http://boldlygo.org/blog/whats-stopping-bioplastic/#comment-2043 well i'm mostly looking for articles about the complications with biopolymers, such as low temperature deflection . well i’m mostly looking for articles about the complications with biopolymers, such as low temperature deflection .

]]> By: J. Alden Page http://www.boldlygo.org/whats-stopping-bioplastic/comment-page-1#comment-1800 J. Alden Page Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:00:26 +0000 http://boldlygo.org/blog/whats-stopping-bioplastic/#comment-1800 Hmm... I don't know much about soil erosion. If your not doing slash and burn I wouldn't think it would be a problem? My grandpa is a farmer. He lives in a desert and is able to use the the same soil every year. I guess soil erosion could be a problem though. If bioplastic suddenly boomed then there would be a strong incentive to use improper techniques to get quick farmland. Is that what you mean? Interesting article! Hmm… I don’t know much about soil erosion. If your not doing slash and burn I wouldn’t think it would be a problem? My grandpa is a farmer. He lives in a desert and is able to use the the same soil every year.

I guess soil erosion could be a problem though. If bioplastic suddenly boomed then there would be a strong incentive to use improper techniques to get quick farmland. Is that what you mean?

Interesting article!

]]> By: Irratzo http://www.boldlygo.org/whats-stopping-bioplastic/comment-page-1#comment-1675 Irratzo Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:10:58 +0000 http://boldlygo.org/blog/whats-stopping-bioplastic/#comment-1675 Two things: Haber-Bosch process: World annual production of ammonia through Haber Bosch process: 100 million tonnes. That accounts for 1,4 % of the total world energy consumption (the absolute number is likely to double until 2050). Of course I was wrong. This process just needs energy, not necessarily oil, unlike petroplastics. So this isn't really a hurdle for bioplastics. But what about soil erosion? I don't know much about this subject but I think it's on a good way to become a real puzzler for coming generations. Another thing: If you're interested in bioplastics and how to enable them economically, I'd like to recommend to read about "Cradle to Cradle". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle_to_cradle Cheers! Two things:
Haber-Bosch process: World annual production of ammonia through Haber Bosch process: 100 million tonnes. That accounts for 1,4 % of the total world energy consumption (the absolute number is likely to double until 2050).
Of course I was wrong. This process just needs energy, not necessarily oil, unlike petroplastics. So this isn’t really a hurdle for bioplastics.
But what about soil erosion? I don’t know much about this subject but I think it’s on a good way to become a real puzzler for coming generations.

Another thing: If you’re interested in bioplastics and how to enable them economically, I’d like to recommend to read about “Cradle to Cradle”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle_to_cradle

Cheers!

]]> By: Irratzo http://www.boldlygo.org/whats-stopping-bioplastic/comment-page-1#comment-1673 Irratzo Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:59:16 +0000 http://boldlygo.org/blog/whats-stopping-bioplastic/#comment-1673 Comment to "Overcoming these hurdles: Point 1. and 3." Alas, point 1. and 3. cannot be seen separate. They depend on each other. Why do you reckon are the Western countries able to afford so much overproduction? It's not like, at least Europe, hasn't been subject to famines in the past. It's because we can afford fertilisers. And their production (Haber-Bosch process) consumes oil. Better crop varieties are there to outrun the pests, but the unbelievable increase of production capacity (200 to 300 %) during the 20th century is largely due to heavy dependence on oil-based fertilisers through the Haber Bosch process. Today, 50 % of the nitrogen in your body comes from the Haber-Bosch process, not like all the milennia before from the symbiosis of bacteria and legumes. So, when the oil runs out, it's not only the petrochemical plastics which run out of fuel, but our food supply as well. Additionally, soil erosion globally has dramatically increased due to industrial agriculture. I'm all for bioplastics! But I reckon there has to be an globalised interdisciplinary research effort ranging from soil science, agriculture, biotechnology, materials science to economy to make point 1. and 3. independent from one another. Comment to “Overcoming these hurdles: Point 1. and 3.”

Alas, point 1. and 3. cannot be seen separate. They depend on each other.

Why do you reckon are the Western countries able to afford so much overproduction? It’s not like, at least Europe, hasn’t been subject to famines in the past.
It’s because we can afford fertilisers. And their production (Haber-Bosch process) consumes oil. Better crop varieties are there to outrun the pests, but the unbelievable increase of production capacity (200 to 300 %) during the 20th century is largely due to heavy dependence on oil-based fertilisers through the Haber Bosch process. Today, 50 % of the nitrogen in your body comes from the Haber-Bosch process, not like all the milennia before from the symbiosis of bacteria and legumes.

So, when the oil runs out, it’s not only the petrochemical plastics which run out of fuel, but our food supply as well. Additionally, soil erosion globally has dramatically increased due to industrial agriculture.

I’m all for bioplastics! But I reckon there has to be an globalised interdisciplinary research effort ranging from soil science, agriculture, biotechnology, materials science to economy to make point 1. and 3. independent from one another.

]]> By: J. Alden Page http://www.boldlygo.org/whats-stopping-bioplastic/comment-page-1#comment-1516 J. Alden Page Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:31:13 +0000 http://boldlygo.org/blog/whats-stopping-bioplastic/#comment-1516 I have to do google scholar searches just like you would proably have to :). That question is a little too broad for me to come up with anything helpful. Doing a search for bioplastic on youtube is a very fast way of finding some groups that are doing interesting bioplastic research. I considered linking to a couple of them, but alone they aren't that informative. If you google the research groups mentioned you can find quite a bit about what is currently going on. Are you looking for articles about the implications of bioplastic, history, how it's made, or other? I have to do google scholar searches just like you would proably have to :) . That question is a little too broad for me to come up with anything helpful.

Doing a search for bioplastic on youtube is a very fast way of finding some groups that are doing interesting bioplastic research. I considered linking to a couple of them, but alone they aren’t that informative. If you google the research groups mentioned you can find quite a bit about what is currently going on.

Are you looking for articles about the implications of bioplastic, history, how it’s made, or other?

]]> By: Angelina http://www.boldlygo.org/whats-stopping-bioplastic/comment-page-1#comment-1427 Angelina Sun, 04 Jan 2009 12:31:42 +0000 http://boldlygo.org/blog/whats-stopping-bioplastic/#comment-1427 Would you happen to know any informative articles published about this subject? Would you happen to know any informative articles published about this subject?

]]> By: Kelly http://www.boldlygo.org/whats-stopping-bioplastic/comment-page-1#comment-437 Kelly Tue, 21 Oct 2008 05:50:38 +0000 http://boldlygo.org/blog/whats-stopping-bioplastic/#comment-437 Very informative. I'll admit I'm one of the 72% that did not know plastic was made from oil. Bioplastic sounds like a positive option to go. There needs to be more awareness in these areas if we hope to save the planet and ourselves. Very informative. I’ll admit I’m one of the 72% that did not know plastic was made from oil. Bioplastic sounds like a positive option to go. There needs to be more awareness in these areas if we hope to save the planet and ourselves.

]]>