felixthecat
June 16th, 2008, 09:13 PM
Scientists find bugs that eat waste and excrete petrol
The Times June 14, 2008
Silicon Valley is experimenting with bacteria that have been genetically altered to provide 'renewable petroleum'.
Ten years ago I could never have imagined Id be doing this, says Greg Pal, 33, a former software executive, as he squints into the late afternoon Californian sun. I mean, this is essentially agriculture, right? But the people I talk to especially the ones coming out of business school this is the one hot area everyone wants to get into.
He means bugs. To be more precise: the genetic alteration of bugs very, very small ones so that when they feed on agricultural waste such as woodchips or wheat straw, they do something extraordinary. They excrete crude oil.
...
What is most remarkable about what they are doing is that instead of trying to reengineer the global economy as is required, for example, for the use of hydrogen fuel they are trying to make a product that is interchangeable with oil. The company claims that this Oil 2.0 will not only be renewable but also carbon negative meaning that the carbon it emits will be less than that sucked from the atmosphere by the raw materials from which it is made.
...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4133668.ece
I have never seen such a preoccupation with "waste" - human or otherwise.
Maybe the environMENTALISTS will like this. Still I have a hard time imagining how much bug waste will be needed to fill my Honda Civic. If this is feasible ... it sounds like another expensive proposition.
Why oh why don't we drill for oil and consider using coal - we have that NOW!
The Times June 14, 2008
Silicon Valley is experimenting with bacteria that have been genetically altered to provide 'renewable petroleum'.
Ten years ago I could never have imagined Id be doing this, says Greg Pal, 33, a former software executive, as he squints into the late afternoon Californian sun. I mean, this is essentially agriculture, right? But the people I talk to especially the ones coming out of business school this is the one hot area everyone wants to get into.
He means bugs. To be more precise: the genetic alteration of bugs very, very small ones so that when they feed on agricultural waste such as woodchips or wheat straw, they do something extraordinary. They excrete crude oil.
...
What is most remarkable about what they are doing is that instead of trying to reengineer the global economy as is required, for example, for the use of hydrogen fuel they are trying to make a product that is interchangeable with oil. The company claims that this Oil 2.0 will not only be renewable but also carbon negative meaning that the carbon it emits will be less than that sucked from the atmosphere by the raw materials from which it is made.
...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4133668.ece
I have never seen such a preoccupation with "waste" - human or otherwise.
Maybe the environMENTALISTS will like this. Still I have a hard time imagining how much bug waste will be needed to fill my Honda Civic. If this is feasible ... it sounds like another expensive proposition.
Why oh why don't we drill for oil and consider using coal - we have that NOW!