FYI. Here's ILSR's response to the piece John Reindl mentioned in
Scientific American.
Brenda Platt
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
*********************************
Editor
Scientific American
August 9, 2000
Dear editor,
In their article, How Green are Green Plastics, Gerngross and Slater
make a persuasive case, based on personal experience, that the genetic
engineering of the corn plant is the least efficient and profitable way
to produce corn-derived plastics. But then they make a remarkable and
unfounded leap to assert that policy makers should not encourage the
development of plant-matter derived plastics at all but rather, should
focus on promoting the burning of plant matter to fuel petrochemical
plants!
By the author's own evidence, the Cargill PLA process, which makes
plastic from corn-derived sugars is, even now when the first plant has
just begun commercial production, less fossil fuel intensive than
petrochemical plastics like PET and nylon, and is within shouting
distance of competing, on an energy efficiency basis, with
polyethylene. (Contrary to the author's assertion, PLA is not the only
plant-matter derived plastic on the market.) It is natural to expect
dramatic improvements in the operational efficiencies of bioplastics
factories in the future. As a case in point: ILSR's empirical research
found that ethanol refineries reduced their energy consumption per
gallon produced by about 85 percent since 1980 (while corn farmers have
improved their energy efficiency by 20 percent in the same
period.) (http://www.carbohydrateeconomy.org)
Recommending that we focus on burning the cellulosic parts of corn
plants to fuel petrochemical facilities is shortsighted. Manufacturing
plants are coming on-line that will convert cellulose to much higher
value end-products like ethanol or intermediate or specialty
chemicals. Why ask farmers to compete with coal's cost of a penny a
pound when they can compete with petrochemical products valued at 15-70
cents per pound or more?
David Morris
Vice President
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
1313 5th St. SE
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414
612 379 3815
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