Chalk one up for the good guys. Our dependance on oil is slowly going away. I hope these guys are successful and get more investments next year.
Genomatica, a San Diego-based sustainable chemical company, announced today that it has developed a process to make an important component of plastic without the use of petrochemicals.
The chemical, 1,4-butanediol (BDO), has an annual production value of over $4 billion in the automotive, textile, and consumer goods industries.
Company scientists genetically engineered E. Coli bacteria to digest sugar and produce BDO. Genomatica’s announcement is a huge development for the plastics industry—currently, BDO is only produced using non-renewable petrochemical feedstocks based entirely on oil and natural gas.
Genomatica is still putting the final touches on their microorganism, but the company expects it to be cost-competitive with petrochemical-based BDO within a year. It will remain competitive even if oil drops to $50 a barrel.
Even if sugar prices rise, Genomatica has a plan to remain cost-competitive, as scientists could easily change their production process to use a cheaper feedstock within a 3 to 6 month span.
The company, which has already raised $24 million, expects to have a pilot plant running by the end of 2009.
As someone who has long been concerned about the impact that peak oil will have on plastic production, I’m heartened to see progress made in this field. If we can move away entirely from using petroleum in plastics, we will be able to wean ourselves off oil much more easily.
Yeah! But we all know that just going to kill the economy…Gasoilne will drop for a bit and then go up higher price…less production…thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of lay offs…more unemployed…more welfare…less money to spend and recoup from taxes to fix roads, hire other construction trades…blah blah blah.
EDIT: but on the otherside some people could get hired in the plastics side of things…
so you are saying lets keep using oil so that we can keep our jobs ? that is really lame and selfish to be figuring that by reducing consumption of oil will only hurt us.
You see, if our gov’t was smart, they would try to lure these types of factories up here to open up shop. WE as a province can become less dependent on the oil money coming in by thinking for the future. Why not start developing companies int he IT sector? Or other areas that can bring in provincial cash.
The only reason research like this is taking place is because the price of oil is finally high enough. The only true solution which no one wants is for the price of oil to stay high and keep getting higher. I do think its a step in the right location.
Well it may be lame and selfish, but just watch. Unless they have a way to combat loss of jobs with the new plastic. But don’t take my word for it. research it yourself and Look at how many people are employed and effected by by the oil industry. Why do you think theres wars for this shit and its more sought afte than any commodityr???
Lets start really simply, Look at something as simple as cars. Hmmm why are they shutting down Toyota plants in Japan, GM shutting down across N.A. Over 20,000 Jobs have been lost, not to mention the companies they contracted for work who have shut down, layed off people or have gone bankrupt. Oh and Trucking companies who are hired to transport…so on and so on…
oil price goes up… gas prices go up…
oil price goes down … gas prices go up…
weather changes… gas prices go up!
plastic doesn’t use oil anymore … gas prices STILL go up…
^ LOL. Soo True! Regardless I still think its a great Idea and I do hope they get the proper funding. We as a society have been too dependent on oil and need to find ways to branch off. I just like to play the Devils Advocate :001_smile:
So what you are saying is as consumers we MUST support our industry by buying up any thing and everything that is offered to us in the marketplace or else we will feel bad in the end that a company doesn’t make it because their product was never or isn’t desirable anymore.
We must buy the largest trucks around and use tons of gas so that we can pay the wages of our jobs indirectly … wait wut?
^ Not at all, im not saying we have to support it by any means. Im just saying that there is cause and effect and taking away $4Billion is going to have a massive effect that some people don’t realize. If we can create new industry/products, ect. to offset the job market that would be awesome and Im all for sticking it to the oil companies.
Oh and us as the consumers sticking it to the opil companies by not buying big trucks and using less gas just showed us that it cost over 20,000 people their jobs. Which is 20,000 people that have less money to buy other commodities to support other business not related to oil. That’s all im saying…
not buying trucks means that those people will buy different vehicles, Truck sales are down due to fuel prices but mid range and economy car sales are up. I still don’t see what you mean by blaming the consumer for the job losses
I pretty sure the oil exec’s aren’t worried. They won’t feel that much.
Oil is going to stay expensive and we are still going to be using it. They plan to have a plant by 2009, that’s only one. And it’ll take quite a few more years for it to run and be found feasible before they make more. One plant can’t make all the plastic material we need around the world, so oil will still be used. They won’t be taking a 4 bill chunk outta oil companies immediately, anyways. Maybe a couple mill (at most) and oil companies make that amount very easily. Loss of jobs is very unlikely.
I’m glad they are making strides towards a non-oil based future, but it’s an up hill battle right now. I hate to say it , but oil will be around for quite some time.
