Submitted by thedailybeast t3_1250i27 in Futurology
Comments
Longjumping_Meat_138 t1_je3v75z wrote
It's better to try everything and eventually hit as many jackpots as we can. Plant more trees, Perhaps use this bacteria and probably more solutions.
Jindujun t1_je25u7b wrote
I mean... Turning CO2 into plastic is a good idea, but the problem is collecting it.
"continously produce a bioplastic from CO2 in the air" is great but when you consider the fact that air contains 0.75g CO2 per cubic meter you'll soon see that the problem with this method is similar to that of carbon capture technology.
Sure, a bacteria might be many times cheaper but you still need to access enormous amounts of air for it to even be useful
Jantin1 t1_je2mkhr wrote
Yes but how about we install this in each fossil-fuel chimney? It's quite clear now that we're stuck with gas and oil for at least 20 more years, solutions to reduce impact are very much needed.
Goleroth t1_je4c809 wrote
Some kind of bacteria based CO2 filter for plants?
Johns-schlong t1_je6nreg wrote
Massive amounts of air... Like outside?
Jindujun t1_je6tdnk wrote
Ideally yes!
You need massive amounts of air moving through the solution to the CO2 problem and that is the issue.
Same thing with all these "water from air" things that pop up time and time again. Sure air contains both water and CO2, but the concentration at any give point is minimal so you need massive amounts of air moving through the system at all time for there to be any CO2 to scrub from the air which is the problem.
Ubericious t1_je20qj2 wrote
What about yesterday's CO2. Nothing can compete with trees
[deleted] t1_je2jzzm wrote
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thedailybeast OP t1_je1ssv4 wrote
New research from chemical engineers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology may result in us adding another tool to our decarbonization arsenal: a microscopic bacterium named Cupriavidus necator that can turn CO2 gas into a biodegradable plastic.
Their work, published on March 27 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that with the right setup and ingredients, C. necator can continuously produce a bioplastic from CO2 in the air. If the method is able to be scaled up, such a system could be a two-in-one solution, converting excess CO2 into a biodegradable plastic that obviates the need for energy-inefficiant plastic production.
Do you think it's a feasible way to help save the planet?
grogudid911 t1_je1z10v wrote
Only if they're able to make it profitable and scale up (while still remaining clean). I don't like being a pessimist, but I'm not holding my breath.
MadDocsDuck t1_je47weo wrote
Do you know what the volumetric consumption rate is (i.e. CO2/Liter of culture/h)? That is really the decissive factor in such endeavours. If I remember correctly, past studies haven't been able to surpass the capture rate of a regular tree. That is still worth investigating because you can get better end products from the capture but you basically compete against planting trees and turning them into something else through sugar fermentation.
fwubglubbel t1_je4m0an wrote
But doesn't the plastic biodegrade into CO2? What's the timeline? How does it compare to plants?
FuturologyBot t1_je1yit0 wrote
The following submission statement was provided by /u/thedailybeast:
New research from chemical engineers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology may result in us adding another tool to our decarbonization arsenal: a microscopic bacterium named Cupriavidus necator that can turn CO2 gas into a biodegradable plastic.
Their work, published on March 27 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that with the right setup and ingredients, C. necator can continuously produce a bioplastic from CO2 in the air. If the method is able to be scaled up, such a system could be a two-in-one solution, converting excess CO2 into a biodegradable plastic that obviates the need for energy-inefficiant plastic production.
Do you think it's a feasible way to help save the planet?
Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1250i27/this_bacteria_can_turn_todays_co2_into_tomorrows/je1ssv4/
[deleted] t1_je2yws9 wrote
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[deleted] t1_je4f9hn wrote
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AndarianDequer t1_je3rkk9 wrote
Okay, say this bacteria gets out and starts to convert every bit of carbon dioxide this planet has into plastic. What the shit.
fwubglubbel t1_je4lueb wrote
A live organism covering the planet converting carbon dioxide to a solid? We have those. They're called trees.
"What if trees get out and start to convert every bit of carbon dioxide to wood?".
AppliedTechStuff t1_je526o6 wrote
Technology will save us!
No need to panic, ditching fossil fuels sooner than we need to, wrecking economies and sending the world's poorest into even worse poverty.
It truly is a wealthy person's privilege to worry about climate change more so than the next meal...
Jantin1 t1_je2mcb8 wrote
The efforts in carbon capture from the atmosphere sometimes seem to me like everyone is throwing their mud at a wall and then we figure out whose mudball sticks.
Which I am totally in for.