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[Walshy71]

A Japanese scientist engineered a way to convert common plastic trash back into the oil it was made from. The oil can then be further refined into diesel, kerosene, or gasoline.  Perhaps if he figures out how to do this on a massive scale, we can reduce the waste in landfills and oceans.  The process in the video above seems so simple … so why hasn’t this been done before now? Is there the political will to see this fantastic idea through, is there the will of buisness to see this through? Can we as the consuming public make enough noise to those in authority that this idea NEEDS to be implemented now as the price of fuel continually escalates, which impacts on our electricity, food and everyday daily life? 

[SAS~Friction]

Sounds very interesting. One issue on why it hasn't been done on a large scale is cost. Modern plastic recycling costs double if not triple what it cost to make it (I use to do house clean outs, and recycling centers around here always griped  ), and I can only imagine returning the plastic to a petrol would cost even more. But I'd be willing to bet the worst downside of this is pollution. Melting many kinds of plastic will give off extremely toxic and unhealthy fumes.

Regards
Friction

[RGA]

Better idea is using biofuels and other products from GM plants, which are not only cheap but also very enviromentally friendly. But then comes the activist groups who know nothing about genetics but have seen 1001 films about zombie breakout.

[Walshy71]

Biofuels are not the way to go. Personally speaking land that could be used for food production SHOULD be used for food production, if we were to drastically re-think the way in which we regard our plastic waste it could be the beginning of something useful for change. Pollution is near to nil as the gasses condense back into oil, CO2 is produced but at a lower level than normal oil production and refining. WHO wins here in this scenario? WE DO!!! Read the article here http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/plastic-to%20-oil-fantastic/

[SAS~GJE52]

Better idea is using biofuels and other products from GM plants, which are not only cheap

Do you know how much energy is consumed (and green house gasses emitted) during the production of biofuels ..... while at the same time turning a basic resource that could be used to help feed the worlds starving millions into something that western society can use to salve its collective conscience while it drives its "2.4" kids to the theme park in the gas guzzling 4x4.

so why hasn’t this been done before now?

probably because the fuel recovered is less than the fuel used to recover it ..........    .........

Is there the political will to see this fantastic idea through, is there the will of buisness to see this through?

... obviously if it were a viable option there would be


IMHO


 

[RGA]

Sorry if it gets a bit OT but the main problem with biofuels is, they are still in a very early developmental phase but already rushed to market. New generation biofuels are produced from inedible parts, but it is unfortunately more expensive and much more difficult than producing corn biofuel. It's not biofuel itself but big companies who prefer money than technical perfection to blame. Give it 30 years more and noone will ever use gasoline again, much as noone use coal to run locomotive today.

[juanmalapuente]

The main problem with biofuels (besides rise of famines for the first time in the last 20 years in half of the planet) is the basic lie in their importance for the CO2 balance.
A massive percentage of world production of biofuels comes from crops in Southern Brazil and Northern Argentina, where transgenic soya beans and sugar cane are planted in enormous areas previously deforestated in Chaco and Matto Grosso. Old forest stands are eliminated from areas the size of Switzerland to grow herbaceous crops which fix,  of course, much less CO2 per hectare. Just won't talk about the huge loss in biodiversity.
The "official" reason for the success of biofuels commerce is the search for alternatives to oil. What about all the machinery implicated in cultivation and transformation? Does it work with biofuels too? I'm afraid not.
The real reason is the huge bussiness of large agricultural multinational enterprises, such as Monsanto, with deep roots in political circles.

[Verhängnis]

Fusion and Orbital Solar is one solution.
But if we don't find a way.....
http://flood.firetree.net/?ll=-27.8390,138.1640&z=13&m=7

If all else fails;

[Fusek]

Solution is simple: we (as in humans in general, first world citizens mostly) should use less stuff.

[HundertzehnGustav]

Solution is simple: we (as in humans in general, first world citizens mostly) should use less stuff.

+1000

[SAS~GJE52]