(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Foecotextiles.files.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F04%2Fbioplastic4.jpg&hash=0d15a393ef34722fe6485e44d1313bcc27d07e3e)
BIOPLASTICS are REPLACING PETROCHEMICAL-BASED PLASTICS(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmaniac.gif&hash=9ecf389a7da25db958f3f63461cbb45a4b316c4e)
In the years 2000 to 2008, worldwide consumption of biodegradable plastics based on starch, sugar, and cellulose – so far the three most important raw materials – has increased by 600%.[32] The NNFCC predicted global annual capacity would grow more than six-fold to 2.1 million tonnes by 2013.[30] BCC Research forecasts the global market for biodegradable polymers to grow at a compound average growth rate of more than 17 percent through 2012. Even so, bioplastics will encompass a small niche of the overall plastic market, which is forecast to reach 500 billion pounds (220 million tonnes) globally by 2010.[33]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic)
Agelbert NOTE:The "NICHE" that bioplastics are occupying will grow to destroy the fossil fuel based plastics plastic poisons simply because bioplastics are sustainable AND cheaper now.
Cost
At one time bioplastics were too expensive for consideration as a replacement for petroleum-based plastics.The lower temperatures needed to process bioplastics and the more stable supply of biomass combined with the increasing cost of crude oil make bioplastics price [34] more competitive with regular plastics.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic)
ApplicationsBiodegradable bioplastics are used for disposable items, such as packaging and catering items (crockery, cutlery, pots, bowls, straws). They are also often used for bags, trays, containers for fruit, vegetables, eggs and meat, bottles for soft drinks and dairy products, and blister foils for fruit and vegetables.
Nondisposable applications include mobile phone casings, carpet fibres, and car interiors, fuel line and plastic pipe applications, and new electroactive bioplastics are being developed that can be used to carry electrical current.[5] In these areas, the goal is not biodegradability, but to create items from sustainable resources.
Medical implants made of PLA, which dissolve in the body, save patients a second operation. Compostable mulch films for agriculture, already often produced from starch polymers, do not have to be collected after use and can be left on the fields.[6]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic)
Bioplastic Car Parts
In constructing the Prius, Toyota used a new range of plant-derived ecological bioplastics, made out of cellulose derived from wood or grass instead of petroleum. The two principal crops used are kenaf and ramie. Kenaf is a member of the hibiscus family, a relative to cotton and okra; ramie, commonly known as China grass, is a member of the nettle family and one of the strongest natural fibres, with a density and absorbency comparable to flax.
Toyota says this is a particularly timely breakthrough for plant-based eco-plastics because 2009 is the United Nations’ International Year of Natural Fibres, which spotlights kenaf and ramie among others.[56]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Prius (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Prius)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.toyota.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F05%2Fbio-plastics-in-prius.png&hash=670a22815f786286f1109ea7b683c69b1f4be67b)
Prius bioplastic parts
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0719/1989/files/PLA_Printable.png?6544284772577929250)
Polylactic acid (PLA) plastics can replace petrochemical-based mass plastics (e.g. PET, PS or PE)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.grandviewresearch.com%2Fstatic%2Fimg%2Fresearch%2Flactic-acid-and-poly-lactic-acid-market.png&hash=e9dd0a2b0c6683f0caec59b306fb77225b85b5f3)
Global PLA market by application, 2012 – 2020, (Kilo Tons) (http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/lactic-acid-and-poly-lactic-acid-market)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F5%2F58%2FMulch_Film_made_of_PLA-Blend_Bio-Flex.jpg&hash=f4aa31cd2665d1aded7334889bf76eb9f2d7f39a)
Mulch film made of polylactic acid (PLA)-blend bio-flex
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a transparent plastic produced from corn[12] or dextrose. It not only resembles conventional petrochemical-based mass plastics (like PET, PS or PE) in its characteristics, but it can also be processed on standard equipment that already exists for the production of some conventional plastics. PLA and PLA blends generally come in the form of granulates with various properties, and are used in the plastic processing industry for the production of films, fibers, plastic containers, cups and bottles.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F3%2F30%2FPLA-Kugelschreiber_NatureWorks_CG.jpg&hash=61a1c1040b3412f8d8d6bb78db1525e7455973f0)
A pen made with bioplastics (Polylactide, PLA)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F2%2F29%2FTeebeutel_Polylactid_2009.jpg&hash=6da33c8807719a703e2f87d3f296770de39f9629)
Tea bags made from PLA
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fc%2Fc5%2FAir_Pillow_made_of_PLA-Blend_Bio-Flex.jpg&hash=cf89e750f9a9f7d152f620c1d9d354888cd5c9a8)
Packaging air pillow made of PLA-blend bio-flex
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fc%2Fc4%2FShampoo_Bottle_made_of_PLA-Blend_Bio-Flex.jpg&hash=97acd3fcf72667a11c72c2ee32e5321f9e48261a)
A bioplastic shampoo bottle made of PLA-blend bio-flex
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic)
Biopolymer BHP can replace petroplastic polypropylene
Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB)
The biopolymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a polyester produced by certain bacteria processing glucose, corn starch[13] or wastewater.[14] Its characteristics are similar to those of the petroplastic polypropylene. The South American sugar industry, for example, has decided to expand PHB production to an industrial scale. PHB is distinguished primarily by its physical characteristics. It produces transparent film at a melting point higher than 130 degrees Celsius, and is biodegradable without residue.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA)
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are linear polyesters produced in nature by bacterial fermentation of sugar or lipids. They are produced by the bacteria to store carbon and energy. In industrial production, the polyester is extracted and purified from the bacteria by optimizing the conditions for the fermentation of sugar. More than 150 different monomers can be combined within this family to give materials with extremely different properties. PHA is more ductile and less elastic than other plastics, and it is also biodegradable. These plastics are being widely used in the medical industry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic)
How to tell if plastic was made from fossil fuels or plants: Fossil fuel derived plastic has NO carbon-14!
Biobased – ASTM D6866
The ASTM D6866 method has been developed to certify the biologically derived content of bioplastics. Cosmic rays colliding with the atmosphere mean that some of the carbon is the radioactive isotope carbon-14. CO2 from the atmosphere is used by plants in photosynthesis, so new plant material will contain both carbon-14 and carbon-12. Under the right conditions, and over geological timescales, the remains of living organisms can be transformed into fossil fuels. After ~100,000 years all the carbon-14 present in the original organic material will have undergone radioactive decay leaving only carbon-12. A product made from biomass will have a relatively high level of carbon-14, while a product made from petrochemicals will have no carbon-14. The percentage of renewable carbon in a material (solid or liquid) can be measured with an accelerator mass spectrometer.[41][42]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic)
Plastic made from plants is NOT a guarantee of biodegradability
There is an important difference between biodegradability and biobased content. A bioplastic such as high density polyethylene (HDPE)[43] can be 100% biobased (i.e. contain 100% renewable carbon), yet be non-biodegradable. These bioplastics such as HDPE nonetheless play an important role in greenhouse gas abatement, particularly when they are combusted for energy production. The biobased component of these bioplastics is considered carbon-neutral since their origin is from biomass.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic)
Agelbert NOTE:[/b] As I've said before, products from corn for plastics or biofuel are a bad deal. At the end of the wikipeda bioplastics article, a "study" from scientists in 2010 cautions against corn based bioplastics because they are so polluting from the pesticide and CO2 releasing properties (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2rzukw3.gif&hash=f0487b8f0d488ab1126ce5e031b11ea3d74b1cc2)(as if petrochemical fuels and plastics weren't measurably MORE polluting... ??? ).
Sure. That's why BIG OIL wants us to keep using that corn for ethanol and bioplastics! ;) It's never going to be competitive! Corn uses pesticides and plowing. The plastics made from the corn starch will have pesticide residue. Growing corn is an excellent way to ruin top soil and is second only to fossil fuels (because it uses so much of them) in biosphere damage. :P >:(
This is stupid when, duckweed, hemp, sugar cane, switchgrass, Kenaf , a member of the hibiscus family, a relative to cotton and okra and Ramie, commonly known as China grass, a member of the nettle family and one of the strongest natural fibres, with a density and absorbency comparable to flax are all available, easier to grow WITHOUT PESTICIDES and provide a much higher EROEI. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)
The first diesel engine was designed to run on vegetable oils, one of which was hemp oil. In the 1930s Henry Ford produced an automobile composed of 70 percent hemp plastic which also ran on hemp based fuel and oil.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hempcar.org%2Fimg%2Ffrontpage%2Fcar.jpg&hash=d379fb878f5b20b56a9839b5b2ea4e7cd67a308c)
In 2001 the "Hempcar" circled the North American continent powered by hemp oil.
The paintings of Rembrandt (1606- 1669), Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) and Thomas Gainsborough (1727- 1788) were painted primarily on hemp canvas, often with hemp oil based paint.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.longleaf.net%2Fggrow%2Frembrandt1%2Frembrandt%2FrembrandtGG.jpg&hash=0866bf07ca02a1e28626e7f240d97fa6dda5b60e)
I sold Rembrandt his Hemp canvas and paint oils! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagonow.com%2Fsteve-dales-pet-world%2Ffiles%2F2011%2F09%2FHappy-cat.jpg&hash=1e9a9a34515739d237deb32a15b49ce679552266)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F8%2F8c%2FVincent_Willem_van_Gogh_111.jpg&hash=acce8feddca66fc5491242b0bb26148992366a7f)
Hmmm.. That canvas looks like it might not be Hemp. I'd better check with my supplier. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fuploads5.wikipaintings.org%2Fimages%2Fthomas-gainsborough%2Fa-coastal-landscape-1782.jpg&hash=e03f92d52782292f796511c8c91bfb82d86458f5)
Handsome masterpiece on Hemp! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F128fs318181.gif&hash=eff6d5f3831782966c2ff2081f07bf7fc5b22a6b)
Over 50 percent of all chemical pesticides sprayed are used in the cultivation of cotton. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201604.png&hash=3793102f2f335b7a8fe106d54eac4db31f2674eb)
Hemp is eight times stronger than cotton and more air-permeable. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fus.cdn2.123rf.com%2F168nwm%2Flenm%2Flenm1201%2Flenm120100200%2F12107060-illustration-of-a-smiley-giving-a-thumbs-up.jpg&hash=2046bc6d662e09d3014a2c404a2af6ba17f8217c)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-qdeB6uFDZVk%2FTbiOei5eT_I%2FAAAAAAAAADA%2F2euXXNXCABw%2Fs320%2FHemp%2BField%2BLarge.jpg&hash=e85c0db6800c9d4fff1a7d2b4ff7dde2c0c0b6f2)
Hemp can grow vigorously (up to 16 feet) in 100 days without the use of harmful pesticides and herbicides... healthier for your skin and the environment. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smile-day.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F12%2FSmiley-Thumbs-Up2.jpg&hash=4c6cf4d5dab0f54b88dfa0c9247ae699eff03821)
One acre of hemp can produce as much raw fiber as 4.1 acres of trees. Pulping hemp for paper would produce a strong paper that lasts incredibly long and doesn't yellow with age. Also, using hemp as a raw source for paper would eliminate the need to cut down our dwindling old-growth forests which contribute to climate control and clean the air we breathe.
Source: the Hempola Trivia Trail http://www.coolhemp.com/HempSeeDee/hempfacts.shtml (http://www.coolhemp.com/HempSeeDee/hempfacts.shtml)
Now you know why William Randolph Hearst, DuPont and Rockefeller FEARED (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-scared002.gif&hash=764898cfbf07ef2c41ffddc5e93fa0e1bed41bae)HEMP so much they conspired to make it illegal! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605)
United Airlines launches first regularly scheduled sustainable biofuel flights ;D
http://www.treehugger.com/aviation/united-airlines-launches-first-regularly-scheduled-sustainable-biofuel-flights.html
Agelbert NOTE: Although the following post is about duckweed as a bio-fuel source, it is just as important, if not more so, to understand that duckweed is the ONLY plant out there that could actually lower the amount of CO2 in our atmosphere. This, of course, would be contingent on the banning of the burning of fossil fuels. We know the corrupted powers that be don't want to do that. >:( But even if they don't, they will soon be FORCED to seek out the plant that is most likely to "sequester Carbon" (what a ridiculous bit of jargon for absorption of CO2!) at a rate that could start us on the way back to 280PPM of CO2 (Pre-industrial levels).
The geo-engineering techno-fix fossil fuel industry SCAM simply will not work. But the fossil fuel industry corrupted governments all over the world will probably try it, which will certainly make some people rich while it makes things worse for the biosphere. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)
A massive Duckweed production campaign all over presently non-arable land areas would work IF if banned the burning fossil fuels completely.
That would be the intelligent and prudent thing to do.
So, we can count on our fossil fuel industry corrupted governments to NOT do it. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)
I LOVE DUCKWEED! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fearthhug.gif&hash=3abcf70466f34337f2d702ebd9e02c650d5c4c20)
https://youtu.be/_i_2h2CoQII
https://youtu.be/AVogwEYXGLo
http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/renewables/ethanol/msg217/#msg217
Pond-dwelling powerhouse’s genome points to its biofuel potential
Duckweed is a tiny floating plant that’s been known to drive people daffy. It’s one of the smallest and fastest-growing flowering plants ;D that often becomes a hard-to-control weed in ponds and small lakes. But it’s also been exploited to clean contaminated water and as a source to produce pharmaceuticals. Now, the genome of Greater Duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) has given this miniscule plant’s potential as a biofuel source a big boost. In a paper published February 19, 2014 in the journal Nature Communications, researchers from Rutgers University, the Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute and several other facilities detailed the complete genome of S. polyrhiza and analyzed it in comparison to several other plants, including rice and tomatoes.
Duckweed, a small, common plant that grows in ponds and stagnant waters, is an ideal candidate as a biofuel raw material. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F128fs318181.gif&hash=eff6d5f3831782966c2ff2081f07bf7fc5b22a6b) ;D Photo (at link) by Texx Smith, via flickr
Simple and primitive, a duckweed plant consists of a single small kidney-shaped leaf about the size of a pencil-top eraser that floats on the surface of the water with a few thin roots underwater. It grows in almost all geographic areas, at nearly any altitude. Although it’s a flowering plant, it only rarely forms small indistinct flowers on the underside of its floating leaves. Most of the time, it reproduces by budding off small leaves that are clones of the parent leaf. It often forms thick mats on the edges of ponds, quiet inlets of lakes and in marshes. It’s among the fastest growing plants, able to double its population in a couple of days under ideal conditions. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F170fs799081.gif&hash=ec7f929a28b215e9c00ec270a26b830d596920b2)
These and other properties make it an ideal candidate as a biofuel feedstock – a raw source for biofuel production. For example, unlike plants on land, duckweeds don’t need to hold themselves upright or transport water from distant roots to their leaves, so they’re a relatively soft and pliable plant, containing tiny amounts of woody material such as lignin and cellulose. Removing these woody materials from feedstock has been a major challenge in biofuel production. Also, although they are small enough to grow in many environments, unlike biofuel-producing microbes, duckweed plants are large enough to harvest easily. ;D
S. polyrhiza turns out to have one of the smallest known plant genomes, at about 158 million base pairs and fewer than 20,000 protein-encoding genes. That’s 27 percent fewer than Arabidopsis thaliana – which, until recently, was believed to be the smallest plant genome – and nearly half as many as rice plants.
Spirodela is one of the smallest plants in the world. Here (at the link)it is displayed with other comparable plants.
“The most surprising find was insight into the molecular basis for genes involved in maturation – a forever-young lifestyle,” said senior author Joachim Messing, director of the Waksman Institute of Microbiology at Rutgers University.
S. polyrhiza leaves resemble cotyledons, embryonic leaves inside plant seeds that become the first leaves after germination. But where other plants develop other kinds of leaves as they mature, S. polyrhiza’s never progresses and continuously produces cotyledon leaves. This prolonging of juvenile traits is called “neoteny.” S. polyrhiza had fewer genes to promote and more genes to repress the switch from juvenile to mature growth.
“Because of the reduction in neoteny, there is an arrest in development and differentiation of organs. So this arrest allowed us to uncover regulatory networks that are required for differentiation and development,” Messing said.
Also intriguing to the research team were which genes were preserved over time and which were not. Many of the genes responsible for cellulose and lignin production in land dwelling plants were missing, (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clker.com%2Fcliparts%2Fc%2F8%2Ff%2F8%2F11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png&hash=599691109af22b33f1d59dd61eb97448a9427020) and there were fewer copies of those that were present. Genes for another compound related to cell walls called “expansins” which are involved with cell wall and root growth were also reduced.
Genes for starch production, on the other hand, were retained and are probably used for creating starch-filled turions, specialized buds produced by aquatic plants for overwintering, enabling them sink to the bottom of ponds and revive in warmer weather. Moreover, despite the reduced number of total genes, S. polyrhiza has more copies of genes for enzymes involved in nitrogen absorption and metabolism than in other plants. This is probably linked to the plant’s ability to utilize excess nitrogen in contaminated waters. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clker.com%2Fcliparts%2Fc%2F8%2Ff%2F8%2F11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png&hash=599691109af22b33f1d59dd61eb97448a9427020)
A thorough understanding of the genome and cellular mechanisms of S. polyrhiza could greatly enhance current efforts to recruit duckweed as a biofuel source.Messing estimates that duckweed will be a viable biofuel source within the next five years and points to Ceres Energy Group in New Jersey, which is already producing electricity from duckweed. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3) Understanding which genes produce which traits will allow researchers to create new varieties of duckweed with enhanced biofuel traits, such as increased reduction of cellulose or increased starch or even higher lipid production. Starch can be directly used as a biofuel source and it can be converted to ethanol, the way corn is currently converted to ethanol fuel, but oils would have greater energy than ethanol.
Duckweed is a relatively simple plant with fronds that float on the surface of the water and roots that extend into the water. In the flask on the left, you can see the dormant phase, turions, that have dropped to the bottom. Photo (at link) by Wenquin Wang
“Classical breeding or genetics does not apply here because of its clonal propagation and rare flowering, but these organisms can be transformed with DNA,” Messing said. “Therefore, new variants can be created with modified pathways for industrial applications. These variants would be an enhancement over what can be done now.”
This genome was sequenced as part of a DOE Office of Science JGI Community Science Program (CSP) project (formerly the Community Sequencing Program). It exemplifies the collaborative approach and innovative projects that the CSP enables among researchers. Messing pointed to the study’s advances over previous research.
“The sequencing of this genome opens new frontiers in the molecular biology of aquatic plants,” said Messing. “This publication represents the single largest advance in this field and a new milestone in plant molecular biology and evolution, as previous studies were either classical botany or biochemistry of photosynthesis. The placement of the Spirodela genome as a basal monocot species will serve as a new reference for all flowering plants.”
A video interview with Messing on the promise of duckweed can be found here:
https://youtu.be/PLVPfoKw2rs
The authors on the publication also include researchers from MIPS/IBIS, Helmholtz Center Munich, Germany; University of California, Davis; Georgia Institute of Technology; Brookhaven National Laboratory; Donald Danforth Plant Science Center; University of Jena, Germany, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology; and the Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Germany.
The DOE Joint Genome Institute has announced a new call for letters of intent for the 2015 Community Science Program, due April 10, 2014. Details of the 2015 CSP call can be found at: http://bit.ly/CSP-15.
The U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, supported by the DOE Office of Science, is committed to advancing genomics in support of DOE missions related to clean energy generation and environmental characterization and cleanup. DOE JGI, headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., provides integrated high-throughput sequencing and computational analysis that enable systems-based scientific approaches to these challenges. Follow @doe_jgi on Twitter.
DOE’s Office of Science is the largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.
Filed Under: News Releases
http://jgi.doe.gov/pond-dwelling-powerhouses-genome-points-biofuel-potential/
Bamboo is, POUND FOR POUND, stronger than steel.
https://youtu.be/QqUS4JGbb3I
And, of course, UNLIKE steel, which requires polluting mining, heating, beating and treating, we can grow as much as we need (it grows quite well in MANY areas, including Puerto Rico, all over the world) sustainably. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170218174357.png&hash=296cf589ab13b3bca649d79db1953fa2289b1563)
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maersk containership Pres Panayotov / Shutterstock.com
Maersk Signs Up H&M for Carbon-Neutral Biofuel Trial
June 20, 2019 by Mike Schuler
Danish shipping giant Maersk says fashion group H&M has become the first company to sign up to trial a new carbon-neutral offering that utilizes the use biofuel to eliminate carbon emissions from shipping.
Maersk says the biofuel in the pilot project is the same blend of used cooking oil and heavy which has been tested and successfully validated in a trial driven in collaboration with the Dutch Sustainability Growth Coalition (DSGC), and Shell his year. It is also certified as a sustainable fuel by the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) body.
The new carbon neutral product will be made available to select Maersk customers who are looking reduce or eliminate carbon emissions from their supply chain.
Back in March, the containership Maersk Maersk set sail on a round trip from Rotterdam to Shanghai using a blend of biofuel produced from plant waste, marking the industry’s biggest tests to date of the fuel.
“The biofuel trial on board Mette Maersk has proven that decarbonized solutions for shipping can already be utilized today, both technically and operationally. While it is not yet an absolutely final solution it is certainly part of the solution and it can serve as a transition solution to reduce CO2 emissions today. With the launch of this product, Maersk seeks to help our customers with their goal of moving to sustainable supply chains,” said Søren Toft, Maersk COO.
Maersk says the goal of the pilot is to ultimately unlock the potential of sustainable fuels to the point where they are commercially available. Maersk itself has actually set a target of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050.
For H&M, the project offers the opportunity to reduce carbon emissions from ocean transport.
“Our high ambition to become climate positive by 2040 requires cooperation and engagement from all parties in the supply chain. We want to use our size to be a force for good and enable scaling innovative solutions, such as the carbon neutral ocean product, for a greener commercial transport,” says Helena Helmersson, COO H&M Group.
https://gcaptain.com/maersk-signs-up-hm-for-carbon-neutral-biofuel-trial/
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Plastic Pollution: What are the ֍ sustainable alternatives?
6,106 views•Jan 5, 2020
https://youtu.be/QBYLiH6n_t4
Just Have a Think
43.3K subscribers
Nowadays most of us know there's a global plastic pollution problem. But how bad is it really? And how do we maintain our current way of life without a material that exists in almost every single product we consume? This week we take a look at some very promising alternatives that could potentially replace the vast majority of our current 🦕🦖 petroleum-based ☠️👎 plastic production.
Help support and influence the growth of the Just Have a Think initiative here:
www.patreon.com/justhaveathink
Books Featured:
'F**ck Plastic : 101 Ways to free yourself from plastic and save the world'
Published in the US by Rodale Books and in the UK by Seven Dials
'How to Live Plastic Free : A day in the life of a plastic detox'
Written by Luca Bonaccorsi & Richard Harrington on behalf of The Marine Conservation Society
Published in the UK by The Headline Publishing Group
Research Links:
https://strawfree.org/
Agelbert NOTE: View video in separate browser window to see all the links.