Plastic Eating Enzymes

[Vmedvil2]

Scientists have engineered from bacteria plastic eating enzymes a way to break down plastic on a industrial scale, read more at https://www.yahoo.com/news/scientists-engineered-plastic-eating-super-130000693.html

 

[montgomery]

Good science topic Victor. So my question to you in the interest of promoting this discussion:

[quote]More than 300 million tons of plastic are produced annually worldwide. Most take hundreds of years to break down, and even then, they just splinter into tiny microplastic pieces that will likely never biodegrade.[/quote]

That's not addressing the issue here. We already know that and have an answer for how to deal with plastics.

So my question is: Is this a more cost effective and/or more environmentally friendly way of dealing with the plastic we have at least partially succeeded in convincing people to  recycle?

As a side note, you may already know that the highways of Mexico and some US states are plastic junkyards as far as the eye can see. The first simple solution is to make plastic bottles refundable. Plastic bottles don't stay on  British Columbia's highways for more than a day.

[Mutex]

{THE FUTURE}

I remember back in the early 2000's, when man create the great plastic plague, where the dreaded enzymes were introduced into the environment and quickly spread around the world. 

That's why we can't have good things!

(plus I would rather Enzymes that eat plastic than plastic that eats Enzymes !!!!... (oh wait, it's the same thing!!)) 

[montgomery]

13 hours ago, Mutex said:

{THE FUTURE}

I remember back in the early 2000's, when man create the great plastic plague, where the dreaded enzymes were introduced into the environment and quickly spread around the world. 

That's why we can't have good things!

(plus I would rather Enzymes that eat plastic than plastic that eats Enzymes !!!!... (oh wait, it's the same thing!!)) 

So what do you think Mutex? So my question is: Is this a more cost effective and/or more environmentally friendly way of dealing with the plastic we have at least partially succeeded in convincing people to  recycle?

[Mutex]

11 minutes ago, montgomery said:

So what do you think Mutex? So my question is: Is this a more cost effective and/or more environmentally friendly way of dealing with the plastic we have at least partially succeeded in convincing people to  recycle?

Probably, but not polluting would be a good first step, humans have a long (and bad) history of 'biological' remedies, I live in Australia, we have Cane Toads here, they were introduced into the environment to eat a beetle. Cost effective and environmentally you might think right? Makes you feel all warm and cozy and helps you sleep at night?

Do you know what happened with Cane Toads? Turned out to be a complete disaster, doing untold environmental damage. 

So go ahead and develop a microbe that eats plastic, then look around at the amount of plastic you use every single day, I expect you are looking at your computer monitor now, that is made from plastic.

Science is about THINKING THINGS THROUGH, it's the half A$$ed efforts that do more damage than good.  But thanks for your righteous indignation.

And what's the deal with your trouble with font sizes? 

So no, I do not think it is more effective or necessarily environmentally friendly. 

IS there a more cost effective and environmentally friendly way, almost certainly, and potentially much safer too. 

[montgomery]

42 minutes ago, Mutex said:

Probably, but not polluting would be a good first step, humans have a long (and bad) history of 'biological' remedies, I live in Australia, we have Cane Toads here, they were introduced into the environment to eat a beetle. Cost effective and environmentally you might think right? Makes you feel all warm and cozy and helps you sleep at night?[quote]

I'm fully aware of the Cane toad problem. If there's anything good to be said about it would be that it must make Australia's people very aware of their responsibility to be environmentally conscious!

[quote]So go ahead and develop a microbe that eats plastic, then look around at the amount of plastic you use every single day, I expect you are looking at your computer monitor now, that is made from plastic.[/quote]

I hear you and I'm right up to you on that. Maybe even ahead of you but that's to be discovered.

I'm experiencing some difficulties with the new board format here. Too complicated to spend time with you on dealing with it. If the staff wants info they can ask me.

 

42 minutes ago, Mutex said:

Science is about THINKING THINGS THROUGH, it's the half A$$ed efforts that do more damage than good.  But thanks for your righteous indignation.

And what's the deal with your trouble with font sizes? 

So no, I do not think it is more effective or necessarily environmentally friendly. 

IS there a more cost effective and environmentally friendly way, almost certainly, and potentially much safer too. 

 

[montgomery]

Mutex, thanks for your answer to the question. Hopefully Victor will still have an interest in following this topic too.

 

p.s. Most of all I'm interested in creating some much needed traffic on this board because it's teetering on the verge IMO. But it has to be rational discussion by rational people or there's really no point in saving it. Any ideas?

[Mutex]

8 minutes ago, montgomery said:

Mutex, thanks for your answer to the question. Hopefully Victor will still have an interest in following this topic too.

 

p.s. Most of all I'm interested in creating some much needed traffic on this board because it's teetering on the verge IMO. But it has to be rational discussion by rational people or there's really no point in saving it. Any ideas?

I agree with you, I would really like to see more traffic, and some good content. 

It might be time for me to try to stir things up a bit, try to stimulate some needed debate. And forgive me if I came across as a di**. 

Yes, I have some idea's, I'll see if I can post something today.. 

[montgomery]

2 hours ago, Mutex said:

I agree with you, I would really like to see more traffic, and some good content. 

It might be time for me to try to stir things up a bit, try to stimulate some needed debate. And forgive me if I came across as a di**. 

Yes, I have some idea's, I'll see if I can post something today.. 

You're not coming across as a di**. If you come up with any good ideas you caan depend on my help. 

The new board format tells us they're sure interesting in surviving. I think 'they' have some attitude issues to deal with first.

[Vmedvil2]

4 hours ago, Mutex said:

Probably, but not polluting would be a good first step, humans have a long (and bad) history of 'biological' remedies, I live in Australia, we have Cane Toads here, they were introduced into the environment to eat a beetle. Cost effective and environmentally you might think right? Makes you feel all warm and cozy and helps you sleep at night?

Do you know what happened with Cane Toads? Turned out to be a complete disaster, doing untold environmental damage. 

So go ahead and develop a microbe that eats plastic, then look around at the amount of plastic you use every single day, I expect you are looking at your computer monitor now, that is made from plastic.

Science is about THINKING THINGS THROUGH, it's the half A$$ed efforts that do more damage than good.  But thanks for your righteous indignation.

And what's the deal with your trouble with font sizes? 

So no, I do not think it is more effective or necessarily environmentally friendly. 

IS there a more cost effective and environmentally friendly way, almost certainly, and potentially much safer too. 

Well, I think Plastic Eating Enzymes would be great if kept in a controlled environment, but if a self reproducing plasmid containing them escaped the factory setting that could be horrible for the environment just like any other Nanotechnological ecological disaster, the key to this is proper biocontainment protocols for working with Nanotechnology. Nanotechnology isn't just a toy to be played around with there are very real dangers to misusing it, it is the sort of technology like the atomic bomb and nuclear power, it must be respected or you can cause serious issues or even worldwide disaster.

Edited October 6, 2020 by VictorMedvil