26 Jun 2005 16:24
amber waves of plastic
<http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-grain26jun26,0,4198107.story> To Replace Oil, U.S. Experts See Amber Waves of Plastic American crops could be used in place of many products' petroleum base, some scientists say. By Stephanie Simon Times Staff Writer June 26, 2005 BLAIR, Neb. — He operates 90,000 feet of hissing pipes and dozens of enormous churning vats — an industrial jungle with a single, remarkable purpose: "Essentially," plant manager Bill Suehr says, "we've got corn coming in at one end and plastic coming out the other." In a hot, noisy factory that smells of Frosted Flakes, yeast and wet farm animals, agribusiness giant Cargill Inc. has set out to lead a new industrial revolution — one fed by the green fields of the Midwest rather than the oil fields of the Middle East. Sprawled across a square mile of prairie, a series of automated assembly lines turns raw corn kernels first into sugary syrup and then into white pellets that can be spun into silky fabric or molded into clear, tough plastic. The end products — which include T-shirts, forks and coffins — look, feel and perform like traditional polyester and plastic made from a petroleum base. But the manufacturing process consumes 50% less fossil(Continue reading)
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