More Plant Plastics on the Way
Food writer Emily Kaiser sent me excerpts from a recent Wall Street Journal article about Archer Daniels Midland’s research into industrial materials made from plants.
I recently mentioned a water bottle made from corn-based plastic, but that’s the vanguard of a coming wave of plant-based plastics, which might come to market in trucks running on plant-based fuels. From the article: “ADM rival Cargill Inc. is using corn and soybeans to make plastics and urethane foam for seat cushions. DuPont Co. is using corn to make an ingredient in fabric and carpet.” These companies see a clear business opportunity as President Bush urges Americans to end their “addiction” to foreign oil. Rising oil prices make these plant synthetics an affordable option.
Environmentalists and industrialists may both agree about the benefits of these new products, but Joanne of Fork & Bottle worries that the new technology will stampede over the few controls we have in place for genetically modified organisms. Is an addiction to a monohybrid corn agriculture better than one to foreign oil sources? Both are ticking time bombs, and it will be a race to see which detonates first.
