I have always wondered myself why there is not more talk about this, we
are not just talking plastics, but also rubber (try driving your current
vehicle very far without tires.) Much of our clothing also contains
plastic (read petroleum) these days. We may indeed go back to the days
of celluloid and casein. I know that a number of companies are working
with 'natural plastics such as polylactide, ect as well. The days of
cheap high performance plastics are probably numbered right along with
petroleum.
Every now and then a customer will comment to me, well I be you can't
wait until oil gets real expensive or runs out, your businesss will be
great! (I own a bicycle shop.) Have yet to figure out where I will get
tires from, or the many bicycle parts manufactured from plastic. Wonder
how the manufacturer will get them to my door in an affordable manner.
Yeah, I can't wait! Believe me, when we run out of petroleum, it won't
be pretty!
I also wonder when people will start actually comparing the greenhouse
gas output of biodiesel, and other alternatives to petroleum. May solve
one of the problems facing us, but as long as we are burning things to
produce energy, and using it at the rate we do, we still have a problem
in my mind!
Jim Couch
Winsor Crosby wrote:
> One thing I never hear discussed is plastics which have literally
> changed the way we live. Virtually all of them are made from
> petroleum as are many of the chemicals used in our economy. You
> wonder what will happen with these things if all the remaining oil is
> sucked up as fuel. I suppose substitute plastics will be invented
> from renewable resources. It is easy to imagine an ordinary sofa with
> a synthetic fabric covering a frame and cushions padded with urethane
> foam and polyester fiber batting costing more than what is now
> considered a luxury sofa with silk fabric, horsehair padding and down
> pillows. Alloy cameras would be a cheap alternative to luxury polymer
> bodies and it is difficult to imagine a plastic free automobile or
> hospital room.
>
>
>
> Winsor
> Long Beach, California, USA
>
>
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