Week 3d Chemistry (further thoughts on "Farmers in Connecticut Looking to Extract Dollars from Leftover Food" class discussion)

(original article here)

So I think the actual compost is more important than the energy we might be able to produce from it.  But I like the concept of the anaerobic digester and wonder if it could be applied to plastics instead of food waste.

Here's a couple articles promoting thoughts in that direction.

http://theconversation.com/new-plastic-munching-bacteria-could-fuel-a-recycling-revolution-55961
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/plastic-eating-enzyme-pollution-solution-waste-bottles-bacteria-portsmouth-a8307371.html

Comments

  1. CalijamJune 4, 2019 at 11:25 PM

    I worry about all the plastic in the ocean and I find the innovations in plastic-munching bacteria encouraging, but with reservations. So often people mess with nature, and when they try fix the abnormalities they created and encourage equilibrium, however unintentionally, they create another problem. I can't think of the specifics right now (feral pigs in Hawaii is vaguely coming to mind), but there are a few examples where some species of plant or animal being introduced by man and becoming invasive. Then another special of plant or animal is introduced to eat the original invasive pest, and then the solution in and of themselves becomes invasive.

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