[peppercorn (OP)]

See

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4133668.ece

"Mr Pal holds up a small beaker of bug excretion that could, theoretically, be poured into the tank of the giant Lexus SUV next to us."

"The company claims that this “Oil 2.0” will not only be renewable but also carbon negative"

And before everyone goes on about "Oh, what if they escape?"
I'm fairly sure the process is anaerobic, so they will die outside...

[Don_1]

Just how much agricultural waste is needed to produce a barrel of crude? How long will it take? How much will it cost for large scale production?

I see no point in getting excited about this until more is known.

[lyner]

Wait 200 million years and the system can do it already.

[Bored chemist]

A coup[le of thoughts.
If it seem too good to be true, it probably is.
The "waste" they are using was generated using a lot of oil for fertiliser, irrigation, trasnport etc.
I doubt it would work as a closed system.

Having said that; we have the waste- why not try to recycle some of it this way?

[Don_1]

Having said that; we have the waste- why not try to recycle some of it this way?

Isn't most of this waste already used as winter feed/bedding for livestock, pet bedding for Johnny's little rabbit, and the remainder for composting? If not, why not? We are being forced to put all our compostable waste into the appropriate bin on pain of fines for failure to do so, shouldn't farmers also be putting this waste in to compost heaps. Returning the 'goodness' to the soil for the next crop to benefit from, rather than the use of so much oil based fertilizer. Seems to me a far better use for this waste than a large energy consuming plant to produce a few barrels of crude oil, after some considerable time, which then has to be transported to a refinery.

Don't forget also, the cost to the environment in getting thousands of tons of waste from farms all over the country to the production plant.

On reflection, it seems to me to be another half baked scheme to 'save the planet' which will end up using as much or more energy than it produces. Leave the waste on the farm which produces it to be composted & used on that same farm to improve the soil.

[JimBob]

Wait 200 million years and the system can do it already.

Actually, it takes a lot less time than that - 1 million years or less. Temperature and pressure are the key.

[Myinvestors]

I am very glad to hear that they were trying to find alternative fuels and break away from the Arab control of oil, but, Isn't it unethical to create something just to use it then destroy it, Doesn't seem very ethical to me. I was all for I until i saw there destroyed when there done.

newbielink:http://www.myinvestorsplace.com [nonactive]

[Rhino337]

On a simular vain
newbielink:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103192319.htm [nonactive]
A fungus that excrets diesel. It can breakdown waste plant material, cornstalks, leaves... Anything with cellulose. 

[sveur]

... break away from the Arab control of oil ...

There is a movement i USA called hypermilers. They want to be as indipendent from arab oil as possible, so they drive as economic as possible. They even have eco races where they drive up and down a mountain to see who can do it using as little petrol as possible ...

[Karsten]

They even have eco races where they drive up and down a mountain to see who can do it using as little petrol as possible ...

Now that makes sense. Not. How about NOT racing up and down that mountain to not use the gasoline? Any person who does not participate in this event pollutes less. And that does not even include the gas consumption by the spectators who travel to those mountains to watch. Feel good environmentalism. It is the same when people go on eco-vacations in far away places. Anyone staying home pollutes less.

Nothing against super-efficient driving, but keep it real please. There is no reason to drive up and down mountains. Keep events like this in places where people have to go anyways. How about competitions within a company? Some people walk/bike to work because they decided to live close to work or work close to their home. That is what we should do and these people should be honored. What we should not do is to buy a super-efficient vehicle (or drive any vehicle efficiently) and continue living 50 miles from where we need to be every day.

[Nizzle]

And before everyone goes on about "Oh, what if they escape?"
I'm fairly sure the process is anaerobic, so they will die outside...

I'm afraid not. As per article: "They start out as industrial yeast or nonpathogenic strains of E. coli"

Both Saccharomyces as Escherichia are aerobic species. And before everyone goes on about "Oh, what if they escape?"

They won't be harmfull, they'll just make everything greasy []