Bug that excretes petrol?!

[AiR]

Originally Posted by argatoga

Sounds nice, but how efficient is it compared to sticking a tube in the ground and having oil spurt out?

That is the problem. Making enough requires silly ammounts of bacteria. But the important thing is that you can drive all you want, your net output of CO2 will be zero.

[Scott]

This is very real by the way, here is a link to the company's press page... I for one am all for this, and I wish them well in their endeavor!


http://www.ls9.com/news/

[matt2000]

Originally Posted by Scott

This is very real by the way, here is a link to the company's press page... I for one am all for this, and I wish them well in their endeavor!


http://www.ls9.com/news/

Glad you posted that, I wasn't sure myself. I am all for the bug too (despite my last post), and I don't think it can really be compared to nuclear power. This clears up rubbish and won't give people two heads if there is an accident. They might eat your flesh, but that's all.

[racingfan1]

Originally Posted by matt2000

They might eat your flesh, but that's all.

Really? Sign me up for some of them. I could use them to get rid of annoying people, and then use the 'formerly known as' annoying person to fuel my car.

[TBoneUs]

Originally Posted by smib

I saw an article on this a while ago and the interviewer asked about that. The scientist said that they would also be genetically engineered to die of removed from thier environment.

Your point is very valid. One of my professors works on a bacteria to convert biowaste into fuel. According to him the escape of the bacteria is a serious problem. One that hasn't been overcome yet. His fear is that if it escapes it could start converting the worlds plankton to fuel. Which would be horrible.

What they are working on now is bacteria that last long enough to be economically feasible but at the same time safe. They are trying to make a strain of bacteria that lasts a specific number of generations before dying. This will solve the escape problem. Assuming it doesn't mutate. Which is a big assumption.

[argatoga]

Originally Posted by TBoneUs

Assuming it doesn't mutate. Which is a big assumption.

That's a big problem. They evolve too quickly, you can't guarantee they will keep the same genetic programing forever.

[GraemeH]

If the net CO2 change is negative, that could be disastrous in many years time. Imagine all the CO2 in the world being sucked up? The planet would start to lose its greenhouse effect, no? They'd need to find a way to make them CO2 neutral, not negative.

[NooDle]

bug crap ftw!

but if this technology works, it will only become mainstream after all the oil has already dried up.
So far, it's still easier ramming a pipe into the ground and having crude oil squirt out

[Hercules286]

We should generically modify bugs to grow big, with wings in specific shapes. Imagine a car made with chitin body panels - very light and very strong, and alot cheaper than carbon fibre. What could possibly go wrong?

I mean, other than an insect war. With giant cockroaches.

[AiR]

Originally Posted by GraemeH

If the net CO2 change is negative, that could be disastrous in many years time. Imagine all the CO2 in the world being sucked up? The planet would start to lose its greenhouse effect, no? They'd need to find a way to make them CO2 neutral, not negative.

Emitting CO2 isnt a problem as we've proven by now.

[matt2000]

Originally Posted by racingfan1

Really? Sign me up for some of them. I could use them to get rid of annoying people, and then use the 'formerly known as' annoying person to fuel my car.

Better not tell anyone in Zimbabwe about this.

/Gone too far.

Originally Posted by GraemeH

If the net CO2 change is negative, that could be disastrous in many years time. Imagine all the CO2 in the world being sucked up? The planet would start to lose its greenhouse effect, no? They'd need to find a way to make them CO2 neutral, not negative.

If petrol was unlimited, then people would buy bigger cars, which would therefore produce more CO2. Powerstations would be powered by it too, so it would balance out I think. Also what I think they meant was the bugs breathe CO2 instead of oxygen.

[Aiolos]

This seems too good to be true, but hopefully we can find some way to make it feasible. If you go into the link and read the whole article, it says

The closest that LS9 has come to mass production is a 1,000-litre fermenting machine, which looks like a large stainless-steel jar, next to a wardrobe-sized computer connected by a tangle of cables and tubes. It has not yet been plugged in. The machine produces the equivalent of one barrel a week and takes up 40 sq ft of floor space.

However, to substitute America’s weekly oil consumption of 143 million barrels, you would need a facility that covered about 205 square miles, an area roughly the size of Chicago.

I mean, I have no problem with putting some plant like that somewhere in the midwest and paying $50 a barrel. Seriously. That would also eliminate dependence on foreign oil, which would be total sweetness.

Originally Posted by GraemeH

If the net CO2 change is negative, that could be disastrous in many years time. Imagine all the CO2 in the world being sucked up? The planet would start to lose its greenhouse effect, no? They'd need to find a way to make them CO2 neutral, not negative.

I actually doubt that would pose a problem, considering that even though this process is carbon negative, it is still fuel that is going into the cars, which means carbon emissions from the cars. This would actually probably create a nice balance.

Originally Posted by the Interceptor

With this upcoming "bacteria and bugs eat biowaste and produce fuel" reports, does anyone else feel reminded of the beginning of Back to the Future 2, where Doc Brown puts a Banana and some Beer into the Delorean?

Not at first, but now that you mention it, yes! Ironically I just finished getting all 3 BTTF's in high quality.

Originally Posted by Gatecrasher

*waits for bug activists to complain that the insects are not being treated humanely*

Originally Posted by Crazyjeeper

*waits on roof with rifle for said activists to show up*

Throw me a gun and I'll help ya take em out

Originally Posted by jensked

There is already such a creature:

/picture of Nibbler

I so lol'ed right there