By Curtis Sumner
Picture on the left- a scientist that is working on altering the DNA of some insects to excrete oil.
Author- Jennifer Horton
Publication- unknown
Date-unknown
Summary;
Some scientists who have been faced with the problem of energy usage and replenishing have been working on altering the DNA of bugs and insects, to try to get them to excrete oil, or at least something that is molecularly similar to crude oil. Normally, insects excrete some of their fatty acids, but with the help of genetic engineering, it is now possible to change that to a crude oil that is pretty much ready for the pump. And now, it only takes a few weeks and $20,000, compared to before, when it took several months of work and hundreds of thousands of dollars to accomplish the same thing. The inventors working on this "Oil2.0" are imagining it as being both renewable and carbon negative, so it will take more carbon out of the atmosphere than it puts in, kind of like celery and it's negative calories. Not only that, these organisms don't rely on any single food source, just anything that's available. This means that any argument of using specific food crops is going headfirst out the window. This idea was first put out in June of 2008, when LS9, the company that is working on the whole thing, could produce about one barrel of oil per week. To this day, they are still improving the machine used for that, and are trying to make it take up less space and produce more usable oil.
Opinion;
Finally! Another way to get energy without causing any harm to the atmosphere. What makes it even better is that the new solution can be used as oil, so cars with oil usage still have a chance at survival. What I can't help thinking of, though, is what the downside will be. Most methods have at least one. As I write that, I realize that of course that the insects are getting harmed, -ish. Since they now spew oil instead of fat, if too much of that gets into a body of water, we'll be back to the BP oil spill- again. God help us if that happens. And scientists are still working on it. But it can't be too much longer until they come out with a new machine that will produce more oil and take up less space. and that will completely change the way we use oil.
Questions;
1. What do you think could happen if we start taking insect excretes for energy?
2. What will happen to the other renewable methods of getting energy if we start to use this more often?
3. Could this have any negative affect on the ecosystem known as Earth?
4. How many people would you guess would choose to scare bugs into excreting oil, then putting it in their car? Or in a factory?
5. Should the EPA and other environment agencies put more money into this project, since it will inevitably affect the environment in both positive and negative ways?
Sites;
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/five-forms-alternative-energy3.htm
(works for both the info and the picture)
1. If we start to take taking insect excrete for energy is that people may over use the amount of bugs to get the excretes they want. If they over use the bugs then there will be a decrease in certain species of insects. If we are not careful about how many bugs we try to get insect excrete than extinction may occur eith certain species.
ReplyDelete2. If we start to use this method more than other renewable methods we will have a more abundant amount of the renweable resouces we use for renewable methods. As we keep using the insect excrete method, the renewable resource methods we only be supplied more as time goes by.
3. Yes, I think it eventually will. Say if we focus on one insect to recieve excretes than we may over use them. If we use an ant to excrete then an anteater will have less food sources in the jungle and if those anteater in the jungle are damaged in population then so will their predators. So then the anteaters will also be damaged in ways. This will only go on and on.
4. I think a lot of people would choose to scare because they may notice how more helpful and efficient it will be instead of other ways. It will only help the environment and our surroundings in a beneficial way so why not choose to scare bugs instead putting it in their car.
5. Yes, I think they should put more money towards this project. Any method we try and save energy we will have to spend a good amount of money and will also have many positives and negatives. So I think they should because so far it has only made good progress and sounds llike it will be doing well in the future.
1.I think that we could kill a larg peice of the insect population. THis could also cause serious diseases if an insect is eaten by another animal or bites a human.
ReplyDelete2. The other scources of energy will become obsalete and this will become the new way to harvest oil. THis could revolutionize the way we get oil today.
3. Yes i very well could have a negitive effect on the earth. These insects could be let loose by accident and repopulate in a rural area. This could drastically alter the ecosystem
4. I would guess that the entire united states would go along with this plan to make oil from bug excrement.
5. Yes the EPA should put more money into this project because it can save the wealth of the US and save the atmosphere. This could change the way we get oil today in the best way, we deffinatly need the help of the EPA
Here is a related artical
http://www.wayodd.com/california-firm-making-oil-from-bug-poop/v/9276/
This is a very interesting subject that i would never have thought of thinking!
ReplyDeleteQuestions i have
1)How much would something like this cost?
2) How many bugs would they need?
3) Who exactly thought of thi
1. Well, knowing that insect and bug populations are pretty overpopulated, i'd think that it would be good to decrease them to some degree. and if it's going to be able to help us make fuel, then it's a big change.
ReplyDelete2. If it's going to be making crude oil, then it is going to help us preserve the amount of oil that we use for fuel for a bit longer.
3. Of course it can, because some insects are actually beneficial to us. And if we decrease the population of the insects too much, then the things that we benefit from with begin to decrease as well.
4. I would think that most people would agree to getting rid of the bugs to use as fuel because most people think of bugs as pests.
5. I think that the EPA should look more into and study it more before they put it in action,because the negative effects could be really drastic, but then again, the positive effects will help alot. so i definitely think that it should be looked into.