A breaking new story is making its rounds through several media sources that a man in Japan has invented a machine which can convert plastics back to their original oil form. If this is true, it would be a breakthrough in technology that solves several problems. First, the amount of garbage that has piled up in both developed and developing countries would be cleaned up immediately as people realized that what was once considered worthless trash now has a very practical value.
Second, according to the video documenting the creation of the machine, the oil that is burned from these plastics is much cleaner than the oil we use now and would lower our carbon emissions by 80%.
Third, this would temporarily solve the growing concern that exists about how the world will function once the drills have tapped all of the earth's supply of natural oil. (This last solution is one that is bittersweet, since it will cause governments and research groups to lose focus on the urgency for finding a clean, alternative energy solution.)
The machine is incredible, yet the process seems incredibly simple. It makes you wonder, "Hey, why didn't I think of that?"
As you can see in the video below, any type of plastics from bottle caps to grocery bags can be placed into this small machine (that is transportable), and the cover is shut. The machine then heats the plastic to very high temperatures, causing it to burn and emit gas that is filtered through a tube. This tube is connected to a pot of tap water, which cools the gas into liquid causing oil to build up in the pot.
The man's name is Akinori Ito, and he has taken his machine around the world to educate people about his new invention. According to Ito, people do not realize the value of the plastics that they throw in the garbage pail or in the street. If they understood that this "waste" could be converted to energy which would power their cars and motorbikes, and heat their homes, then they would have a much different outlook on littering and abusing the environment.
Americans get frustrated every time they have to pay $3 a gallon to pump gas into their cars. Once they put 2-and-2 together here, it will create an incentive for them to be much more enthusiastic about recycling their plastics.
And here's my favorite part (and you will know what I am about to say if you have been following my blog entries about the Gulf oil spill): It means less and less business for the BP Company and its competitors, who greedily plunder the earth's precious resources for a handsome profit!
Sure, we are all forced to give them our money because how else would we travel far distances to get to work in the morning? But with this breaking new alternative method available, I would not be surprised if people started plastic-to-oil fields right in their very own backyard, just to spite these corporations. I know I would!
So consider the value that this new machine can bring to the planet. It's a win-win for both you and the environment. Let's hope the machine is as efficient as the video portays it to be. Watch it and see for yourself.
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