I disagree on that plant based plastics, and you are missing my point. My point on petroleum was just to say I derive some of my lively hood from commodity markets based on trading Crude, NGLS, Ethanol, and some other things like metals, coal, etc. Even though this is the case, I still am a huge proponent for solar! However, we need to focus on a systematic cheapening of solar output per dollar for mainstream use, not clear solar panels that don't even make use of the most powerful spectrum of light.(even so I am still mostly in favor of this research)
Which brings me to my second point and why I disagree on plant based plastics. Oil is way cheaper to make plastics with than any other organic element. Further when you devote arable land to something other than food there is always going to be market pressure that will drive up food prices. I have enough experience in commodity markets to know that ethanol is a losing proposition right now. If we stop making oil based plastics we are going to run into the same issues with unnatural subsidies propping up the market. I do wish that we could just stop pulling oil out of the ground and use our plant waste to make all the plastic we currently use, but it just isn't the case. Attitudes and consumption per capita would need to go WAY down for this to work out.
> However, we need to focus on a systematic cheapening of solar output per dollar for mainstream use, not clear solar panels that don't even make use of the most powerful spectrum of light.(even so I am still mostly in favor of this research)
Solar already competes with oil despite comparatively massive subsidies for the oil industry. The problem at this point isn't the technology: the tech is good enough (although better would obviously be better--I'm not saying more research isn't warranted). The problem is government misdirecting funds into non-renewables.
> Oil is way cheaper to make plastics with than any other organic element.
Petroleum is cheaper to make plastics with, and only because oil companies have already footed the bill of locating and drilling the petroleum. If petroleum-based plastics ceased to be the byproduct of a much more lucrative industry they would cease to be as cheap.
> Further when you devote arable land to something other than food there is always going to be market pressure that will drive up food prices.
I don't think you have enough data to say that. Corn and soybeans are very different markets, and that's not even looking at other potential plant sources of plastics. Not all plant sources of plastic would be detracting from food production.
Which brings me to my second point and why I disagree on plant based plastics. Oil is way cheaper to make plastics with than any other organic element. Further when you devote arable land to something other than food there is always going to be market pressure that will drive up food prices. I have enough experience in commodity markets to know that ethanol is a losing proposition right now. If we stop making oil based plastics we are going to run into the same issues with unnatural subsidies propping up the market. I do wish that we could just stop pulling oil out of the ground and use our plant waste to make all the plastic we currently use, but it just isn't the case. Attitudes and consumption per capita would need to go WAY down for this to work out.