This is actually a good idea, Intranets. Plants and many bacteria- blue green algae- fix CO2 into carbohydrates using solar energy. These bugs just take it one step further.
Bacteria do this to the tune of a trillion metric tons at the bottom of the oceans. Much of the non-fossil oil is likely a product of complex archeobacterial action. Venter just combined two bacterial actions that normally aren't related in his Frankenbug.
This is a good thing. A microorganism can be propagated, and could possibly halt or completely reverse the increase in atmospheric CO2 caused by modern man. Its use could halt global warming, save the Arctic, and stop the drive of the oil hegemons for global dominion.
Which, of course, will probably result in Exxon-Mobil or the Saudi Royals buying up all the American patents and trying to sit on them.
But hopefully it's too late for that. The Chinese and Indians know the bug can be made. More importantly, many of the scientists that are responsible for making it are Chinese and Indian. It's highly likely the bug will be in Asian labs very soon- if it isn't there already.
It is scary. It should be. But 7 billion people starving in a poisoned world without energy is an even a more frightening thought.
I see extinction of the human race, and possibly the entire biosphere as the result of a post-industrial neofeudalism where only the rich aristocrats have access to technology. The rest of humanity just won't stand for it. With an inexpensive source of renewable solar powered industrial energy, the human race, and the planet, buy breathing room.
The planets and the stars are not that far away if we learn to use the power of the sun instead of fossil fuels.
1 comment:
Hey Kelley B:
Read a really bad SF book about a bioengineered oil eating bug that was used on a spill in SF Bay (written in 1996).
The bug when air born ate the gas in cars, o-rings, and plastic. Ooops.
As you can imagine, hilarity ensued. Interesting premise, but poorly written so I won't recommend it. Kind of a Kilgore Trout book, good ideas terrible writing.
Of course the hippies living on wind power and a group of scientists working on microwave transmittable energy from space won the day, but not before a lot of lose of life from a government who wanted to keep control with force.
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