We've had discussions of the palm tree oil disaster of Indonesia but this recently came out: Toyota to Debut the Setsuna Concept Car at Milan Design Week | TOYOTA Global Newsroom Note which side the driver sits. I began to wonder if palm tree wood and a plastic binder (aka., epoxy) could be used to make mold formed, bodies? At least then the palm tree 'plantations' could provide both oil and material to the car industry. Bob Wilson
I'm pretty sure the palm oil is coming from the coconut. So you aren't cutting the tree down for the oil.
Nope, I saw a How it's Made on palm oil. The palm oil is pressed out of the palm fruit, much like olive oil pressed from olives. But yes, the tree isn't cut down during harvesting of the bunches of palm fruit.
I wish it was coconut oil as coconut oil might be nifty for advanced biodiesel and jet fuel. This is because Coconut oil is somewhat lower carbon number. But I do not think coconut is made enough to supply the worlds energy. Palm Oil is really only good for advanced biodiesel which is the Neste stuff imported to CA from Singapore. Palm oil has many many uses. Palm oil is also somewhat lower carbon number, but not quite like coconut.
Well, it's a specifically designed "concept" car. And reading the press release? Well, some Toyota designers have too much time on their hands. But it will be neat to roll out at Auto Shows. I personally would have no interest in a vehicle I have to "Pledge" wax and varnish.
Oh gawd what are you guys up to? Wood (or palm stems that are not exactly wood) as structural material? Plant-derived oils as diesel-fuel precursors? Tropical forests can be repurposed to provide better economic benefits?
I had to stop reading that marketing blurb after the first couple of sentences. Yikes, what a load of horse-hockey!!!
The ccrporate california type new environmentalism. Cut down the old growth. Build tree crops. Pretend it reduces ghg and don't worry about the other damage. It is in the sense of pretending destroying the environment is green because one tiny measure ghg is reduced compared to a supposed status quo.
