Dandelion Rubber Could Be Inexpensive, High Quality Alternative to Tree Rubber
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY 
on 08. 7.08
photo by mgpenguin86 via flickr
Discovery News is highlighting an interesting development in the field of rubber. According to new research being done in Ohio, dandelion root sap could be made into a rubber of equal quality to traditional rubber from trees, at a lower cost.
The exact details concerning growing and harvesting the plants, such as how many inches apart and when they should be planted, are still being worked out, but the researchers expect that within a few years the processing plant in Ohio could produce about 20 million tons of rubber annually.By 2015 they hope to triple that amount, to more than 60 million tons, most of which will be used for research purposes.
Menacing Lawns?
I have to interject though, in the original article there are references to the menace of dandelions on American lawns: “Nearby lawn owners shouldn’t panic. The dandelions the researchers are using aren’t the ones disgracing our nation’s lawns...”
Perhaps the greater menace are the ways we care for the lawns themselves, chemical fertilizers and fossil-fuel powered lawn mowers.
Lawn Care
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