Bio-based plastics aim to capture carbon… but at what cost?

Growing crops to make plastic could cut fossil fuel use, pull carbon out of the atmosphere.

Bio-based plastics aim to capture carbon... but at what cost?

Enlarge (credit: Juan Moyano / Getty Images)

It’s the year 2050, and humanity has made huge progress in decarbonizing. That’s thanks in large part to the negligible price of solar and wind power, which was cratering even back in 2022. Yet the fossil fuel industry hasn’t just doubled down on making plastics from oil and gas—instead, as the World Economic Forum warned would happen, it has tripled production from 2016 levels. In 2050, humans are churning out trillions of pounds of plastic a year, and in the process emitting the greenhouse gas equivalent of over 600 coal-fired power plants. Three decades from now, we’ve stopped using so much oil and gas as fuel, yet way more of them as plastic.

Back here in 2022, people are trying to head off that nightmare scenario with a much-hyped concept called “bio-based plastics.” The backbones of traditional plastics are chains of carbon derived from fossil fuels. Bioplastics instead use carbon extracted from crops like corn or sugarcane, which is then mixed with other chemicals, like plasticizers, found in traditional plastics. Growing those plants pulls carbon out of the atmosphere, and locks it inside the bioplastic—if it is used for a permanent purpose, like building materials, rather than single-use cups and bags.

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EU-Gipfel: Neue Sanktionen gegen Russland

Der Ukraine werden im kommenden Jahr 18 Milliarden Euro zur Verfügung gestellt. Auch die Militärhilfe wird ausgebaut. Polen sprach sich für eine Verschärfung der Sanktionen aus.

Der Ukraine werden im kommenden Jahr 18 Milliarden Euro zur Verfügung gestellt. Auch die Militärhilfe wird ausgebaut. Polen sprach sich für eine Verschärfung der Sanktionen aus.

Topton TP-X4F is a mini PC with Ryzen 5000U and four 2.5 GbE Ethernet ports for $346 and up

Chinese PC maker Topton’s new TP-X4F “Soft Router” system is a compact computer designed for use as a networking device. With four 2.5 GbE Ethernet ports, it’s a system that could be used as a firewall, router, network-attached…

Chinese PC maker Topton’s new TP-X4F “Soft Router” system is a compact computer designed for use as a networking device. With four 2.5 GbE Ethernet ports, it’s a system that could be used as a firewall, router, network-attached-storage device, or media server, among other things. But under the hood, it also has the guts of […]

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Deutsche Bahn: Bund unterstützt Verkauf von DB Schenker

Der Bund will eine Konzentration der Deutschen Bahn auf das Kerngeschäft in Deutschland forcieren. DB Schenker könnte von der Deutschen Post gekauft werden. (DB Schenker, Deutsche Bahn)

Der Bund will eine Konzentration der Deutschen Bahn auf das Kerngeschäft in Deutschland forcieren. DB Schenker könnte von der Deutschen Post gekauft werden. (DB Schenker, Deutsche Bahn)

Review: HP’s Dragonfly Folio G3 stays cool and quiet in faux leather

High-fashion 2-in-1’s inflated price is more for its design than its performance.

HP Dragonfly Folio G3 with the screen pulled forward

Enlarge / The HP Dragonfly Folio G3 2-in-1 laptop. (credit: Scharon Harding)

Specs at a glance: HP Dragonfly Folio G3
Worst Best As reviewed
Screen 13.5-inch 1920×1280 IPS touchscreen 13.5-inch 1920× 1280 IPS touchscreen with HP Sure View Reflect Privacy 13.5-inch 1920×1280 IPS touchscreen
OS Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Pro
CPU Intel Core i7-1255U vPro Intel Core i7-1265U vPro
RAM 16GB LPDDR5-6400 32GB LPDDR5-6400 16GB LPDDR5-6400
Storage 512GB NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD 1TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD 512GB NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD
Networking Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, 5G
Ports 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x 3.5 mm 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x 3.5 mm jack, 1x Nano SIM card reader
Size 11.67×9.22× 0.7 inches
(296.42×234.19×17.78 mm)
Weight Starts at 3.09 lbs (1.4 kg)
Battery 53 Wh
Warranty 1 year
Price (MSRP) $2,379 $4,715 $2,749
Other Stylus with 3x extra tips included

Dressed to impress, HP's Dragonfly Folio G3 is a unique machine with a high price tag to match (it starts at $2,379 as of press time). Like other Dragonfly laptops, including the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook and Elite Dragonfly G3, the Folio G3 is largely aimed at business users. But this isn't the type of 2-in-1 that IT managers will be distributing company-wide.

Instead, the Folio G3 will land in the hands of executives and big-spending power users willing to splurge for a distinct look and feel—and way more flexibility than almost every other convertible PC can boast. With its current-gen CPU, this machine is an intriguing alternative to Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio, which has a screen with a similar pull-forward design that lets it prop onto the deck or lay on top of the keyboard to work like a tablet.

HP's Folio G3 is finely crafted, it stays cool and quiet, and it begs to be shown off. But if you prioritize performance over things like stylus input and an adaptable screen, there are more suitable ultralight laptops.

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