PC World: "Corn-Based CDs Delayed"

[Kent Pribbernow]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,116852,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,116852,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Sanyo Electric has delayed the introduction of an optical disc based on a polymer derived from corn that was announced last year as a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic discs. The disc, dubbed "MildDisc" by Sanyo, was to have been offered to customers from December last year and volume production was due to begin in the first half of this year but this has been delayed while Sanyo refines the technology, says Ryan Watson, a spokesperson for the Osaka-based company."</i><br /><br />This idea sounds rather "corny" to me. Do we really want CDs that melt or fail under extreme heat? Consumers shouldn't have to worry about heat tolerances when choosing storage medium. But, heck, if these CDs do break down over time you can just open a container of French Onion dip and eat the CD. <br /><br />And I love the name - MildDisk? Does that mean they also come in Hot or Salsa flavor as well? :lol:

[crstbo623]

I think it is a great idea. How often do you burn CDs for the car that you know are going to be too scratchy in a year to play anyway. Why not use a more environmentally friendly CD for those CDs that you burn and know you are going to toss anyway. It is great to hear that Sanyo is doing this type of research and work. And how often is the average consumer using CDs in "extreme heat"?

I am kinda suprised at you Kent, why can't we being digital media fans who are also conscious of the effects we are having on the environment? :? Shouldn't our kids be able to enjoy these technologies and more in an environment that isn't completely ravaged by their creation? Will they only be able to find beautiful views in digital photos on non-environmentally friendly CDs rather that looking outside?

[Kent Pribbernow]

And how often is the average consumer using CDs in "extreme heat"?

People leave CDs on car seats baking in the hot summer sun all the time. Every time I go to the grocery store, the car parked next to me usually has CDs laying around like a Sam Goody store exploded. That is one good example of "extreme" heat. And if this "Corn-based" technology can't stand up to that, then it won't be a suitable replacement for current materials.

I am kinda suprised at you Kent, why can't we being digital media fans who are also conscious of the effects we are having on the environment?

Who said I'm against environmentally safe technology? I just want an environmental solution that works. And there is, perhaps, another side of the coin that could be very damaging to the environment. This CD is based on Corn, right? Well...if this technology takes off, ultimately replacing the CD as we know it. That will drive ravenous agricultural growth, which could result in over-harvesting and soil erosion. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

[Crocuta]

This CD is based on Corn, right? Well...if this technology takes off, ultimately replacing the CD as we know it. That will drive ravenous agricultural growth, which could result in over-harvesting and soil erosion. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Right you are, Kent. I'm not sure where people got the idea that corn production is envirionmentally friendly. My guess is that this view has been promoted by the industry to support the subsidies they are receiving for corn used in ethanol production.

Corn production is not environmentally friendly at all; it could be the poster-crop for highly-erosive, high-chemical agriculture. While there are some superficial positive aspects to ethanol, such as appearing to not contribute to greenhouse gases, that's only true when you look at the end product in isolation. When you consider all of the inputs into the production of ethanol, it turns out to return less energy than it takes to make it, so you end up with a net loss in the bargain. That is, you use more oil to make ethanol that it saves you by making it.

These discs should be considered from the same full-process perspective. Since corn is environmentally damaging and oil production is environmentally damaging, you'd need to consider carefully whether you end up better off in net with this type of disc than with the old ones. Kent's car example is a good one. Even if it turns out that these discs are more environmentally friendly than conventional discs on a one-to-one basis, you'll still have to be sure to use them in the right applications. If they're subject to heat damage, for example, it might be that you have to replace a car CD three or four times in the life of a standard CD. That might not be as friendly on balance.

On the other hand, if it really does turn out to be more friendly one-for-one than a standard CD, it might be a viable replacement for the hundreds of millions of free CDs that companies send out as promotions. Why AOL alone probably runs through some millions of CDs each year, many of which sit unopened in a junk drawer in my house. :lol:

If we were really concerned with being environmentally friendly, then we'd all use CD-RWs for everything. Then when AOL sent me free offers on CD, I could just reformat and reuse it for something else. Recycling of CDs would save us much more in the long run than making disposable CDs out of corn.

[dean_shan]

Then when AOL sent me free offers on CD, I could just reformat and reuse it for something else. Recycling of CDs would save us much more in the long run than making disposable CDs out of corn.

That's what I did when AOL used floppies. I used to like getting AOL disks casue then I would just erase it and use it for somthing else. My excitment for AOL disks ended once they switched to CDs.

[Filip Norrgard]

For all I care, if the AOL corn-CD ever comes out, then I would have to store them all for emergencies. Then when an emergency strikes, I can throw one on the ol' BBQ and have a nice dinner... :lol:

Yummy! :popcorn:

[ctmagnus]

We all know what happens when you microwave a conventional CD, but what happens when you microwave one of these? :D

[James Fee]

Yummy! :popcorn:
Totally, think about those times you are hungry but too lazy to get up. Just reach for a CD and go to town. http://members.cox.net/jamesf1/emots/eating.gif

[Kent Pribbernow]

And we can put all those worthless AOL CDS to work by sending them overseas to poor nations. Fight AOL and cure world hunger at the same time. What could be better. :P