Can you make car tires from trees and grass?
University of Minnesota researchers can. They've discovered a new way to make isoprene (a key molecule in car tires) which means the tires made from biomass would be identical to the tires we're using now - the ones made primarily from fossil fuels.
The conversation is moving forward now on two fronts. Economic analysis is looking into how to get the tires into production at a competitive price.
But at the same time, a variety of disciplines across the University are looking into sustainable processes and the big picture: what kinds of implications could renewable tires have?
If you missed the story on Earthwise, you can listen to it here. Earthwise is a regular feature of Northland Morning, every morning at 7:08am.