By Emi Gruender
22-year-old engineer Justin Brown has been going viral recently as a result of his innovative solution to the energy/pollution crisis—Plastoline. Those whothat have been following his journey from the beginning affirm that the young man started off with a rudimentary setup in some secluded wooded area, but with support, began to expand. Now, he boasts a full pseudo-factory setup to convert plastic waste into usable fuel, using a long-existing technique called pyrolysis. Most recently, he livestreamed his first public demonstration of the fuel’s capabilities by filling a racecar’s empty tank and subsequently driving it.
However, many believe that Brown needs to be very careful about this development. The general public is all too familiar with the curious pattern of innovators suddenly disappearing the moment they begin to succeed. As a result, his comment section, on Instagram at least, is filled to the brim with cynical and sincere comments alike: all discussing the newly-painted target on his forehead.
“HE IS NOT SUICIDAL, REMEMBER THAT“ reads @gianniquellodi. “Watch yourself,“ writes another. Though these comments are highly amusing, therein lies a genuine concern. If Brown has innovated what he is advertising, such a source of cheap and highly available raw material (plastic) could threaten large monopolizing oil corporations. Despite being such a lucrative possibility, both environmentally and fiscally, Brown has a long and difficult road ahead of him to make Plastoline a readily available resource.