Question Earthority!

“Scientists at Ford Motor Company have formulated the chemistry to replace 40 percent of the standard petroleum-based polyol — used to create the foam used in vehicles for seat cushions, seat backs, armrests and head restraints — with a soy-derived material. Many in the automotive industry are experimenting with a 5 percent soy-based polyol. ‘Five percent is relatively easy, a nice walk-before-you-run application, but there really isn’t a solid business case to do it,’ says Matthew Zaluzec, manager of Ford a researcher at Ford. ‘At 40 percent, which was formulated in our lab by our researchers, we have the ability to make a significant impact on the environment while reducing our dependency on imported petroleum.’ Initial projections estimate that using a soy-based foam at high volumes could represent an annual material cost savings of as much as $26 million. As for the potential environmental benefit, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, soy polyols have only one-quarter the level of total environmental impact of petroleum-based ingredients.” (08/31/07)