InventorSpot

Teenagers get a lot of bad rap these days. Their stereotypical images on society as drug users, rebels, smart mouths, immature animals, etc., leave many of us, well... a little worried. These stereotypical images rarely allow us to picture the average teenagers out there. There are many teenagers using their brains and living a good life while leaving a wonderful impact on the world. For instance, take 16 year old Daniel Burd and his famous plastic decomposition science project.

Daniel Burd a 16-year-old high school junior from Waterloo, Ontario decided to experiment with plastic decomposition as part of his high school science fair project. He wanted to figure out if there was a way to make plastic decomposition occur a little faster than normal. He managed to do it in 3 months, using bacteria.

"Burd combined ground polyethylene plastic bags, sodium chloride, dirt from a landfill (which theoretically contains the microorganisms that ultimately degrade the plastic) and a yeast mixture in shakers for four weeks at a consistent temperature of about 86 degrees."

Plastic can sometimes take thousands of years to decompose. Can you imagine the impact it would have on the environment if it can be done in 3 months or faster? Imagine the environmental possibilities. Imagine the world with more teenagers like Daniel Burd.

Judges at the Canada-Wide Science Fair saw his potential and that of his project and sent Daniel Burd home with $30,000 in awards and scholarships. He's definitely financially set for college. Can you imagine what kind of impact Daniel will make on the world as an adult if he continues to pursue this path? It's amazing to think about. What do you think?

If you want to read more about his research and findings read his well written 6-page report here .

Via Mother Jones