http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/ Engadget Comments for Japanese plastic dirt is half as dense as real dirt, over 100 times more plastic http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2010 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 2:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
But most Japanese companies are conglomerates. I mean, I have a (REAL!!) Mitsubishi toothbrush, considering that they also make planes and tractors]]>Feb 26th 2008 2:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
Anyone want to defend this comment? I say it's ignorant and racist. Go ahead and deride Japanese technological advances, then try getting through a day without it ( or maybe writing a blog without it ).

I guess being "as Japanese" an idea it's instantly better then if it were "as American as it gets".

Exactly what does that mean to you?

if "as Japanese as it gets" = Toyota Prius, then "as American as it gets" = Hybrid SUV.]]>Feb 26th 2008 2:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 2:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 2:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
Soil-covered houses date back thousands of years ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_sheltering ), those silly Japanese, always thinking of crazy things! The EPA of America must be nuts too! Look! ( http://www.epa.gov/hiri/strategies/greenroofs.html ) And those twits over at Berkley must be whacko ( http://bie.berkeley.edu/node/1350 ), pointing out that this technology "can reduce energy use for cooling compressors by 16%". Let's mock all these people, cmon everyone with me now!

Get Real. We should be lauding anyone who is positively addressing the issues of sustainable modernization and urbanization. ]]>Feb 26th 2008 2:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 2:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 2:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
APPLE is "as american as it gets" and only they can solve the worlds problems :)]]>Feb 27th 2008 1:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 2:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
I say just a thin layer or dirt say (1 foot) couple of branch root style plants that spread they're roots across rather than down and you be right...

(I may be simplifying this abit to much?)

I think the theory behind it is good just fails practically.]]>Feb 26th 2008 2:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 2:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 2:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 3:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
"Of course, there's considerable irony in trying to save the planet by covering concrete buildings in fake plastic dirt, but then again, such a solution is about as Japanese as it gets, no?"

I feel as thought this statement undervalues the importance of the concept by trading actual content and insight for glib generalization. I usually enjoy engadget as a universal forum for relevant, concise insight and commentary on technology, and I don't expect or enjoy this type of commentary. If I did I'd read the Onion (or whatever).

]]>Feb 26th 2008 2:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
This comment, on the other hand, is just ignorant.]]>Feb 26th 2008 3:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 3:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 3:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
When you talk, I just can't help but picture a fat American in Japan going up a stoic Japanese businessman and saying something like " SO lemme get this straight, you're putting PLASTIC in DIRT and then puttin' it on yer' roof!! HA!! What'll you crazy Japanese think of next!!! "

I imagine the look on his face would be similar to the one on mine.]]>Feb 26th 2008 3:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
You're right, there are "lines" in racial humor, and there is also "time" and "place". You're right it's not glaring or disgusting, but I simply feel as though it doesn't belong on a professional media outlet such as engadget.

And don't get me wrong, I love whattheasian.com ( http://www.whattheasian.com/ ) ]]>Feb 26th 2008 3:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 3:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/]]>Feb 26th 2008 3:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
I'm not sure why gadget news and professionalism have to be mutually exclusive. ]]>Feb 26th 2008 3:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
Japanese have been and currently still are at the forefront of environmental technologies.

Considering the purpose of this product i'd be incredibly surprised if the plastics that they use weren't recycled. If you've ever looked into what recycled plastics were used for then you'd realise that they're rarely fully reprocessed and are instead used for specific applications like this where shredded plastics do the job perfectly.

Insinuating that this product actually has a negative effect on the environment and then saying that "is about as Japanese as it gets". Ya know? How else are we supposed to interpret that one engadget?]]>Feb 26th 2008 6:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
When you talk, I just can't help but picture a fat white guy touching himself to anime.]]>Feb 26th 2008 7:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
First, I took that comment to mean it is typical of Japanese to take a purely technological angle at solving a purely natural problem - we want to save the Earth (Earth=Dirt), so we make fake earth (earth=dirt). Looking at it that way, it IS sort of surreal.

Second, you seem to have an unrealistic view of the Japanese, wrapped up in all this honor, stoicism and seriousness. I used to be that way too.

Then I went to work for a Japanese company and visited Japan many times. While I still like and admire many of their traits, I also found out their honor is only among other Japanese and a majority are the most racist individuals you would meet. And yes, you can call it racism, since they DO believe they are their own race and HATE the Chinese, Koreans and most other Asians. Basically, they are no more different as a culture than Americans, or the rest of the world for that matter.
]]>Feb 26th 2008 10:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/For a fake chinese rubber plant
In the fake plastic earth

That she bought from a rubber man
In a town full of rubber plans
To get rid of itself

It wears her out, it wears her out
It wears her out, it wears her out

She lives with a broken man
A cracked polystyrene man
Who just crumbles and burns

He used to do surgery
On girls in the eighties
But gravity always wins

And it wears him out, it wears him out
It wears him out, it wears him out

She looks like the real thing
She tastes like the real thing
My fake plastic love

But I can't help the feeling
I could blow through the ceiling
If I just turn and run

And it wears me out, it wears me out
It wears me out, it wears me out

And if I could be who you wanted
If I could be who you wanted
All the time, all the time]]>Feb 26th 2008 10:10AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 11:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
Especially in the context of a quite positive article about a new technology that can have endless ramifications. Such as getting plants into space and the moon, to name one. Anyway, that is how I read it. Interesting how we can see things in complete opposite ways.]]>Feb 26th 2008 7:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
As far as I know, earth is not the responsible for cleaning CO2, but the plants. So if this material can be use as a container for plants, more roof-top gardens will show up, not only increasing the CO2 consumption, but also decreasing electricity bills (as in you use less cooling in summer) and also as reducing the amount of rain water that goes into the draining system in a particular moment. This is specially important in a country that has typhoon season.]]>Feb 26th 2008 2:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 3:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 2:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
Racism and stereotyping is politically wrong, but phrases and words are almost always situationally offensive. There's a difference between being racist and using it as a literary device. I'm sure the truly offended Japanese here can defend themselves.]]>Feb 26th 2008 2:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
And yes, I'm sure the truly offended Japanese can defend themselves, but there prolly aren't enough offended enough to be bothered.]]>Feb 26th 2008 3:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 11:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 3:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 3:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 9:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 3:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 3:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 6:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 7:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
Soil-less growing mixes are not new, they're common in most indoor gardening set-ups and commercial agriculture in the US and everywhere else.

Acting like its some crazy invention that's 'about as Japanese as it gets' is ignorant on multiple levels and yeah, racist.

I mean really, don't you engadget folks ever grow anything?]]>Feb 26th 2008 10:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 11:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 11:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Feb 26th 2008 11:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
what happens when the plants grow and shed leaves? is the added mass and change in "dirt" composition towards compost a concern?]]>Feb 26th 2008 1:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/Isn't that the logo from the pesticide company in the Michael Clayton movie?]]>Feb 26th 2008 1:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/I feel as though she wants to kill someone with that potted plant.]]>Feb 29th 2008 1:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/japanese-plastic-dirt-is-half-as-dense-as-real-dirt-over-100-ti/
In the past urethane has been produced commercially in the United States for well over 30 years. It has been used as an antineoplastic agent and for other medicinal purposes. It saw relatively heavy use in the treatment of multiple myeloma before it was found to be toxic and largely ineffective.[1] By US FDA regulations urethane has been withdrawn from pharmaceutical use. Urethane is not acutely toxic to humans, as shown by its use as a medicine. Acute toxicity studies show that the lowest fatal dose in rats, mice, and rabbits equals 1.2 grams/kg. or more. When urethane was used medicinally, about 50 percent of the patients exhibited nausea and vomiting, and long time use led to gastroenteric hemorrhages (USEPA 1979). The compound has almost no odor and a cooling, saline, bitter taste (HSDB 2006a).

Urethane is not acutely toxic to humans, as shown by its use as a medicine. Acute toxicity studies show that the lowest fatal dose in rats, mice, and rabbits equals 1.2 grams/kg. or more. When urethane was used medicinally, about 50 percent of the patients exhibited nausea and vomiting, and long time use led to gastroenteric hemorrhages (USEPA 1979). The compound has almost no odor and a cooling, saline, bitter taste (HSDB 2006a).

Studies with rats, mice, and hamsters has shown that urethane will cause cancer when it is administered orally, injected, or applied to the skin, but no adequate studies of urethane-caused cancer in humans has been reported (IARC,1974). The International Agency for Research on Cancer has stated that urethane can be “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals.” (NTP 2005). This evaluation has led to the following US regulatory actions:

NESHAP: Listed as a Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP)
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act: Reportable Quantity (RQ) = 100 lb
Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act, EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory: A listed substance subject to RCRA reporting requirements
RCRA Listed Hazardous Waste: substance - U238

I'm not sure we want that on our roofs, now do we?
]]>Mar 2nd 2008 7:46AM