cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/34272214

A California-based biotechnology startup has officially launched the world’s first commercially available butter made entirely from carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and oxygen, eliminating the need for traditional agriculture or animal farming. Savor, backed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates through his Breakthrough Energy Ventures fund, announced the commercial release of its animal- and plant-free butter after three years of development.

The revolutionary product uses a proprietary thermochemical process that transforms carbon dioxide captured from the air, hydrogen from water, and methane into fat molecules chemically identical to those found in dairy butter. According to the company, the process creates fatty acids by heating these gases under controlled temperature and pressure conditions, then combining them with glycerol to form triglycerides.

  • Captain Poofter@lemmy.world
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    25 minutes ago

    but does it actually taste like the real thing? because I can already buy something that, supposedly, I should be unable to believe isn’t real butter, but after doing so I remain suspicious

  • betanumerus@lemmy.ca
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    2 hours ago

    Butter backed by Bill Gates? Is that the same Bill Gates who became wealthy and famous for his commanding knowledge of butter?

  • melsaskca@lemmy.ca
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    5 hours ago

    Of all things…butter! I’m sure it’ll be more expensive than real butter with the way things work nowadays.

  • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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    9 hours ago

    I’m a traditionalist, I prefer my butter silicon based. Maybe germanium or tin if it’s a special occasion

  • nkat2112@sh.itjust.works
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    20 hours ago

    Thank goodness we have the assurances of a billionaire oligarch to help steer humanity in the right dietary direction.

    • flightyhobler@lemmy.world
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      3 hours ago

      Problems come up: “BILLIONAIRES SHOULD DO MORE!” Billionaires do more: “WE CANT TRUST BILLIONAIRES!!”

      • Frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        1 hour ago

        The conclusion ought to be that billionaires shouldn’t exist. Even if they donate most of their wealth, they will still donate in ways that aren’t necessarily solving real problems.

      • SippyCup@feddit.nl
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        2 hours ago

        Ruminants creating greenhouse gasses is a problem that can solve itself by returning to huge fucking pastures and cooperative farming.

        Instead, we’re getting synthetic food. We’re a decade removed from human grade kibble at this point.

        Here again, capitalism is the problem. A capitalist offering capitalism solutions to problems created by capitalism isn’t appealing.

    • teuniac_@lemmy.world
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      19 hours ago

      Global warming and ecological crises make shifting diets away from animal products a pretty good idea.

      Whether it’s antibiotics resistance, deforestation, or greenhouse gas emissions, humanity is paying a very high price for animal agriculture at the current scale.

  • PumpkinSkink@lemmy.world
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    16 hours ago

    So when I poop the carbon butter out, how long does it take to decompose? Because unless we make one of those nuclear waste containment salt bunkers for all. the butter carbon poop this kinda seems like a dumb idea.

    • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
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      13 hours ago

      I can see why some people might conflate Carbon Monomers and Carbon Polymer Chains with plastics, because thats what plastics are after all, but it’s also the basic building block for almost all organic chemistry including proteins, fats (lipids), sugars, alcohols, and sugar alcohols (totally different thing from sugar and alcohol btw). Carbon can even form compounds with Ammonia, such as Carbamides like Urea which can be extracted from Uric Acid using Sodium and then used as agriculture grade fertilizers.

      It’s why we’re called Carbon Based Lifeforms.

      If you think that’s crazy you should see all the wacky shit that Hydrogen gets up to.

    • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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      14 hours ago

      Atoms are atoms. All they are doing here is artificially creating fat molecules rather than getting them from the environment so the decomposing time is not affected.

  • Binturong@lemmy.ca
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    21 hours ago

    Good ol’ Gates, always around to make a quick buck of the bloodied backs of humanity. Never an advancement meant to aid us all he can’t swoop in to parasitize. That’s right Billy boy, I didn’t forget the COVID vaccine patents. Billionaires must be condemned to the rubbish bin of history.

  • Betinem@feddit.org
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    21 hours ago

    Yeah #govegan, I love it. I am curious to try it. Great invention.

  • 9488fcea02a9@sh.itjust.works
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    1 day ago

    I’m not giving up a small pleasure like butter just so that a billionaire can buy another private jet and wipe out whatever tiny carbon footprint savings comes from giving up butter

    • bluefootedbooby@sopuli.xyz
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      23 hours ago

      I too love participating in the simple pleasure of systemic animal abuse just to spite the billionaires

      • VonReposti@feddit.dk
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        21 hours ago

        How to spot a vegan: They’ll make sure to turn every discussion to a vegan direction with little effort.

          • VonReposti@feddit.dk
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            12 hours ago

            Yet the other user is being scolded for a choice instead of actually contributing to the conversation. Maybe the user was indeed vegetarian and had dietary problems making butter a good source for protein.

            Don’t judge other people’s diets. That’s just an ill-faithed attempt at winning them over to your side without having to show any concern for their life. Instead contribute to a conversation, ask and ye shall receive.

            • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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              2 hours ago

              The diet isn’t the issue here. The OP was saying they prefer animal-produced butter to this because… billionaires? Do they think billionaires don’t profit from the dairy industry?

              The comment makes no sense. This artificially-created butter would have equivalent nutritional content to biologically-created butter, and there’s a decent chance it can mimic the flavor as well. So it absolutely makes sense to point out the silliness of the opposition, which seems to be based on Gates’ involvement, when Bill Gates isn’t really in business anymore, but more into philanthropy, so buying this is unlikely to enrich Gates by any meaningful amount.

          • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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            20 hours ago

            Nice try, VEGAN, but we’re not going to be deluded into accepting an ethical and cost-efficient alternative to a popular but unsustainable food ingredient.

            You’ve filled this community with your malicious campaign of compassion towards living creatures and economic sensibility for FAR TOO LONG. Why don’t you take your EXTREMIST VIEWS on practical efficiency, carbon emissions reduction, ecological sustainability, and better treatment of sentient life and HIT THE BRICK, MATE!

            Your conscience, your logic, and your morale character might be welcome in VEGANLAND, but around here we’re built different.

            • nkat2112@sh.itjust.works
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              20 hours ago

              Lordy, this comment is so beautifully wet with sarcasm. Thank you for your creativity and the laughs! You’re awesome!