Plastic promises

摘要

Back in 1941, Henry Ford surprised the public by unveiling a 'biological' car. The legendary car-company boss, who had a long-standing interest in environmentally sound materials, unveiled a prototype of plastic panels made from soya beans, wheat and hemp attached to a tubular frame at a motor show in Dearborn, Michigan. But after the United States joined the Second World War, the project slipped quietly from view.