Plastic Pollution is Changing Entire Earth System, Scientists Find (theguardian.com) 43
Plastic pollution is changing the processes of the entire Earth system, exacerbating climate change, biodiversity loss, ocean acidification, and the use of freshwater and land, according to scientific analysis. From a report: Plastic must not be treated as a waste problem alone, the authors said, but as a product that poses harm to ecosystems and human health. The authors gave their warning in the days before final talks begin in South Korea to agree a legally binding global treaty to cut plastic pollution. Progress towards a treaty on plastic pollution has been hindered by a row over the need to include cuts to the $712bn plastic production industry in the treaty.
At the last talks in April, developed countries were accused of bowing to pressure from fossil fuel and industry lobbyists to steer clear of any reductions in production. The discussions in South Korea, which start on 25 November, mark a rare opportunity for countries to come to an agreement to tackle the global crisis of plastic pollution. In 2022 at least 506m tonnes of plastics were produced worldwide, but only 9% gets recycled globally. The rest is burned, landfilled or dumped where it can leach into the environment. Microplastics are now everywhere, from the top of Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on earth.
The new study of plastic pollution examined the mounting evidence of the effects of plastics on the environment, health and human wellbeing. The authors are urging delegates at the UN talks to stop viewing plastic pollution as merely a waste problem, and instead to tackle material flows through the whole life pathway of plastic, from raw material extraction, production and use, to its environmental release and its fate, and the Earth system effects.
At the last talks in April, developed countries were accused of bowing to pressure from fossil fuel and industry lobbyists to steer clear of any reductions in production. The discussions in South Korea, which start on 25 November, mark a rare opportunity for countries to come to an agreement to tackle the global crisis of plastic pollution. In 2022 at least 506m tonnes of plastics were produced worldwide, but only 9% gets recycled globally. The rest is burned, landfilled or dumped where it can leach into the environment. Microplastics are now everywhere, from the top of Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on earth.
The new study of plastic pollution examined the mounting evidence of the effects of plastics on the environment, health and human wellbeing. The authors are urging delegates at the UN talks to stop viewing plastic pollution as merely a waste problem, and instead to tackle material flows through the whole life pathway of plastic, from raw material extraction, production and use, to its environmental release and its fate, and the Earth system effects.
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The earth will deal with plastic just as it has every other insult by changing the ecosystem.
The real question is will these changes be compatible with human life on earth.
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In other words, Earth doesn't care if human waste fucks up humans or any other creature; it just happily goes on being a big blue rock. If Earth has any sentience, it probably thinks of us like fleas, and human-poisoning plastic as flea powder. Puff puff puff...
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In other words, Earth doesn't care if human waste fucks up humans or any other creature; it just happily goes on being a big blue rock. If Earth has any sentience, it probably thinks of us like fleas, and human-poisoning plastic as flea powder. Puff puff puff...
I wonder if plastic will be the catalyst for the fuel that powers the next intelligent species to come along into their technological age like plant matter that wasn't properly broken down for a bit made up what we call fossil fuels? A cyclical energy waste/consumption. Maybe that's all we are. A stepping stone to the next fortuitous energy expenditure. All things head towards entropy, and the Earth is just playing the long game to that end.
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Cockroaches will have flying cars and Pluto ski trips*. I'm so jealous. We are making arthropods great again.
* Low gravity will make the ski jumps out of this world.
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Cockroaches will have flying cars and Pluto ski trips*. I'm so jealous. We are making arthropods great again.
* Low gravity will make the ski jumps out of this world.
According to that old TV show, it'll be squids that are the next intelligence on Earth. Cockroaches will just keep cockroaching along. They're the only ones smart enough to have known their place from the beginning and RELISH it.
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We're all just a collection of protons, neutrons, and electronics. There is no difference between you or me. Or between the Earth and the Sun. Same universe and same matter, therefor same thing.
Ignoring all other states and configurations makes the math simple. And easily solves the problem of pollution in a nihilistic fashion.
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Poe's law is all over this.
BTW, you need to update your sig.
"The science isn't settled." (Score:2, Funny)
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Re:"The science isn't settled." (Score:4, Insightful)
"I will not willingly change any aspect of my life, no matter how trivial or arbitrary, no matter how vital the change is for the future prosperity or even survival of our species."
"If it doesn't outright kill the entire planet in my lifetime, what do I care?" That seems to sum up most when it comes to large, long-term impact.
Countries who dispose of plastic improperly first (Score:2)
https://www.statista.com/stati... [statista.com]
A treaty works only if the countries that dump the most plastic into the environment without disposing of it properly based on modern methods should go first..
I do not want another treaty based on which country consumes the most or which country uses the most for manufacturing. It has to go after the polluters first.
This is for plastic pollution only and not the many, many ways the UN and the countries without enforced plastic waste pollution laws try to benefit at the econ
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https://www.statista.com/stati... [statista.com]
A treaty works only if the countries that dump the most plastic into the environment without disposing of it properly based on modern methods should go first.
That's a link to plastic pollution in the Asia-Pacific region. It's logical that countries that contribute most to pollution in the Asia-Pacific region are likely to be Asia-Pacific countries.
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Oh well it's too late do prevent any problems, so I don't need to do anything at all.
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The problem is too big for humans to fix, i will pray on it.
it is gods will.
Ribbit! (Score:2)
Ironically the plastic may create more LGBTQ+ people; it messes with hormones in lab mice. Sperm counts are going down and pollution may be a cause. Evangelical "science" and dereg may eat each other.
"Gay frogs" may be one of the few conspiracies Alex Jones got right; his "broken clock" moment. Don't tell him, he'll let it go to his head and Gish Gallop the web with yet more conspiracies, 99.9% which are bogus.
Too bad! (Score:1)
Fake news, woke Deep State lies! I won and RFK's terrifically smart worm says plastic is a health food, so suck plastic you dog-eating trannies!
- Donald tRump, your Dictator In Chief!
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Hell no, because it annoys you MAGAs to do it publicly.
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"There are hormones in the plastic turning frogs (and people) gay". Here, 100% brutal republican support to remove it.
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Just pray harder, and Jesus will make you immune. Allegedly worked for Covid.
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I mean... Yeah. Many plastics are 'estrogenics' and we use them to package our food and our toiletries.
It can't be great for male sexual function to be constantly exposed to female hormones. On the other hand, most of our failure to make replacement birthrate appears to be by choice due to economic and social factors, so the effect of plastics in this particular regard doesn't appear to be all that strong.
Evil plastic (Score:1)
Plastic will affect practically every ecosystem and process on the planet.
Plastic is inert and will remain in the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years.
Choose one.
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I choose plastics are turning the frogs gay.
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Plastic will affect practically every ecosystem and process on the planet.
Plastic is inert and will remain in the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years.
Asbestos is also inert. Much more inert than plastic.
Choose one.
Asbestos proves that you can choose more than one.
(Hint: For example, inert particles of the right size and shape can mechanically interfere with the function of chromosomes.)
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Plastic will affect practically every ecosystem and process on the planet.
Plastic is inert and will remain in the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years.
Choose one.
Why just one? [wikipedia.org]
Then go after the source (Score:1)
The number one thing that can be done, yet I never hear any mention of it, is... clothes. Make a filtration system that can capture the shedding of synthetic fibers at both the manufacturing stage and for washers / driers. That'll be a HUGE win for the environment.
Then tire dust. A long distance third would be plastic straws...
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I'd think bottles are way before straws, and maybe clothes.
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Plastic straws are replaced much more easily (with paper ones) than plastic bottles. So, do them before bottles? (And actually, we have.)
I'm not saying we shouldn't address both.
OMG!! (Score:1)
OMG, another crisis. We are doomed this time.
So what's the solution? (Score:2)
Either you go hard, and dramatic, something like "No disposable plastic for consumer use.", mixed with: "Advanced filtration for the oceans, air, groundwater, etc...",
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Actually quite a lot has been done in the past 30 years. Solar has gotten to the point that it's relatively inexpensive to provide more than 100% of a household's electrical needs with solar even during winter months. The excess can be used to charge batteries, which have better cost and storage density than anything available 30 years ago, which will be able to provide power at night.
I have also recently learned that everything I thought I knew about wind power is about 25 years out of date.
Things have cha
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Cost versus death (Score:2)
You can't ban plastics because there are no real alternatives.
Eh, if you watch old TV shows/movies, you can see that they got by fine with wood/paper, glass, rubber and metal (remember metal?). Oh and cotton for clothes. There might be much that requires plastics, but I'll be there's much more that doesn't, if cost is removed from consideration.
Stop Producing Plastic (Score:2)
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Nothing simple about it. Every substitute for plastic has its own benefits--and drawbacks. Every substitute requires an entirely new supply chain, manufacturing process, and packaging process. Every substitute is more costly than plastic, this is the primary driver for widespread use of plastics. Glass bottles easily break and require more careful handling. Wood and paper can't be used for liquids or moist goods.
Would it be possible to come up with more environmentally friendly substitutes? Maybe. But it's
Somebody's still trying to get that big grant! (Score:1)