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Earth

Plastic Pollution is Changing Entire Earth System, Scientists Find (theguardian.com) 55

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.

Plastic Pollution is Changing Entire Earth System, Scientists Find

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  • by Anonymous Coward
    "The Earth doesn’t share our prejudice towards plastic. Plastic came out of the Earth; the Earth probably sees plastic as just another one of its children. Could be the only reason the Earth allowed us to be spawned from it in the first place: it wanted plastic for itself, didn’t know how to make it, needed us. Could be the answer to our age-old philosophical question: “Why are we here?” Plastic, assholes!" -George Carlin
    • by mspohr ( 589790 )

      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.

    • 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.

  • "We need more time for studies." "It's a natural cycle." "Trees will grow and absorb the plastic." "It will hurt the economy." "China isn't curbing plastic."
    • "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."
      • by nightflameauto ( 6607976 ) on Thursday November 07, 2024 @12:13PM (#64927951)

        "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.

      • 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

        • 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.

    • Oh well it's too late do prevent any problems, so I don't need to do anything at all.

    • by zlives ( 2009072 )

      The problem is too big for humans to fix, i will pray on it.
      it is gods will.

    • 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.

      • LGBTQ people, maybe. I'm still not convinced sexual orientation isn't more nuture than nature. (It doesn't matter what causes it, I believe people have a right to decide for themselves how to live in that regard.)

        Trans people specifically, on the other hand... they have the same rights, but I more strongly suspect plastic to be involved there due to some of the constituents being shaped almost exactly like human sex hormones.

  • 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!

    • by Z80a ( 971949 )

      "There are hormones in the plastic turning frogs (and people) gay". Here, 100% brutal republican support to remove it.

      • by Tablizer ( 95088 )

        Just pray harder, and Jesus will make you immune. Allegedly worked for Covid.

      • 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.

  • 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.

    • by Muros ( 1167213 )
      I pick the one that was in the article.
    • I choose plastics are turning the frogs gay.

    • 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.)

    • 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]

  • 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...

    • by AvitarX ( 172628 )

      I'd think bottles are way before straws, and maybe clothes.

      • 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.

        • Plastic straws are being replaced with paper ones... that are wrapped in plastic!
        • by AvitarX ( 172628 )

          The aluminum screw top bottles seem to replace at least up to a half liter pretty well.

          The bottles have the advantage of being essentially as good in their replacement. Paper straws are meh.

    • 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.

      It doesn't take anything special for that for washers, at least. We have lots of water filters that will do the job. The problem is, you can't expect people to use them correctly. Because the water coming out of the washer gravity drains once it's pumped past the bend in the drain hose, you can't have much restriction or you will just have an overflow. So then your drain needs a bypass overflow, and people won't clean the trap, and then they'll just have a moldy trap and the same amount of stuff will go dow

    • One can just avoid purchasing cloths with polyester, acrylic, or nylon, or at least keep them longer.
      And recycle plastic bottles.
  • OMG, another crisis. We are doomed this time.

  • You can't ban plastics because there are no real alternatives. No company who makes plastics is going to stop voluntarily if it brings in money. Recycling has failed out right, mostly because we made it the consumer's issue. We have no horizontal movement available, and yet scientists want a solution, but the solution has to be available.

    Either you go hard, and dramatic, something like "No disposable plastic for consumer use.", mixed with: "Advanced filtration for the oceans, air, groundwater, etc...",
    • by ebunga ( 95613 )

      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

      • Sure, but more to the point, we haven't really solved anything, we're still rushing to resolve a problem we've had decades to address.
    • 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.

      • You can absolutely use glass soda bottles, and move back to natural fibre clothing, but to tackle the plastic problem, we need hard action, and that I don't see possible or happening.
    • Re: "You can't ban plastics because there are no real alternatives." - Bollocks. Manufacturers have been including more plastic packaging than ever & replacing other materials more than ever for the past few decades. Plastics clearly are an alternative material for which there are already existing, less environmentally harmful materials.

      Plastics are a new problem. Have you noticed how so many more products than ever are made out of plastic? Have you also noticed how many entirely new, useless, &
      • Right, so there are many plastic products that can be replaced, but, when you get into specialty uses, sometimes plastic is the only safe solution. For instance, in some refineries they have to use specialty plastic pipes, so they don't / can't react. Chemicals can need specialty plastics for transportation, and there are other cases where plastic is the only real solution.

        You want to make all soda bottles glass? Go for it! Do you want to replace plastic packaging with paper? Love to see it! But just
  • Simple solution, obviously it wont clear the environment of the stuff, but if it's inside people and animals we'll filter it out eventually Plastic in cars, computers, and other things are nice. But I don't think we can justify coke bottles, and food containers when we have glass, paper, and wood
    • 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

  • Microplastics are about the stupidest thing to get all doomy about. Most plastic is inert, there's just a few bad kinds that leach weird stuff. Plastic floating in the ocean is the quickest way to get rid of it - the constant sloshing friction and the intense rays of the sun break in all down in a couple decades. These are just the remnants of the anti-tobacco/anti-petroleum folks running out of their old grant money and trying to make up a new income stream. The earth has been belching/leaking raw oil at p
    • Most plastic is inert

      Absolutely no plastic is inert. Absolutely all plastic UV degrades. All plastic containers leach toxic compounds into their contents [nih.gov] because they do not have covalent bonds with the polymer matrix.

      Earth is used to plastic (mainly just oil mixed with sulfur) and petroleum.

      That's complete nonsense. What something is "mainly" doesn't matter to the question of whether it will cause harm. A rifle is mostly parts which handle delivery of a small bullet, but the bullet still has impact. Plastic is mostly stuff that the environment can handle, but the parts that it can't still have impact

According to the latest official figures, 43% of all statistics are totally worthless.

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