We have thoroughly wrecked the planet with plastic

[Matted Joybeard]

While everyone is still caught up in climate change denialism and discussion (if you call it that) centers on that topic, it is just one facet of our environmental polycrisis brought to us by the actions of humankind. While climate change is something we can theoretically move the needle on, the plastic pollution is not. It is an undeniable problem with no likely solution. It's everywhere, contaminating the entire biosphere. It's in our soil, water, our seas, the clouds and precipitation being spread far and wide. Presently is a feature of all our food and increasing in quantity. There's no reversing this as we produce in greater amounts. There's no defense that it's good health, the functions of our bodies, that is is somehow good for us. There are no glib remarks of 'I could really use me some more of that microplastic right now'. And there's no denying we are responsible. There's no argument to be had over 'well, you don't know what plastic accummulation' looked back in the past or that levels of plastic lags normal functioning of biological processes. There's no way out of this one.

 

[1srelluc]

Make glass bottles great again!....Oh wait, glass requires copious amounts energy (that we don't have) to produce.

Of course if there is shit-all to be done about it what's the global scale path forward?

 

[JGalt]

We;re all gonna die anyway, so here:

 

[odanny]

You mean eating 50 plastic bags a year, or the equivalent of one credit card per week, is not good for humans?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666911022000247#:~:text=Abstract,et%20al.%2C%202021).

 

[martybegan]

Make glass bottles great again!....Oh wait, glass requires copious amounts energy (that we don't have) to produce.

Of course if there is shit-all to be done about it what's the global scale path forward?

And sand we need for concrete as well.

The proper sand quality is getting harder and harder to find for both applications.

 

[1srelluc]

You mean eating 50 plastic bags a year, or the equivalent of one credit card per week, is not good for humans?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666911022000247#:~:text=Abstract,et%20al.%2C%202021).

And it too shall pass.

 

[1srelluc]

And sand we need for concrete as well.

The proper sand quality is getting harder and harder to find for both applications.

I did not know that!

 

[martybegan]

I did not know that!

They try to blame global warming of course, but the fact is certain applications need certain qualities of sand.

A sand shortage? The world is running out of a crucial â but under-appreciated â commodity

 

[odanny]

And it too shall pass.

What's in your digestive tract?

 

[1srelluc]

What's in your digestive tract?

After this morning's constitutional? Nothing much I hope.

 

[Invisibleflash]

While everyone is still caught up in climate change denialism and discussion (if you call it that) centers on that topic, it is just one facet of our environmental polycrisis brought to us by the actions of humankind. While climate change is something we can theoretically move the needle on, the plastic pollution is not. It is an undeniable problem with no likely solution. It's everywhere, contaminating the entire biosphere. It's in our soil, water, our seas, the clouds and precipitation being spread far and wide. Presently is a feature of all our food and increasing in quantity. There's no reversing this as we produce in greater amounts. There's no defense that it's good health, the functions of our bodies, that is is somehow good for us. There are no glib remarks of 'I could really use me some more of that microplastic right now'. And there's no denying we are responsible. There's no argument to be had over 'well, you don't know what plastic accummulation' looked back in the past or that levels of plastic lags normal functioning of biological processes. There's no way out of this one.

While it is a mess, we could not have grown the world without plastics. And we could not have made plastics without crude oil. I got no answers. Just how we did things. Just try to cut back on plastics.

With no plastics we would not have solar panels, or the cell phones you fondle in your sweaty little palms as just a couple out of the millions of examples of things humans make with plastics. When I was a kid, we got our milk from the milkman who delivered it in glass bottles with foil peel off seals. We were all glass and wax paper back then. With little metal lunchboxes and glass lined thermos.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

While everyone is still caught up in climate change denialism and discussion (if you call it that) centers on that topic, it is just one facet of our environmental polycrisis brought to us by the actions of humankind. While climate change is something we can theoretically move the needle on, the plastic pollution is not. It is an undeniable problem with no likely solution. It's everywhere, contaminating the entire biosphere. It's in our soil, water, our seas, the clouds and precipitation being spread far and wide. Presently is a feature of all our food and increasing in quantity. There's no reversing this as we produce in greater amounts. There's no defense that it's good health, the functions of our bodies, that is is somehow good for us. There are no glib remarks of 'I could really use me some more of that microplastic right now'. And there's no denying we are responsible. There's no argument to be had over 'well, you don't know what plastic accummulation' looked back in the past or that levels of plastic lags normal functioning of biological processes. There's no way out of this one.

Like everything, it's about money.

 

[1srelluc]

Like everything, it's about money.

Are you going to give-up all things plastic?

I thought not.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Are you going to give-up all things plastic?

I thought not.

Who suggested we should?

 

[Matted Joybeard]

Who suggested we should?

Or that we even can.

 

[Votto]

 

[Votto]

 

[Matted Joybeard]

Votto doesn't mind slowly changing form into a Body World's sculpture against his will.

 

[Votto]

Votto doesn't mind slowly changing form into a Body World's sculpture against his will.

 

[evenflow1969]

Make glass bottles great again!....Oh wait, glass requires copious amounts energy (that we don't have) to produce.

Of course if there is shit-all to be done about it what's the global scale path forward?

Glass could be reused much easier. Everything tasted better coming out of glass. There is a place near Cincinnati, Ohio that all k8nds of soda. From all over the planet. You can still get an old fashioned root beer out of a bottle. And many other types of soda in a bottle. If I have time I always stop on the way through.