The Onion, on Plastic Bottles
Jan. 25th, 2010 11:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
helwenAs usual, funny but thought-provoking:
'How Bad For The Environment Can Throwing Away One Plastic Bottle Be?' 30 Million People Wonder
On the completely serious side, on further investigation the dimensions for the trash in the Pacific Gyre is now estimated to be about the same size as the continental United States. Primary items are plastic bottles, primarily from the east coast of China and the west coast of the U.S. However they have also found items that were originally in the Atlantic -- that one still weirds me out.
We've cut down on disposable plastics a lot, Fitzw and I, but we have further to go. And quite frankly, it wouldn't bother me at all if it hurt sales for the companies that use them. The various types of plastic floating in the ocean eventually break down into smaller pieces, which then get mistaken for food by fish and other critters. Eventually the plastics are either passed through or digested and absorbed into their bodies -- so we get malnourished sea creatures, making it harder for them (and those creatures that feed on them) to survive in our changing oceans. And of course some of those who eat them will be humans, so there's yet another source of fun chemicals in our diet. Why does anyone wonder at how many illnesses and diseases are more prevalent as time goes on?
I'm going back to carrying a thermos of water in the car -- we'd stopped at the beginning of really cold weather because the cold damaged one of the caps, and I kept forgetting to bring it in and out of the car. So I need to get back in the habit. Also, we tend to stop and get drinks at Dunkin Donuts, going to and from classes, so we need to add a couple of travel mugs back into the routine. I suppose ideally we'd pack tea and coffee made at home, but I don't think we're quite up for that yet... soon though!
'How Bad For The Environment Can Throwing Away One Plastic Bottle Be?' 30 Million People Wonder
On the completely serious side, on further investigation the dimensions for the trash in the Pacific Gyre is now estimated to be about the same size as the continental United States. Primary items are plastic bottles, primarily from the east coast of China and the west coast of the U.S. However they have also found items that were originally in the Atlantic -- that one still weirds me out.
We've cut down on disposable plastics a lot, Fitzw and I, but we have further to go. And quite frankly, it wouldn't bother me at all if it hurt sales for the companies that use them. The various types of plastic floating in the ocean eventually break down into smaller pieces, which then get mistaken for food by fish and other critters. Eventually the plastics are either passed through or digested and absorbed into their bodies -- so we get malnourished sea creatures, making it harder for them (and those creatures that feed on them) to survive in our changing oceans. And of course some of those who eat them will be humans, so there's yet another source of fun chemicals in our diet. Why does anyone wonder at how many illnesses and diseases are more prevalent as time goes on?
I'm going back to carrying a thermos of water in the car -- we'd stopped at the beginning of really cold weather because the cold damaged one of the caps, and I kept forgetting to bring it in and out of the car. So I need to get back in the habit. Also, we tend to stop and get drinks at Dunkin Donuts, going to and from classes, so we need to add a couple of travel mugs back into the routine. I suppose ideally we'd pack tea and coffee made at home, but I don't think we're quite up for that yet... soon though!
