The very last sentence:
"We really should all be completely focused on stopping plastic from entering the oceans in the first place."
I’m pleased this was in the article at least as normally that part is missed.
You are so very right.
The very last sentence:
"We really should all be completely focused on stopping plastic from entering the oceans in the first place."
I’m pleased this was in the article at least as normally that part is missed.
I was watching Mediterranean with Simon Reeve the other evening and this story unfolded. If you have a strong stomach, have a look at this clip:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06mr1p9
This is obviously not a new phenomenon either. Here’s a paper from 2013 about the same thing. Sadly things have got worse.
http://plasticbusters.unisi.it/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2016/04/Campani2013.pdf
I agree entirely with Fats that the real problem is not the plastic itself, but the way people use it and discard it, with no thought for the consequences of their actions. We all have to shoulder the blame for allowing ourselves to become so addicted to single-use plastic, but like TSS I don’t trust the majority of my fellow humans to change their ways. The game-changers will have to come from governments, who will have to give industry incentives and disincentives as appropriate.
Indeed, I liked that too. However, I think we live in an era where people could be shown and even educated with the best information, and then almost completely ignore it. If anyone could convince me that the world's population would, en masse, truly change their behaviour over convenience, I would back it to the hilt. But I don't have sufficient faith in ordinary people to stop screwing up their environment. So, ultimately, one has to develop plastics that are totally safe in the environment, or remove them and use other materials where possible, and strive to develop other materials that people can't abuse.
The very last sentence:
"We really should all be completely focused on stopping plastic from entering the oceans in the first place."
I’m pleased this was in the article at least as normally that part is missed.
It's nice to see a balanced debate on here that hasn't turned into a lecture. Two interesting posts that you only get when respecting others points of veiw.
I agree entirely with Fats that the real problem is not the plastic itself, but the way people use it and discard it, with no thought for the consequences of their actions. We all have to shoulder the blame for allowing ourselves to become so addicted to single-use plastic, but like TSS I don’t trust the majority of my fellow humans to change their ways. The game-changers will have to come from governments, who will have to give industry incentives and disincentives as appropriate.
These are here and happening already, but don’t think that’s going to do it alone. Firstly that’s going to be a money generator, so then where is the incentive for governments invest in proper systems to collect and recycle plastic properly? Prices will go up to cover the taxes (disincentives) and consumers will pay it on the end product and hardly realise - anyone know what the increase on a packet of meat, for example, would be if the plastic was to double, treble, quadruple or even increase tenfold? We wouldn’t notice.
I really am fed up of going on about the environmental cost of the alternatives. We’ll prevent one problem and won’t even see the effect it will cause until it’s too late because it will take time for the knock on effects or new problem created to show through.
To be honest I didn’t like the way TSS posted the article. Just posted and left “here you are people.” It’s like a gentle mind changer. The same way companies like Facebook get used (allegedly) to influence people’s political votes. No balance. If I hadn’t read through the article and pointed out the article itself blamed people not plastic, TSS would have just planted another unbalanced “It’s plastics fault article” * and readers would have been thinking “oh yes, plastics is bad.” This does happen because I hear it most days and it works. See Facebook and politics comment above.
Still, I’m coming round to the point of not bothering to reply anymore on these type of messages. I’ve tried to rationally defend it and balance a view out, but Plastics is the devil today and that’s enough for some people. Let’s hope we benefit enough in the short term from its convenience, while it’s still here.
* by this I mean another article out there in the public domain, not TSS planting them all
I'll pop this article here, on the ingestion of plastics, with no explanation. It's just information for you: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/...-eat-thousands-of-bits-of-plastic-every-year/
And while we're at it: https://theconversation.com/how-microplastics-make-their-way-up-the-ocean-food-chain-into-fish-69148
I'm not making this stuff up. Fundamentally, plastic isn't good for the environment. Used responsibly, it is an amazing, fantastic product. But we don't use it responsibly, and, in my opinion, are unlikely ever to.
I like that, clever stuffThis film is just astonishing.
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I just ordered one of these:So Monday I had the delight of my cam belt ripping to shreds and popping the pistons on my engine. Now it's really not worth repairing and I've been thinking about getting an electric bike instead. My question is has anyone got on or have any advice on what to go for? I'll be looking to spend anywhere up to £1200.
I just ordered one of these:
https://www.sportmegastore.com/gb/z...ic-mountain-bike-26-black/p-41856835-85429705
There’s a good e-bike going on eBay at the moment though, only 8 hours left so hurry if you’re interested:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ebike-El...00W/124283547671?_trksid=p2485497.m4902.l9144