08-05-2008, 09:47 AM
Here are a couple of good quotes about plastic:
"Anybody that wants to learn more about what plastic is doing to our planet should pick up The World Without Us by Alan Weisman.
Here’s the jist of it…..
Plastic doesn’t break down in it’s chemical form unless it’s exposed to LOTS of UV rays. Pretty much all of the plastic that has been produced since plastic was invented is still with us somewhere on the planet today. Much of this is in the oceans and just like rocks, plastic is being ground down into smaller and smaller bits. Without exception, every ocean creature that ingests plastic can’t digest it, and therefor dies. The smaller the bits of plastic, the smaller the creatures that will try to eat it. Eventually, plankton, which are the bottom of the food chain, will start to eat plastic and die. Hence the base of the food chain will take a major hit. You do the math. And we think global warming is the only thing that we need to worry about."
This addresses the use of cornstarch bags.
"Look a little closer at those cornstarch bags. They are still plastic bags, just the plastic is small particles that are held together with cornstarch. The “bio-degrade” that goes on is that the cornstarch dissolves and the small particles of plastic are washed away. All gone! Disappeared!
Problem is, those tiny particles still exist and now they are small enough that krill, the smallest building block in the ocean’s foodchain, now can injest them. The plastic reduces the krill’s ability to gain nutrients, the fish that live on the krill, therefore, are receiving less nutrients and all that collected microplastic, on and on up the chain…the end result: skinny whales. And a weakened ocean ecology."
How about hemp, re-usable bags?
I think this issue deserves a lot of research and thought.
april
"Anybody that wants to learn more about what plastic is doing to our planet should pick up The World Without Us by Alan Weisman.
Here’s the jist of it…..
Plastic doesn’t break down in it’s chemical form unless it’s exposed to LOTS of UV rays. Pretty much all of the plastic that has been produced since plastic was invented is still with us somewhere on the planet today. Much of this is in the oceans and just like rocks, plastic is being ground down into smaller and smaller bits. Without exception, every ocean creature that ingests plastic can’t digest it, and therefor dies. The smaller the bits of plastic, the smaller the creatures that will try to eat it. Eventually, plankton, which are the bottom of the food chain, will start to eat plastic and die. Hence the base of the food chain will take a major hit. You do the math. And we think global warming is the only thing that we need to worry about."
This addresses the use of cornstarch bags.
"Look a little closer at those cornstarch bags. They are still plastic bags, just the plastic is small particles that are held together with cornstarch. The “bio-degrade” that goes on is that the cornstarch dissolves and the small particles of plastic are washed away. All gone! Disappeared!
Problem is, those tiny particles still exist and now they are small enough that krill, the smallest building block in the ocean’s foodchain, now can injest them. The plastic reduces the krill’s ability to gain nutrients, the fish that live on the krill, therefore, are receiving less nutrients and all that collected microplastic, on and on up the chain…the end result: skinny whales. And a weakened ocean ecology."
How about hemp, re-usable bags?
I think this issue deserves a lot of research and thought.
april
april