I’m always going on about the dangers of microplastics to anyone who will listen but I’m doubtful that “[putting] humanity on notice” will have any effect at all. If our global response to the existential threat of climate change is any indication, we may as well start taking bets on which will kill us first.
To make a sizeable dent in microplastics in our environment we’ll have to rethink the entire concept of rubber tires, and that’s gonna be a non-starter with the monied interests and their propaganda machines. Also, synthetic clothing is gonna be a big one. Getting rid of plastic straws and shopping bags infuriated so many people in my country, so that’s gonna be crazy when people find out they’ll have to do without stretchy clothing. (And the straw/bag thing was essentially a token effort given the vastly higher volumes of single-use plastic across the supply chain).
I don’t mean to be a doomer about this - it’s very important that scientists bring this to light if we want to have any hope of bettering our world. It’s just frustrating feeling like I’ve been shouting into a void regarding this issue, even to those in my personal life.
Just like smoking, it’s going to have to take government interventions and massive anti-plastics ad campaigns to convince people to change.
It would be amazing if we could make it some sort of right-wing point of pride somehow… like, tell them that the reasons for all the gay and trans people in the world are because of the microplastics. Tell them that migrants would leave if we could only stop using plastics because they love the convenience of plastic and that’s why they come here.
“Plastic makes your children turn trans!” Would be quite convincing to some.
I find it so overwhelming. Trying to avoid plastic use as an individual feels absolutely trivial when microplastics have infiltrated the entire planet so completely.
I’m always going on about the dangers of microplastics to anyone who will listen but I’m doubtful that “[putting] humanity on notice” will have any effect at all. If our global response to the existential threat of climate change is any indication, we may as well start taking bets on which will kill us first.
To make a sizeable dent in microplastics in our environment we’ll have to rethink the entire concept of rubber tires, and that’s gonna be a non-starter with the monied interests and their propaganda machines. Also, synthetic clothing is gonna be a big one. Getting rid of plastic straws and shopping bags infuriated so many people in my country, so that’s gonna be crazy when people find out they’ll have to do without stretchy clothing. (And the straw/bag thing was essentially a token effort given the vastly higher volumes of single-use plastic across the supply chain).
I don’t mean to be a doomer about this - it’s very important that scientists bring this to light if we want to have any hope of bettering our world. It’s just frustrating feeling like I’ve been shouting into a void regarding this issue, even to those in my personal life.
Just like smoking, it’s going to have to take government interventions and massive anti-plastics ad campaigns to convince people to change.
It would be amazing if we could make it some sort of right-wing point of pride somehow… like, tell them that the reasons for all the gay and trans people in the world are because of the microplastics. Tell them that migrants would leave if we could only stop using plastics because they love the convenience of plastic and that’s why they come here.
“Plastic makes your children turn trans!” Would be quite convincing to some.
This is seriously the right way to go about this.
Conservatives are extremely gullible. Why are we not manipulating them as hard as their current handlers are?
Because we are naturally more inclined to honesty than they are.
Using facts doesn’t seem to work, so yeah, just manipulate these dipshits into not getting themselves (and us) killed.
what large societal problem has been solved without government?
I find it so overwhelming. Trying to avoid plastic use as an individual feels absolutely trivial when microplastics have infiltrated the entire planet so completely.