Semi-retired biologist with interests in speciation models, urbanism, liberal/left politics, economics, quartertone music theory, boardgames, ambient music, house rabbits, and yoga.
@PowerCrazy Actually plastic water bottles leave water they contain LOADED with microplastics:
https://www.npr.org/2024/01/10/1223730333/bottled-water-plastic-microplastic-nanoplastic-study
It’s not out of the question that the significant health risks we’re finding for ultraprocessed food are partly, or even mostly, from microplastics introduced in processing or storage.
Wear makes microplastic issues much worse, yes, but plastic is turning out to be quite bad enough even new.
@PowerCrazy @NotBillMurray You have to define “wear items” to include plastic packaging for that to be true. Probably also food and water processing as well, like plastic pipes.
@0110010001100010 @PowerCrazy Even if it runs off fossil fuel produced electricity, an EV produces about 1/3 as much emissions because it’s so much more efficient. With 40% renewable, it’s only producing 1/5 as much, and dropping as the % of electricity from renewables continues to soar in the US.
@PowerCrazy @TheRealCharlesEames No. Tailpipe emissions are far and away the worst thing coming out of a car, because they are destroying the climate of the entire earth. If unchecked, it will destroy every ecosystem extant on the planet and kill most humans. 1.7 million deaths a year is truly, epically awful, but still not even a small fraction as bad.
@jeffhykin @ajsadauskas My brother and his neighbors are fighting a grocery store in their neighborhood because of “traffic” (it would be negligible). Instead they drive 10 minutes each way thru - traffic.
Car brain - wanting your neighborhood to be undesirable so people won’t want to come.
@Brendanjones @ajsadauskas @urlyman @fuck_cars Indeed. Bars should *only* be in a 15 minute walk. You should never need to drive to a bar!
@ajsadauskas @fuck_cars 15 minute walk: Park, elementary school, bus stop, restaurant, gas station.
15-30 minutes: (I do walk sometime but usually bike): Grocery store, pharmacy, bank, barber.
I can easily bike, though not walk, to all of the rest except a university (which seems an absurd ask for a 15-minute neighborhood).
@Mars @wrinkletip Hello, what century are you living in? The US gets only 20% of its electricity from coal and dropping fast. In CA it’s 0%.
Aside from that, EVs are so much more energy efficient that an EV using electricity from a coal plant still produces less CO2 than an ICE car.
@TheLastHero @Masimatutu Nah, there’s not much intercontinental transport of used cars. Too expensive and complicated. If the West adopted EVs en mass there would be a lot less gasoline consumption there, and little increase elsewhere.
@SuiXi3D @mondoman712 From the OP: “It’s time to replace *URBAN* delivery vans.”
@corm @1993_toyota_camry Sort of? All cars ruin our lives. But gas cars also ruin the planet, where electric are substially better now and will be almost carbon free in 30 years or so. Getting rid of cars in general is very desirable, but getting rid of gas cars is an existential necessity.
@matthewtoad43 @Atemu @Aatube There’s an important political side effect to EV adoption. Carbon taxes have been a heavy political lift, mostly because people don’t want to pay more for gas. Once 51% are driving EVs, tho, carbon taxes will be popular, and that will speed a host of useful adaptations.
@DLSchichtl @bstix The lack of parks is caused mostly by the enormous waste of space on parking. Convert half the parking spaces to parks and there’s no problem with either quantity or access.
@Moonrise2473 @lgsp Too bad about the timing. If this had started right after an election the improvements would be done, and they could have locked in the fines by dropping other city taxes and making the city’s budget depend on the fines.