Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters

latimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 232 posts

Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters

#61

Post by hinkley »

bpodgursky wrote: post #12
onlyrealcuzzo wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there evidence that Tupperware breaks down and gets into food that you store inside it?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3222987/ > Most Plastic Products Release Estrogenic Chemicals: A Potential Health Problem That Can Be Solved > Results: Almost all commercially available plastic products we sampled—independent of the type of resin, product, or retail source—leached chemicals having reliably detectable EA, including those advertised as BPA free. In some cases, BPA-free products released ch…

I was just floored when the BPA problems arose and all these people I knew were trading in one plastic bottle for a different one. I'm switching to glass and stainless and everyone else is buying more plastic.

Just... don't understand why we learn so slow.

Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters

#62

Post by TallGuyShort »

jumpingmice wrote: post #35

Imagine all the problems that would be solved if someone invented a car with metal wheels, maybe one that can hold hundreds of people, goes really fast, is quiet and efficient....

You've done it. You've figured it out. Nobody else has. Amazing.

Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters

#63

Post by kleton »

Joelexander wrote: post #45
sp332 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why does it have lead?

Lead used tp be a very common additive in gasoline. In the US there was no legislation to reduce it's use until the 1973 and it wasn't fully banned until 1996. It can be assumed that any well-trafficked road during or before this period has substantial lead contamination.

It's still allowed in general aviation. Let your lawmakers know if that bothers you. The stakeholders in this case happen to be a small, wealthy minority.

Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters

#64

Post by reaperducer »

Interesting, considering just a few decades ago bundling old tires and sinking them into the ocean was considered an environmentally-friendly disposal method.

It was believed that the tires would create reefs, encouraging sea life, and at the same time take care of on ongoing tire disposal problem that occasionally led to catastrophic fires.

I wonder what other modern "environmentally friendly" things we're doing now that will turn out to be bas ackward 30 years from now.

Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters

#65

Post by hombre_fatal »

luckydata wrote: post #40
umvi wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...and can only go to select locations at certain times that may or may not align with your final destination or schedule.

the last mile problem can be solved in a million different ways: bikes, taxis, uber, walking, buses... Eliminating car culture is non optional if we want to save the planet.

You don't even need to go that far. Eliminating car culture is how you'd make a city I'd actually enjoy living in.

Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters

#66

Post by manigandham »

luckydata wrote: post #40
umvi wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...and can only go to select locations at certain times that may or may not align with your final destination or schedule.

the last mile problem can be solved in a million different ways: bikes, taxis, uber, walking, buses... Eliminating car culture is non optional if we want to save the planet.

You can separate the issue better by saying intercity and intracity. Getting from your home to a location is usually not much more time than getting from your home to a station. This makes trains unviable for most inner-city travel outside of some lightrail in dense urban areas.

For intercity, trains quickly start competing against airlines which are better for most domestic travel because the US is so big.

Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters

#67

Post by reaperducer »

luckydata wrote: post #40
umvi wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...and can only go to select locations at certain times that may or may not align with your final destination or schedule.

the last mile problem can be solved in a million different ways: bikes, taxis, uber, walking, buses... Eliminating car culture is non optional if we want to save the planet.

bikes, taxis, uber, walking, buses

Three of those four fail to address the tire issue, which is at the root of this problem.

Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters

#68

Post by reaperducer »

hinkley wrote: post #51
tedsanders wrote: post #6

This is one reason why I don't like living near freeways, especially near on-ramps, off-ramps, and interchanges. Car pollution isn't just tailpipe emissions - I believe a lot of airborne particulates come from tires and brakes (especially during acceleration, deceleration, and turning). https://www.cdc.gov/air/particulate_matter.html

Came up in conversation when I took my car in that up until recently they were using little bits of copper in brake pads for... noise control? heat? I can't recall which. But that's been outlawed now, presumably due to potential for metal toxicity (any mineral you need in your diet is also lethal at higher doses). We're leaving powdered copper at every stop light.

Weren't brakes made of asbestos at one time?

Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters

#69

Post by merpnderp »

luckydata wrote: post #40
umvi wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...and can only go to select locations at certain times that may or may not align with your final destination or schedule.

the last mile problem can be solved in a million different ways: bikes, taxis, uber, walking, buses... Eliminating car culture is non optional if we want to save the planet.

Non optional says whom? I'm rather excited about the new Tesla batteries and the possibilities of traveling more for less money per mile. You can live in relative poverty compared to today and ride a bike and only travel in a highly ordered and grating manner, but I'll support nuclear power and have fun around town in a 750hp electric.

Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters

#70

Post by reaperducer »

strstr wrote: post #34
sp332 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why does it have lead?

Probably from tetraethyl lead, which wasn’t banned in common fuels until the 70’s in the US. That said, there are enough other sources of lead (e.g. old paint) that this isn’t guaranteed to be right.

Probably from tetraethyl lead, which wasn’t banned in common fuels until the 70’s in the US.

Except in California, which had leaded fuel well into the 90's for rich people's collector cars. Another example of the do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do sorts of things that happen in California.

Post reply on HN