Toothpaste blows my mind. It’s literally plastic in some baking soda type substance. Extra whitening? Larger plastic.
Source? Wikipedia has pages on the various ingredients, which are a lot more complex than I realized, but I’m not seeing plastics…
Scientists find microplastics in blood for first time
41–50 of 128 posts
Re: Scientists find microplastics in blood for first time
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is exactly what I’ll try to change in next 5 years. Have a sustainable baseline: my own food (or at least 50% of it, other 50% locally grown within ~10km) and energy independent (for heating and cooking), and treat everything else as a luxury that can perish any time now. I don’t want to give up my remote work, car and (occasional) luxury vacation, but would love to be able to sustain myself without it. Current…
Quoted post unavailable.
This is ridiculous. You are expecting people to take aassive downgrade in standard of living. I spend years working to make more money than everybody so I can live better, not worse. And you are wrong, my kids will live much better as well, because I will pass on that money.
Re: Scientists find microplastics in blood for first time
#43Considering we’ve been implanting plastic parts (joints, heart valves, Central lines) and using plastic IV lines, syringes, IV bags, etc, all of which need to go through safety trials, I’m not too concerned that there is some massive unseen safety risk here. If it wasn’t plastics it would likely be glass. And there are millions of acre of fine powdered glass all over the world that we breath in (sand).
That hope that is true. All of this plastic might just be inert and not cause any damage. Who knows how long have people been having microplastics in their bloodstream. Decades? It is just that no one tested for it.
The “better detection” excuse is always there. The major source of microplastics is probably clothes dryers according to one recent study. That means you can associate its risk to probably clothes dryers, microfiber cloths, and plastics in clothing. Adoption of those is going to have accelerated dramatically in the last 30 years or so.
Re: Scientists find microplastics in blood for first time
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
I would argue that doomer is a waste of time. Time to be a prepper and realign our relationship to the planet. We could go on and on about climate doom, etc, but the most productive thing we can do is expect change, not apocalypse, and adjust. Lead by example. Everyone reading this can go full wind and solar. Can stop driving or drastically cut it down (move closer, use public transport, work remote, etc). We can all…
I agree with most of your points. Please research solar and wind before switching, though. Until we have solved the problem of energy storage, in many cases, solar and wind actually tend to increase pollution, because they both rely upon polluting raw materials for both themselves and their batteries and need backup power, which to this day means gas. That is unless you find yourself with a good problem set in which…
Can you tell me more about why you are equating the mining of metals for solar/batteries with climate changing GHGs - eg why are they both equally as bad? I’m not disagreeing with you, I am genuinely curious to hear your perspective.
I do generally agree with you on your second point that it might not be the most productive action to take - for the time being it would probably be better for most people to focus on electrifying their homes paired with switching over to 100% clean energy (many utilities allow you to choose this option).
Re: Scientists find microplastics in blood for first time
#45I'm constantly worried that despite the increased understanding we have relative to past generations, the increasing scope of our technological interventions means that global catastrophes seem more likely to occur relative to the past. [0] Look at the convulsions we need to go through to address climate change politically, and realize that it is only one of maybe a thousand potential grave threats, each of which pit…
I would argue that doomer is a waste of time. Time to be a prepper and realign our relationship to the planet. We could go on and on about climate doom, etc, but the most productive thing we can do is expect change, not apocalypse, and adjust. Lead by example. Everyone reading this can go full wind and solar. Can stop driving or drastically cut it down (move closer, use public transport, work remote, etc). We can all…
And regarding excuses. Maybe we should be able to bring up the road blocks and not call them excuses?
Like this in regards to solar that just popped up on my radar today?
https://www.wral.com/rooftop-solar-rate-changes-could-cast-l...
" NC Capitol NC Capitol Rooftop solar rate changes could cast long shadow over industry, climate change Tags: solar, NC Utilities Commission, utility bills, NCCapitol, Duke Energy, house & home Posted March 25, 2022 6:22 p.m. EDT Updated March 26, 2022 8:41 a.m. EDT
By Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau Chief
Raleigh homeowners Gary and Jane Smith are very concerned about climate change. They added a solar array in 2019 to help reduce their carbon footprint.
"There was a tax credit and a rebate from Duke, and it began to make financial sense to put the solar panels on," Gary Smith said.
The panels frequently make more energy than the Smiths need. Duke buys it back at full retail price. It’s called net metering.
But state law says that has to change by 2027.
"The worst case scenario that we could potentially walk into is a complete erosion of this concept called net metering," said Matt Abele with the NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA). "Obviously, we would love to continue down the path of net metering as it currently exists here in North Carolina. But unfortunately, that's just not the reality of how it's playing out."
NCSEA is one of the groups that negotiated the deal with Duke Energy late last year. It will reduce what the utility pays for rooftop solar power during most daylight hours. And it will add a minimum bill for homeowners with solar panels."
So while we try to change individually, the corporations will see a chance to profit. Duke Energy had a 12% net profit margin with a gross profit of $4.4 Billion in December 2021.
I would say voicing your opinion that these utility companies should publicly owned would be a good start.
Re: Scientists find microplastics in blood for first time
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
Quoted post unavailable.
This is ridiculous. You are expecting people to take aassive downgrade in standard of living. I spend years working to make more money than everybody so I can live better, not worse. And you are wrong, my kids will live much better as well, because I will pass on that money.
You need a global frame of reference to solve a global problem. You can get one on your own terms, or wait and be domesticated by legislation.
Re: Scientists find microplastics in blood for first time
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
> EVs have environmental costs too. How do we solve that? We incrementally get better at it. For one thing, it should be possible to power any mining, manufacturing or recycling process with electricity.
If we want tackle those, then we also have to look at trade policies. We've shipped most of the primary and secondary industries to developing nations, where these concerns are largely ignored. Some politicians talk a big environmental game, but they won't dare touch on this subject. It's a shell game.
Let’s not get defeatist and give up. Europe is implementing a carbon border adjustment, and the U.S. is discussing this as well. If implemented correctly this should reduce the financial incentive to offshore emissions and create one for other countries to reduce their own.
Re: Scientists find microplastics in blood for first time
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
I would argue that doomer is a waste of time. Time to be a prepper and realign our relationship to the planet. We could go on and on about climate doom, etc, but the most productive thing we can do is expect change, not apocalypse, and adjust. Lead by example. Everyone reading this can go full wind and solar. Can stop driving or drastically cut it down (move closer, use public transport, work remote, etc). We can all…
I agree with most of your points. Please research solar and wind before switching, though. Until we have solved the problem of energy storage, in many cases, solar and wind actually tend to increase pollution, because they both rely upon polluting raw materials for both themselves and their batteries and need backup power, which to this day means gas. That is unless you find yourself with a good problem set in which…
This argument is total oil company propaganda. Raw materials do not pollute. Their mining and manufacture does, but that again is because of oil consumption in an outdated manufacturing chain.
Burning oil produces CO2. It is chemically impossible to avoid this. Manufacturing silicon and harvesting lithium do not produce CO2, and these processes can be cleaned up.
Re: Scientists find microplastics in blood for first time
#49>"This is proof that we have plastics in our body—and we shouldn't," Why shouldn’t we?
No post body was provided.
Re: Scientists find microplastics in blood for first time
#50>"This is proof that we have plastics in our body—and we shouldn't," Why shouldn’t we?
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34185251/
> Whilst definitive evidence linking microplastic consumption to human health is currently lacking, results from correlative studies in people exposed to high concentrations of microplastics, model animal and cell culture experiments, suggest that effects of microplastics could include provoking immune and stress responses and inducing reproductive and developmental toxicity. Further research is required to explore the potential implications of this recent contaminant in our environment in more rigorous clinical studies.
We need more studies but the current signs are not good.