I'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…
The cacophony of voices lends itself well to doomerism. Wish there were more places one could hide from the self-absorption of our species.
So nothing about particles on the beach, silicosis, and your claim that we inhale them at a measurable rate?
Yes. Because finding 'sandy particles' in the body is common and expected to the point that nobody cares about them if you don't have any symptoms.
Again, source? I don't believe silica based dust is common to breath in at any measurable amount on a beach. If it's really common, then you'd have sources. The prior source was dealing with glass contamination of ampules. You can follow these comments back for context.
Repeatedly stating that something is common, does not make it so.
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.
Believe it or not, most Americans won't vote to substantially reduce their own standard of living. Maybe other people's, but not theirs. > be domesticated Fuck that. That's possibly the most condescending and demeaning way you could have phrased it. But I'm assuming you knew that and did it intentionally.
what? They draw blood with needles and use little glass thingies to hold it. They aren't going to draw a liter of blood to check it for plastic, they just need a small sample. There might be some plastic involved somewhere but they aren't stupid enough to not control that. I mean there scientists. If you thought of it they thought of that and a dozen more things to be careful about.
I was wrong sorry. I was thinking of a different medical experience with lots of tubes I had, and donating blood. I guess I havent done just a tube & glass thingy
If you have so little experience, why would you assume that scientists, who likely do blood work for a living, did not think of this, but you, with that one time you donated blood, would?
While I certainly agree that everything you've said about what an individual can do is true, I disagree that in the grand scheme of things that it will make any difference at global scale. Telling people to change their lifestyle to fight climate change is the environmental equivalent of telling people to diet and exercise to lose weight. On one hand, it's obviously true, but on the other hand we have decades and dec…
That all sounds accurate enough. I would say you won't get PV on everyone's roofs without some major subsidies and/or tax-breaks; or, I suppose, if natural gas prices increased enormously... But any or all of those could come about, without even a huge amount of political consensus, I would think. I was lucky enough to buy a new home that the builders had added solar to, so it was just part of the mortgage for me, bu…
Renewables are already getting ready to climb the hockey stick of exponential deployment due to their cost, and EVs are not far behind. Better policy would of course speed the transition, but at this point at least, renewables are unstoppable. The faster the cost of power drops due to renewables, the more cost advantageous to electrify everything, further driving a fossil death spiral.
I'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…
"which pits collective well-being against technological/monetary interests." Yeah tech/money interests are part of it. I think the bigger part is lifestyle change. Most of the things that we would need to change have no better alternatives that can also support the current lifestyle. People are resistant to changing their personal actions. Some of it is entirely unknown too. We can't switch to electric vehicles overn…
> I think the bigger part is lifestyle change
No amount of changing my lifestyle stops overfishing, pipeline leaks, or factory emissions.
I'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…
You say excuses but none of that individual things matter. Even if the people who read this and their friends take action, it will not matter.
Let's be realistic. Only 100 companies responsible for 71% global emissions.
There's nothing specific about it being plastic. Detection methods are the same. https://academic.oup.com/intqhc/article/33/2/mzab091/6295061 "Any glass participles smaller than 20 µm were marked by the examiner as ‘sandy particles’ and not precisely measured." People don't research that subject a lot because it's known that small 'sandy particles' in the body are not causing problems. But that doesn't mean they are…
So nothing about particles on the beach, silicosis, and your claim that we inhale them at a measurable rate?
It’s just…obvious. I got sand in my mouth at the beach the other day… you get dirt in your mouth when you go hiking, etc.
Yes. Because finding 'sandy particles' in the body is common and expected to the point that nobody cares about them if you don't have any symptoms.
What “symptoms” did people have from plastics in their blood?
None. But they might have some because it's a new thing, therefore it's interestiing and fashionable to research that.
Nobody expects any symptoms from the substance humans are in contact with since our species came to be.
It's not a problem to find random garbage in our bodies. It is there because we came to be from dirt, metaphorically speaking. It's just that not all garbage is worth a grant.