Warm winter is absolute proof of climate change

[YoDoug]

That's my point exactly. Go after the dumpers, not the consumers.
But... to go after the TRUE culprits of the ocean plastic/garbage island, they would have to go after China and India.
But we all know that's not going to happen.

Unless you recycle a plastic bottle, what do you think happens to it. Eventually huge amounts of plastic in landfills makes its way to the ocean. the plastic pollution in the ocean is not from a small number of large polluters. it is from large numbers of small pollution. Have you tried to open a kids toy on Xmas for a waiting child recently. The packages are multiple layers of plastic and cardboard. Everything we buy now comes over packaged. We are so far and disconnected from the things we buy and they are packaged for shipping economy and product integrity. Every Xmas alone millions of pounds of packaging ends up in landfills and a good portion of that will end up in the ocean. Once upon a time items were open on store shelves and were sourced much more locally. Likewise the POS element of society will steal even more if items were not so securely packaged. I don't really have a good answer to this besides focusing my personal purchasing habits to those things I can do to reduce my waste.

[RobertELee]

Nonsense, yet the ocean is still filled with plastics. We still can't keep allowing that much plastic to accumulate in the ocean. Something needs to change, but it has to be meaningful change.

Like paper straws wrapped in plastic instead of those evil plastic straws wrapped in paper.

[Incogneeto]

Unless you recycle a plastic bottle, what do you think happens to it. Eventually huge amounts of plastic in landfills makes its way to the ocean. the plastic pollution in the ocean is not from a small number of large polluters. it is from large numbers of small pollution. Have you tried to open a kids toy on Xmas for a waiting child recently. The packages are multiple layers of plastic and cardboard. Everything we buy now comes over packaged. We are so far and disconnected from the things we buy and they are packaged for shipping economy and product integrity. Every Xmas alone millions of pounds of packaging ends up in landfills and a good portion of that will end up in the ocean. Once upon a time items were open on store shelves and were sourced much more locally. Likewise the POS element of society will steal even more if items were not so securely packaged. I don't really have a good answer to this besides focusing my personal purchasing habits to those things I can do to reduce my waste.

Uhh If you bury it in Indiana???

How does it get to the Ocean??

Jet Ski??

[CADCAM396]

I'm hoping dinosaurs make a comeback. Especially the vegetarians kind

BUT BUT WAIT what about the dinosaur farts. we will have to invent electric dinosaurs. and make the electity out of dinosaur poop.

[Incogneeto]

Unless you recycle a plastic bottle, what do you think happens to it. Eventually huge amounts of plastic in landfills makes its way to the ocean. the plastic pollution in the ocean is not from a small number of large polluters. it is from large numbers of small pollution. Have you tried to open a kids toy on Xmas for a waiting child recently. The packages are multiple layers of plastic and cardboard. Everything we buy now comes over packaged. We are so far and disconnected from the things we buy and they are packaged for shipping economy and product integrity. Every Xmas alone millions of pounds of packaging ends up in landfills and a good portion of that will end up in the ocean. Once upon a time items were open on store shelves and were sourced much more locally. Likewise the POS element of society will steal even more if items were not so securely packaged. I don't really have a good answer to this besides focusing my personal purchasing habits to those things I can do to reduce my waste.

I suggest a Trip to Santa Monica Pier. where as you float and the Hypodermic needles float past you from the Illegal dumpers, may improve your view point. most landfills have federal laws they have to adhere to.

[Tim Johnson]

Unless you recycle a plastic bottle, what do you think happens to it. Eventually huge amounts of plastic in landfills makes its way to the ocean. the plastic pollution in the ocean is not from a small number of large polluters. it is from large numbers of small pollution. Have you tried to open a kids toy on Xmas for a waiting child recently. The packages are multiple layers of plastic and cardboard. Everything we buy now comes over packaged. We are so far and disconnected from the things we buy and they are packaged for shipping economy and product integrity. Every Xmas alone millions of pounds of packaging ends up in landfills and a good portion of that will end up in the ocean. Once upon a time items were open on store shelves and were sourced much more locally. Likewise the POS element of society will steal even more if items were not so securely packaged. I don't really have a good answer to this besides focusing my personal purchasing habits to those things I can do to reduce my waste.

That's not true anymore at least around here. Most landfills have their trash trucks dump the trash in a building and the rookies separate the plastics, paper and other misc items for recycling.

[gcode]

separate the plastics, paper and other misc items for recycling.

and the recycled plastic is sold to China where they pick out the plastic they want and dump the rest in the rivers
90% of the plastics in the ocean comes from Asia.

[RobertELee]

That's not true anymore at least around here. Most landfills have their trash trucks dump the trash in a building and the rookies separate the plastics, paper and other misc items for recycling.

So the sad reality is the majority of plastics that get "recycled" are packed into shipping containers and shipped overseas. Where most are burnt, buried, or dumped in the sea. Plastic recycling is just way too finicky to be profitable in the US. Especially when the requirements for the majority of plastic used needs to be virgin, an exact color, crystal clear, etc. And they can't be contaminated with any other plastic type or material.

[YoDoug]

The EPA estimates that only about 4%-5% of plastic bottles make it to recycling, the stuff being sold to China. The rest end up in landfills or are burned for energy production. Regardless of how the plastic is getting into the ocean, it is a consumer use issue. We want everything to be single use packaged for convenience. That comes at a cost. Every person as an individual consumer can make changes how they buy products to reduce the single package usage. Looking at environmental costs, most sources will say choose Aluminum cans first, then glass, then plastic for single use products.

And as for global warming. Since the industrial revolution there has been a slow warming of average temps. This past year was first time ever that the one year average temp rise was 1.5C. I'm not one of those doomsday cult people, but I do question how sustainable this rate of increase is. It will affect a lot of natural cycles of earth as well as farming and food production. I don't think forcing electric cars are the answer but I also think the current level of fossil fuel use is not sustainable.

[RobertELee]

We want everything to be single use packaged for convenience.

IMO it all starts with the FDA requiring single use items because returnable items like glass bottles aren't considered clean enough.

[Jeff]

but I do question how sustainable this rate of increase is.

For thousands of years most likely.
The global warming is a scare tactic to line their pockets. Same as when they screamed about another ice age coming in the 70's. So 50 years later all of a sudden we need to forget about another ice age and focus on warming?
Nah, I'm not buying it no matter how loud they scream.

[YoDoug]

For thousands of years most likely.
The global warming is a scare tactic to line their pockets. Same as when they screamed about another ice age coming in the 70's. So 50 years later all of a sudden we need to forget about another ice age and focus on warming?
Nah, I'm not buying it no matter how loud they scream.

Following the last centuries recorded temperatures a thousand years would be 10 deg F average increases in temp. Doesn't seem like a lot but it will have an effect on many things. I really don't know how drastic that will be or not. Additionally the average temp increase over the last 100 years has not be a fixed rate of increase. As more carbon stays in the atmosphere, more desertification of land, etc., the faster temps rise.

[neurosis]

I don't want all the single use shite. Look at fruit and veg - polystyrene bases and shrink wrapping over everything.
What's wrong with serve yourself and brown paper bags? Or take your own (multi use) netted bags and use them?

I always wondered why Costco sold paper towels rolls wrapped individually in plastic, then all wrapped together in a bigger plastic bag.   

Just last year kirkland stopped wrapping the rolls individually. Took long enough. 

[beej]

And as for global warming. Since the industrial revolution there has been a slow warming of average temps. This past year was first time ever that the one year average temp rise was 1.5C.

It was a warm year, no doubt. and things have been warming for many years. But for 2023, we have to keep in mind the water vapor from the Tonga Volcano, which increased the global water vapor by 10-15%. And If scientists are correct water vapor is more efficient than CO2 in the greenhouse effect.

[Del.]

It was a warm year, no doubt. and things have been warming for many years. But for 2023, we have to keep in mind the water vapor from the Tonga Volcano, which increased the global water vapor by 10-15%. And If scientists are correct water vapor is more efficient than CO2 in the greenhouse effect.

Don't forget all the bomb explosions

They need electric bombshells.