Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
- ExSp33db1rd
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
Just visited a new take-away Sushi business. Help yourself from the display counters with the tongs provided, and use either plastic or cardboard boxes to take away your selection. Plastic boxes free, cardboard boxes charged 30c. Guess which I chose ? ( Clue - born in Yorkshire. )
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
Plastic, to me is a far greater problem than climate change. In many of its forms it is non-biodegradable and is dumped wantonly world-wide. It needs to be recycled or incinerated so as to leave no trace. Cellulose-based materials that can be formed into plastic replacing products, I think, offer a lot of alternatives to petroleum-based plastic. Plant based cellulose is biodegradable as it is plant based and will return to soil, or it can be incinerated as well, producing energy. It is also one of the most plentiful elements on the planet.
Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
I've been banging on about this for years. I am so irritated when I go into a supermarket and see an aisle full of plastic bottles of water, and people walking out with packs of them - shrink wrapped in plastic. More expensive and in most places inferior to what comes out of the tap.
Let’s make 2020 the year we give up bottled water
One Change: One million plastic bottles are sold every minute, and only half are recycled
This year it is estimated that more than half a trillion plastic bottles will be sold globally
Almost one million plastic bottles are bought every minute around the world. Of these, fewer than half are recycled – the rest will take more than 400 years to decompose in landfills.
From soft drinks to shampoo and household cleaners, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles have become all-pervasive. The introduction of this lightweight material transformed the retail sector in the 1970s and beyond – but its affect on the environment has been devastating, with a massive increase in plastic waste finding its way into the oceans and harming marine life.
Despite efforts to reduce the presence of single-use plastics, progress is extremely slow. The EU voted to outlaw 10 single-use plastic items, including straws, forks and knives by 2021, and by 2029 at least 90 per cent of beverage bottles will have to be collected and recycled. Imports of plastics to Ireland, however, show that there’s still plenty of it coming into the country (last year imported plastics had increased in value to €1.67 billion).
Meanwhile, the build-up of plastic waste continues. This year it is estimated that more than half a trillion plastic bottles will be sold globally.
So what can we do about it? Drink more tap water, for a start. An estimated 183 million litres of water were bought in Republic of Ireland in 2017, according to Drinks Industry Ireland. Buying bottled water when there is no alternative – or a boil water notice has been issued – is one thing; buying it as a lifestyle choice is a whole other issue, and a big part of the problem with our throwaway, on-the-go culture.
Bottled water requires up to 2,000 times the energy used to produce tap water. Consider its production, transportation and refrigeration – and it’s easy to see how. These days most cafes and restaurants are pretty good at setting out jugs of water for customers (instead of urging us to order still or sparkling). If you’re not a fan of the taste of your tap water, you can have a small filter tap installed at your sink for a reasonable fee, or purchase a filter jug for your fridge. Many fridges also now have built-in filter taps.
And don’t forget your reusable water bottle. If you’re out and about – or doing some new year’s exercising – check out Refill Ireland’s website for a handy map of nearby water fountains. It’s great to see Dublin Airport has also introduced refilling water stations for travellers, and here’s hoping lots more towns and cities across the country start to roll them out over the next year too.
One Change is a weekly column about the changes - big and small - that we can all make in our daily lives for the good of the planet
- Mrs Ex-Ascot
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
Despite this being from the Groiniad, it is very well written and interesting too; https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... od-experts
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- Mrs Ex-Ascot
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
It's not just plastic packaging that is a major problem; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... frica.html
Why do people have to buy so many clothes? At the moment I am wearing a fifteen year old t shirt and a twenty five year old jumper. My shorts are very new though, only three years old. And no I don't look like a scruff bag like Prince Harry in the photo of him in todays DM
Why do people have to buy so many clothes? At the moment I am wearing a fifteen year old t shirt and a twenty five year old jumper. My shorts are very new though, only three years old. And no I don't look like a scruff bag like Prince Harry in the photo of him in todays DM
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- barkingmad
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
Let’s all hope we’ve got a spare £100,000 laying around ready for the Great all-electric future in the UK and elsewhere?!
Our politicians are very good at posturing and making the right green noises but like the infamous H2S project they really have not done their sums. But then the Diane Abbott mathematics process must be as infectious as Covid-19. I hope I got that number right? But then I’m not wasting millions of taxpayers’ money.
Our politicians are very good at posturing and making the right green noises but like the infamous H2S project they really have not done their sums. But then the Diane Abbott mathematics process must be as infectious as Covid-19. I hope I got that number right? But then I’m not wasting millions of taxpayers’ money.
- Mrs Ex-Ascot
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
If there is plastic in rain because there is plastic in the air, then that means that we are breathing in plastic too; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... -lake.html
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
Who cares?
You live for a while, then ya dee!
You live for a while, then ya dee!
Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
Like I explained to my kids:
We're all dying; some just dying faster than others!
PP
We're all dying; some just dying faster than others!
PP
- Mrs Ex-Ascot
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
An interesting article despite being from the Daily Wail; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech ... nough.html
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- Mrs Ex-Ascot
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
This article is very interesting; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech ... ution.html
RAF 32 Sqn B Flt ; Twin Squirrels.
Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
Depressing rather than interesting.
Plastic water in most countries should be banned as there is very little justification for its use, if people need carbonated water they can buy a machine to make it at home, in the office, etc.
Plastic water in most countries should be banned as there is very little justification for its use, if people need carbonated water they can buy a machine to make it at home, in the office, etc.
- Mrs Ex-Ascot
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
This seems to be a cheap and useful development by the Japanese; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech ... water.html
RAF 32 Sqn B Flt ; Twin Squirrels.
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
Could we not devise some sort of heat powered water purifier?
We could run it on Chinese...
We could run it on Chinese...
- Mrs Ex-Ascot
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
Another promising development; https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... s-in-hours
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- Mrs Ex-Ascot
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
This is an interesting article highlighting an excellent project in Chile; https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... onia-chile
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- Mrs Ex-Ascot
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
This is a promising development by the Cloggies; https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... -in-a-year
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
Good news, but how do we recover all the everlasting plastic already out there?Mrs Ex-Ascot wrote: ↑Sun May 17, 2020 7:19 amThis is a promising development by the Cloggies; https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... -in-a-year
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
We've got to scoop it up and recycle/burn it. Also prevent its emanation from the sources.
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Re: Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?
I used to make a few bob collecting glass bottles in Cyprus. I would collect them off the sea bed. The Cyps had everything on deposit including cardboard wine boxes. People still chucked stuff but there was a benefit for litter pickers.
Instead of council recycling collections where only 2 out of about 8 types of plastic are acceptable we should bag it and have a cash for weight reward. With the council collection, if it looks like plastic in it goes good or bad, and mixed with dirty tins and all sorts of paper and cardboard.
Remember before they invented recycling we used to bundle a week's collection of newspapers and they were collected by Boy Scouts? Remember aluminium can collections? There used to be can-crushers and sacks of aluminium earned hard cash.
Instead of council recycling collections where only 2 out of about 8 types of plastic are acceptable we should bag it and have a cash for weight reward. With the council collection, if it looks like plastic in it goes good or bad, and mixed with dirty tins and all sorts of paper and cardboard.
Remember before they invented recycling we used to bundle a week's collection of newspapers and they were collected by Boy Scouts? Remember aluminium can collections? There used to be can-crushers and sacks of aluminium earned hard cash.