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from the what-other-options-do-we-have dept.
"Microplastics" is a term used to describe the tiny particles of plastic waste. The problem is that these don't break down organically - they just become smaller (to the molecular level). There's famously the "plastic soup" in oceans that contains such particles.
A recent Norwegian* study looked into the originators of these microplastic. Surprisingly enough: car tyres. There are other sources, but they contribute significantly less. According to the infographic, it breaks down as follows:
- Car tyres: 2250 tons
- Paint/maintenance of ships: 650 tons
- loss from plastic production: 400 tons
- painting/maintenance of buildings+infrastructure: 310 tons
- laundry: 110 tons
- waste treatment: 100 tons
... and some small change.
This means that car tyres alone, by themselves, account for a staggering 55% of microplastic waste.
To put this in perspective: Germans and Norwegians (both) use up about 2 kilos of car tyres per person per year.
Note: These numbers seem particular to Norway - overall yearly production of microplastics seems (unfortunately) vastly greater, see the below-linked German report (table on page 33) for some EU estimates.
* There's apparently a German study corroborating this. The only one I could find is here (English, downloads a PDF).
(Score: 2) by turgid on Saturday November 07 2015, @11:04AM
When smart-Alecs pick me up on my grammar or spelling I usually retort, "It's my language and I'll abuse it in any way I see fit." Didn't someone clever like Mark Twain or Oscar Wilde have something witty to say about people who could only think of one way to spell a word? So much of our grammar and spelling are just arbitrary rules adopted by academics in the last couple of hundred years. Words keep changing, sounds shift etc.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 2) by basicbasicbasic on Saturday November 07 2015, @11:57AM
I have no problem with your use of the word "pedantics". Being mildly infuriating is part of what made it funny. But it was mainly funny because it was wrong. There are rules to language and accepted ways of spelling words; if there weren't then you wouldn't have been able to play with those rules to make a joke.
But I wouldn't go so far as to say that language is so fluid you can completely menagle the refiction. It is firstly a communication restan, and anything which internates with that restan should have a reason for being incopted; to make a joke, for example. Otherwise you perface the restan less beleficent.