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posted by Fnord666 on Saturday November 18 2017, @05:38PM   Printer-friendly
from the deep-sea-plastics dept.

Plastics found in stomachs of deepest sea creatures

Animals from the deepest places on Earth have been found with plastic in their stomachs, confirming fears that manmade fibres have contaminated the most remote places on the planet.

The study, led by academics at Newcastle University, found animals from trenches across the Pacific Ocean were contaminated with fibres that probably originated from plastic bottles, packaging and synthetic clothes.

Dr Alan Jamieson, who led the study, said the findings were startling and proved that nowhere on the planet was free from plastics pollution. "There is now no doubt that plastics pollution is so pervasive that nowhere – no matter how remote – is immune," he said.

Evidence of the scale of plastic pollution has been growing in recent months. Earlier this year scientists found plastic in 83% of global tapwater samples, while other studies have found plastic in rock salt and fish. Humans have produced an estimated 8.3bn tonnes of plastic since the 1950s and scientists said it risked near permanent contamination of the planet.

Also at Newcastle University.


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  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @05:53PM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @05:53PM (#598704)

    Quick, find a scapegoat to blame. Preferably somebody rich and whose politics I don't like.

    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:02PM (5 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:02PM (#598707)

      Easy: all manufacturers of disposable plastics and the intentional business practices to encourage waste for profit.

      Now, care to join the "save the Earth" club? Or are you still too triggered?

      • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Nerdfest on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:54PM (4 children)

        by Nerdfest (80) on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:54PM (#598718)

        ... and to a degree, those of us who buy from them.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @08:23PM (3 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @08:23PM (#598747)

          Yes, there is definitely some personal responsibility as well but statistically it is easier to get manufacturing to shape up than to get 100% of consumers to make good choices.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @09:03PM (2 children)

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @09:03PM (#598753)

            So, the objective is political expedience, not effectiveness. Eh, makes sense. Path of least resistance, and all that.

            Sorry, pal... denial of personal responsibility is the main cause of all our problems.

            • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @10:34PM (1 child)

              by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @10:34PM (#598770)

              It isn't denial, it is realism. It takes time for a population to get on board with new trends. Victim blaming is where the strict "personal responsibility" code ends up, and the healthy version is making laws to punish people for doing the wrong things. Assuming that all new humans will magically be sufficiently educated to actually be personally responsible for all things is *ahem* naive.

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 19 2017, @04:06PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 19 2017, @04:06PM (#598942)

                it is realism

                No it isn't. It's defeatist blame passing. People are playing the victim by choice. All choices are personal, and each person is responsible for their own choices. Anything else is pure animal.

  • (Score: 2) by acid andy on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:22PM (10 children)

    by acid andy (1683) on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:22PM (#598711) Homepage Journal

    The bigger problem is that there's insufficient overlap between the set of people that care deeply about this and the set of people with direct influence over legislation, manufacturing processes and design choices.

    On top of that, ideas like allowing corporations to sue the government sure ain't gonna help.

    Another problem is that we're all guilty. Humans are staggeringly good at rationalizing away responsibility for big problems like this. People go along with what they're taught society does. Use and production of plastic has become a social norm. Monkey see, monkey do. It's easy for people to say that the problem would be there whether they acted or not.

    --
    If a cat has kittens, does a rat have rittens, a bat bittens and a mat mittens?
    • (Score: 5, Informative) by edIII on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:50PM (3 children)

      by edIII (791) on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:50PM (#598716)

      Yep. That's why all I can really do is consume as little plastic as I can. Paper bags, highly reusable plastic bags if you have to, glass containers, and I actively participate in recycling programs.

      The planet had this problem before, with of all things trees. Initially, there was nothing in nature that could break a tree down once it died, similar to how nature has very little (if anything) to break down most plastics. Evolution will most likely come along again (whether we are still here or not) and provide some sort of enzyme or natural process that can break down plastics.

      Taking care of the plastic problem is actually something surmountable for humanity. Real question is if we will ever find the motivation to do so. We're not running on good ideas, ethics, morality, humanity or anything close to what could be termed good. Our world is run on avarice and fear, and there is no greater fear than that the 1% has about losing profits or power.

      You should see how hard those hellbound fuckers fight to be able to sell plastic bags in California. Since we banned them, there actually has been far, far, far less plastic bag pollution where I live. It's been a good thing, but man are they still bitching hard about it.

      --
      Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
      • (Score: 5, Informative) by frojack on Saturday November 18 2017, @07:49PM

        by frojack (1554) on Saturday November 18 2017, @07:49PM (#598741) Journal

        That's why all I can really do is consume as little plastic as I can. Paper bags, highly reusable plastic bags if you have to, glass containers, and I actively participate in recycling programs.

        Yeah, you're not special. Everybody does this.

        And most of us recycle the plastic bags too. Recycling is common, almost universal in the US and most of the EU, requiring virtually no extra effort. Even then it makes no economic sense, and is mostly done for environmental reasons. You get no special brownie points for doing the norm.

        The problem isn't here in North America, or Europe. The Problem is actually over here [soylentnews.org]

        --
        No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
      • (Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Sunday November 19 2017, @12:40AM (1 child)

        by PinkyGigglebrain (4458) on Sunday November 19 2017, @12:40AM (#598798)

        Science side note: It took millions of years for something to evolve that could break down cellulose in wood. All that un-decayed wood got buried under sediment and became the coal we are now burning.

        --
        "Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
        • (Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Sunday November 19 2017, @01:25AM

          by realDonaldTrump (6614) on Sunday November 19 2017, @01:25AM (#598807) Homepage Journal

          Coal is like a treasure trove! And all this plastic getting laid down, it's tremendous. I'm sure our wonderful, and very smart, miners are going to be digging it up soon. And getting rich selling the plastic from the ocean. Very confident about that.

    • (Score: 1, Troll) by frojack on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:50PM (5 children)

      by frojack (1554) on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:50PM (#598717) Journal

      If its fibers, you can bet it is polyester and nylon and rayon, etc cloths. Not plastic bottles. They don't disintegrate into fibers.
      You can also bet that in there was a great deal of cotton and cellulose that they didn't bother to report.
      Not to mention shreded wood, ash, soot, pumice, cement dust, and petroleum.

      I'd also bet the study harmed more fish than were harmed by the fibers.

      Humans are staggeringly good at rationalizing away responsibility for big problems like this. People go along with what they're taught society does.

      Humans are unbelievably good at assuming every molecule of evidence of their existence is somehow devastating to the planet. Usually while sitting around in their polyester shirts typing on plastic keys on a mostly non-recyclable product while castigating every other human on earth, and obliquely suggesting all such products should be outlawed so we can go back to devastating our forests and lands cutting more cellulose and raising more cotton.

      --
      No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:55PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:55PM (#598720)

        I see none of this hyperbole you mention. I do however see campaigns to reduce waste and transition to more environmentally friendly products. No one that I've ever met, or even seen rant on the net, says that every plastic product must be done away with.

        But hey, you're frojack, common sense isn't really your thing.

      • (Score: 2) by acid andy on Saturday November 18 2017, @07:07PM (3 children)

        by acid andy (1683) on Saturday November 18 2017, @07:07PM (#598725) Homepage Journal

        Nice job illustrating my point.

        --
        If a cat has kittens, does a rat have rittens, a bat bittens and a mat mittens?
        • (Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday November 18 2017, @07:35PM (2 children)

          by frojack (1554) on Saturday November 18 2017, @07:35PM (#598738) Journal

          Even nicer job taking the bait and illustrating mine.

          --
          No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
          • (Score: 3, Insightful) by aristarchus on Saturday November 18 2017, @07:41PM

            by aristarchus (2645) on Saturday November 18 2017, @07:41PM (#598739) Journal

            What was your point, forjack? That you do not understand celluose? Or did some of the plastic you tacked to the side of the shed find its way into the Marianas Trench, and you feel terribly responsible?

          • (Score: 3, Insightful) by acid andy on Saturday November 18 2017, @08:10PM

            by acid andy (1683) on Saturday November 18 2017, @08:10PM (#598743) Homepage Journal

            Yeh, I'll take your bait because I'm bored. And the planet is so screwed that I've lost the will to find anything more fulfilling to do with my time right now.

            Humans are unbelievably good at assuming every molecule of evidence of their existence is somehow devastating to the planet.

            Mr. A. C.'s already got this hyperbolic bit well covered.

            Usually while sitting around in their polyester shirts typing on plastic keys on a mostly non-recyclable product

            Yeah, I said we're all guilty. There's no "we" without "me".

            while castigating every other human on earth,

            I was castigating myself too. See above.

            and obliquely suggesting all such products should be outlawed so we can go back to devastating our forests and lands cutting more cellulose and raising more cotton.

            No need to devastate our forests and natural lands if we can solve the other little problem of massive overpopulation by our own species.

            --
            If a cat has kittens, does a rat have rittens, a bat bittens and a mat mittens?
  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Gaaark on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:42PM (7 children)

    by Gaaark (41) on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:42PM (#598715) Journal

    We leave garbage strewn all across the Earth.

    We go into space, and now it's getting dangerous to orbit the Earth because of the garbage left there.

    We go to the moon and we leave garbage there.

    We go to Mars and we have left garbage there.

    Leaving/left the solar system is man-made garbage.

    Man, what a great species we are: no wonder the 'aliens' out there are avoiding us.

    "Shit, man, those Earthers... don't invite them!?! They'll leave shit all over the place!"

    --
    --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
    • (Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:55PM (6 children)

      by frojack (1554) on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:55PM (#598719) Journal

      Right, because every other intelligent species on every other planet some how made it into space without generating or leaving any debris or garbage and got here to see our garbage.

      --
      No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:59PM (4 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @06:59PM (#598723)

        Humanities scale has grown massively along with our technological revolution. Perhaps we should start investing in the future instead of immediate profits. Garbage is a big problem, but the biggest obstacle is economics because no one WANTS to sift through garbage and figure out what to do with it. Eventually the problem will become so bad that people will demand the government do something and THEN we will get some progress.

        Or possibly energy and automation will become cheap enough that it will become profitable to actually process all human waste.

        • (Score: 2) by acid andy on Saturday November 18 2017, @07:17PM

          by acid andy (1683) on Saturday November 18 2017, @07:17PM (#598726) Homepage Journal

          Eventually the problem will become so bad that people will demand the government do something and THEN we will get some progress.

          For far too many people, that tolerance level comes after a mass extinction event when the ecological damage finally starts to impact their own little lives. Then it will be too late, for any of those problems to be fixed in their lifespan at least.

          --
          If a cat has kittens, does a rat have rittens, a bat bittens and a mat mittens?
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @07:48PM (2 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @07:48PM (#598740)

          Or possibly energy and automation will become cheap enough that it will become profitable to actually process all humans as waste.

          FTFY

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 19 2017, @03:00AM (1 child)

            by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 19 2017, @03:00AM (#598826)

            You can eat soylent if you want, I'll just move to Middlenowherstan and found my utopia. CONTRACTS FOR EVERYBODY!

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 19 2017, @04:17AM

              by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 19 2017, @04:17AM (#598838)

              > CONTRACTS FOR EVERYBODY!

              So, you are planning on a nice mix of 50% lawyers to write all those contracts, with the other 50% of the population covering every other kind of skill set?

      • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Sunday November 19 2017, @12:02AM

        by Gaaark (41) on Sunday November 19 2017, @12:02AM (#598790) Journal

        NOW you've got it!
        ;)

        --
        --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
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