Comment on Plastic-eating bacteria discovered in the ocean

bleistift2@sopuli.xyz ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

• RedSnt@feddit.dk ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  What if the opposite happens and “oh shit, all plastic in the world is getting eaten, it’s worthless now!”

  source

  • Fermion@mander.xyz ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    It happened to cellulose.

    source
  • bleistift2@sopuli.xyz ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    That would be so hilarious! The thing you put around shit so it doesn’t spoil? Guess what! IT SPOILS!

    source
  • RustyShackleford@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    What’s going to happen to all the micro plastic in our bodies? And how long before it just eats us too.

    source
  • SubArcticTundra@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    They’ll just create a new undegradable plastic and then we’ll have the plastic pollutn problem all over again. Its an endless loop from which the only way out is an intentional, designed solution.

    source

    • RedSnt@feddit.dk ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      Oh yeah, it’ll definitely become a sort of arms race.

      source
• UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  I’m afraid it will lead to a cessation of anti-pollution efforts

  The bacteria release carbon during the decomposition process. So this isn’t a “solution” in any meaningful respect. It’s an instance of evolution at work, as a surplus resource becomes a food source for innovative organisms.

  Also, we look at this as some kind of “clean-up”. In reality, this is a threat to one of our most useful durable materials. It’ll likely lead to the development of antiseptics to kill these bacteria colonies, as the last thing anyone with a hard plastic shell on their vehicle or appliance or equipment wants is a colony of plastic-eaters deteriorating it.

  source
• fizzle@quokk.au ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  I dont really follow.

  You think people are going to point to this as a reason not decarbon?

  Im sure that idiots will, but those people were never going to make any meaningful effort to decarbon anyway.

  source

  • bleistift2@sopuli.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    I am continuously amazed how people keep confusing plastic pollution with carbon pollution. They are not even close!

    source

    • fizzle@quokk.au ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      Settle down mate. Im well aware that plastic pollution is not carbon pollution.

      The comment i replied to suggested that solving plastic pollution might discourage people from addressing pollution all together. Plastic and carbon are the most problematic pollutants.

      source