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RE: What made you sad today - JJB - 04-02-2026

(04-02-2026, 11:51 AM)Vinny Wrote:
(04-02-2026, 09:48 AM)JJB Wrote: Wasn't the Atomic age in there somewhere?
But can you find a piece of 'atomic' lying around? Plastics will be tangibly there many years in the future methinks?

Spent nuclear fuel rods are out there. Nuclear waste in barrels beneath the ground or at the bottom of the sea? Another example of the human long term pollution.

RE: What made you sad today - Moth - 04-02-2026

It is estimated that world natural gas and oil reserves will run out in about 50 years, with coal lasting perhaps 50-80 years beyond that. Then there will be no more production of forever plastics. Celluloid was invented in 1869, so by 2075 we will have had plastics just a little over 200 years, during which we have irreversibly polluted our planet. We can only hope some bright young thing comes up with a genius idea to remove all those micro-plastics from the world.

RE: What made you sad today - Mark_Riga - 04-02-2026

(04-02-2026, 02:00 PM)Moth Wrote: It is estimated that world natural gas and oil reserves will run out in about 50 years, with coal lasting perhaps 50-80 years beyond that. Then there will be no more production of forever plastics. Celluloid was invented in 1869, so by 2075 we will have had plastics just a little over 200 years, during which we have irreversibly polluted our planet. We can only hope some bright young thing comes up with a genius idea to remove all those micro-plastics from the world.

Eventually, microbes are likely to develop that find plastics delicious to eat - but could be centuries to millions of years in the future. Could biochemists help their development?

RE: What made you sad today - Vinny - 04-02-2026

I've often wondered what 'Biodegradable' plastics biograde down to? Is it essentially smaller pieces of plastic or microplastics?

RE: What made you sad today - Veggie - 05-02-2026

(04-02-2026, 05:51 PM)Mark_Riga Wrote:
(04-02-2026, 02:00 PM)Moth Wrote: It is estimated that world natural gas and oil reserves will run out in about 50 years, with coal lasting perhaps 50-80 years beyond that. Then there will be no more production of forever plastics. Celluloid was invented in 1869, so by 2075 we will have had plastics just a little over 200 years, during which we have irreversibly polluted our planet. We can only hope some bright young thing comes up with a genius idea to remove all those micro-plastics from the world.

Eventually, microbes are likely to develop that find plastics delicious to eat - but could be centuries to millions of years in the future. Could biochemists help their development?
May not have to wait that long! https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251104013023.htm

RE: What made you sad today - Mark_Riga - 05-02-2026

(04-02-2026, 10:24 PM)Vinny Wrote: I've often wondered what 'Biodegradable' plastics biograde down to? Is it essentially smaller pieces of plastic or microplastics?

It would likely be CO2 and H2O I think. Definitely not micro plastics which are still plastics.

RE: What made you sad today - Moth - 05-02-2026

(05-02-2026, 12:13 AM)Veggie Wrote:
(04-02-2026, 05:51 PM)Mark_Riga Wrote: Eventually, microbes are likely to develop that find plastics delicious to eat - but could be centuries to millions of years in the future. Could biochemists help their development?
May not have to wait that long! https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251104013023.htm
The slightly scary thing is that so much of our world is plastic wrapped. Imagine if those microbes were further developed, and started feasting on other plastics. Things like the insulation around electrical wiring, underground pipes of all kinds, car/ship/aircraft parts, phones, TVs, the list is endless.

RE: What made you sad today - JJB - 05-02-2026

(05-02-2026, 12:54 PM)Moth Wrote:
(05-02-2026, 12:13 AM)Veggie Wrote:
(04-02-2026, 05:51 PM)Mark_Riga Wrote: Eventually, microbes are likely to develop that find plastics delicious to eat - but could be centuries to millions of years in the future. Could biochemists help their development?
May not have to wait that long! https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251104013023.htm
The slightly scary thing is that so much of our world is plastic wrapped. Imagine if those microbes were further developed, and started feasting on other plastics. Things like the insulation around electrical wiring, underground pipes of all kinds, car/ship/aircraft parts, phones, TVs, the list is endless.
As a world, we're not too good at controlling innovation.  AI & the Web two examples, I'm sure there are many more.