Meanwhile on Plastic Island, yay humans and their wastefulness

[Sheik Yerbouti]

http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2016/12/world/midway-plastic-island/

Midway Atoll, North Pacific Ocean (CNN) -- The distance from humanity yawns out in front of you when you stand on the pale sands of this tiny Pacific island.

Midway Atoll is just about the furthest piece of land from civilization and its constant engine whir, data and jostle.

Standing on the island's remote shoreline brings a calm and humility -- until you look down at your feet.

On the beach lies a motorcycle helmet, a mannequin's head, an umbrella handle, and a flip-flop. They didn't fall from a plane or off a ship, and there aren't any civilians living here who could have left them behind.

They were washed in with the tide, most likely from China or the US, thousands of miles away -- part of an enormous plastic garbage patch, spinning in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, which you probably contribute to. And these are just the bits of it we can see.

This is a huge problem and not just for the tiny island down in the Pacific. We are a wasteful, throw-away society, that as a whole, doesn't give 1 fvck about the environment, in fact, several members here have expressed it's our god given right to rape the land and do with it what we will.

If this story doesn't sicken you, put a knot in your stomach about the future, then I think you need to expand your horizons, however,

There is a tiny glimmer of hope amidst this looming disaster, one I often heard while talking to researchers, one that shows people can change.

It's a recent example of something so glaringly, obviously bad for the planet -- and people -- that for centuries was accepted as a normal part of our happy, modern world.

Remember smoking? We don't do that as much anymore.

A nice collection of trinkets in this seabirds tummy

 

[mizzou]

I'm all on board for being less wasteful and buying less crap. Of the things I don't want, I try to at least give them to a charity or recycle them if possible. Our obsession with cheap mass produced trinkets will soon be replaced with an obsession for expensive and few finely produced trinkets. I've been more fond of buying things that last. I have driven my current vehicle for 14 years...I look for strong long lasting materials in cook-ware like cast-iron, and I try to have good quality clothes.

Unfortunately, I just noticed three "Dollar" stores just sprung up in my town so maybe my thoughts are not in line with everyone else....

 

[KMFJD]

We just banned microbeads, it's a start, too bad epa will be gutted by Il Douche

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

I do not buy bottled water, I have a brita filter setup at home and that saves countless bottles for just one shlub. Recycle all plastics, cardboard, glass, it ain't hard and I've been doing it since the 80's. Was taught about it by a teacher in the 70's (who'd be banned today for his climate change ideas and other earth friendly mantras)

 

[glenn1]

Another thread where OP seemingly wants to become an Amish person ('cuz environment) or move to another country but otherwise takes no action beyond posting a thread and indeed contributes to this problem he's posting about just as much as anyone else or maybe more.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Another thread where OP seemingly wants to become an Amish person ('cuz environment) or move to another country but otherwise takes no action beyond posting a thread and indeed contributes to this problem he's posting about just as much as anyone else or maybe more.

you don't know me or my habits. Nor do I wish to be Amish, although I lived across the way from 2 Amish farms back in PA, and damn, they work harder than anyone I've ever seen.
So me recycling at home, spearheading recycling projects at work, implementing a 50% reduction on all toner use at work is taking no action?
What else would you have me do?

 

[glenn1]

you don't know me or my habits. Nor do I wish to be Amish, although I lived across the way from 2 Amish farms back in PA, and damn, they work harder than anyone I've ever seen.
So me recycling at home, spearheading recycling projects at work, implementing a 50% reduction on all toner use at work is taking no action?
What else would you have me do?

50% less toner. Wow, well in that case.

 

[repoman0]

I do not buy bottled water, I have a brita filter setup at home and that saves countless bottles for just one shlub. Recycle all plastics, cardboard, glass, it ain't hard and I've been doing it since the 80's. Was taught about it by a teacher in the 70's (who'd be banned today for his climate change ideas and other earth friendly mantras)

I drink my water straight from the tap every time I go back to see my family in Pennsylvania, I notice that the water I used to happily drink there tastes terrible, like it's been sitting in metal for a couple years.

I'm all on board for being less wasteful and buying less crap. Of the things I don't want, I try to at least give them to a charity or recycle them if possible. Our obsession with cheap mass produced trinkets will soon be replaced with an obsession for expensive and few finely produced trinkets. I've been more fond of buying things that last. I have driven my current vehicle for 14 years...I look for strong long lasting materials in cook-ware like cast-iron, and I try to have good quality clothes.

Same here. I try to make a habit out of spending more for things that are worthwhile -- if I'm going to be spending my money on something, I don't want it to be wasted by throwing that something away in a year or two.

We do public composting and a solid recycling program in my town so I rarely take out any trash.

 

[brycejones]

Another thread where OP seemingly wants to become an Amish person ('cuz environment) or move to another country but otherwise takes no action beyond posting a thread and indeed contributes to this problem he's posting about just as much as anyone else or maybe more.

Another whiney ass glenn1 post that basically amounts to unless everyone does the same thing do nothing.

 

[brycejones]

50% less toner. Wow, well in that case.

Interesting how you ignored the other concrete steps he has taken. Just for the record what have you done?

 

[repoman0]

50% less toner. Wow, well in that case.

What is the point of this? Just acting like a tool for shits?

edit: answered my own question, acting like a tool for shits is 99% of all P&N

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

50% less toner. Wow, well in that case.

any idea how much that saves fucko? for 20+ printers, plus the chance it could go network wide? you sad little twatwaffle, exactly what have you done so you can belittle my actions?

 

[Starbuck1975]

http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2016/12/world/midway-plastic-island/


This is a huge problem and not just for the tiny island down in the Pacific. We are a wasteful, throw-away society, that as a whole, doesn't give 1 fvck about the environment, in fact, several members here have expressed it's our god given right to rape the land and do with it what we will.

If this story doesn't sicken you, put a knot in your stomach about the future, then I think you need to expand your horizons, however,

A nice collection of trinkets in this seabirds tummy

This story absolutely sickens me. It sickens me even more that the most pressing and urgent danger facing our species is the continued march to environmental self destruction, yet it wasn't even a blip or factor in the 2016 election.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

This story absolutely sickens me. It sickens me even more that the most pressing and urgent danger facing our species is the continued march to environmental self destruction, yet it wasn't even a blip or factor in the 2016 election.

Well, the gop seems to be emphatically opposed to climate change science, and science in general, and with hair furor firing up the coal plants again, talk of walking back environmental regulations, I have serious concerns as to where we will be environmentally at the end of this fucktards term.

 

[repoman0]

Large plastic trash islands floating in the world's oceans have been a story for quite some time now ... it is indeed really depressing.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Large plastic trash islands floating in the world's oceans have been a story for quite some time now ... it is indeed really depressing.

agreed, however this is about plastic washing up on an uninhabited island, equally depressing.

 

[glenn1]

Interesting how you ignored the other concrete steps he has taken. Just for the record what have you done?

Not made a humblebrag about something which took my consumption from 1,000 times that of a typical 3rd world person to 999.95 times that of a typical 3rd world person. I also don't engage in wasteful consumption like Brita filters like the OP.

http://www.uvm.edu/~shali/Brita.pdf


Secondly, the "recycling projects" at work are noble but depending on his location are likely an economic (and in turn environmental) net negative since the higher costs associated with recycling versus simply landfilling could have been used for more environmentally friendly things. And if OP really wants to make a difference, he should skip the vanity feeding "virtue signalling" actions he's doing now and contribute actual money to charities which have a high leverage environmental impact. Such as providing sanitary conditions for poor 3rd worlders so they don't need to shit in the street which then pollutes rivers. Or stop opposing more environmentally friendly infrastructure like pipelines because of the mistaken idea that if they don't get built that people simply won't use that oil anymore.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

again, you have zero knowledge of me or my habits or donations I make. you're a sad little troll, nothing more.

 

[brycejones]

again, you have zero knowledge of me or my habits or donations I make. you're a sad little troll, nothing more.

Glenn doesn't use Brita filters, beyond that he has done nothing it appears. Its almost like he doesn't want to talk about the problem at all, just for some reason try to shit on anyone who cares.

 

[Starbuck1975]

Well, the gop seems to be emphatically opposed to climate change science, and science in general, and with hair furor firing up the coal plants again, talk of walking back environmental regulations, I have serious concerns as to where we will be environmentally at the end of this fucktards term.

This requires a global response with America leading the charge. Placing regulatory controls in America while outsourcing pollution to Asia is not necessarily moving the needle.

No argument from me on the GOP anti-science obstacles, but collectively our society has been in a kick the can down the road mindset...and we are running out of road

 

[glenn1]

again, you have zero knowledge of me or my habits or donations I make. you're a sad little troll, nothing more.

Here's the pat on the back you're desperately seeking for your heroic efforts.

 

[imported_tajmahal]

I do not buy bottled water, I have a brita filter setup at home and that saves countless bottles for just one shlub. Recycle all plastics, cardboard, glass, it ain't hard and I've been doing it since the 80's. Was taught about it by a teacher in the 70's (who'd be banned today for his climate change ideas and other earth friendly mantras)

Seriously what world do you live in where a teacher/instructor/professor would possibly be banned for "other earth friendly mantras" ? That is such a blatant politically correct falsehood that it took my breath away.

 

[Blue_Max]

This problem has been known for at least a decade and goes beyond the solid plastics visible. Tiny plastic fragments of the dissolving things are mistaken for plankton, etc. Even if you scooped up all the solids, that tiny stuff would still be around there.

It's an unbelievable embarrassment of humanity.

The problem isn't plastic itself, it's our laziness in recycling/disposing of it. Your average human is incredibly lazy and stupid, barely above dragging their knuckles on the ground, and will only put in the extra effort to put their garbage in a bin (instead of dropping it where they stand) thanks to the social stigma of littering. If no one's looking, most won't bother even with the smallest of efforts.

Take away people's pride in their homes and homeland, it gets even worse.

Since some people want to reject national pride these days ("so racist!!") we're left with either ignoring it for another one or two decades and it kills us, or we invent a recycling system so sophisticated that the average dum-dum doesn't need to DO anything. All garbage goes in, usable materials come out. A nice pipe dream, at least...

...but hey, what do I know.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Here's the pat on the back you're desperately seeking for your heroic efforts.

I'm sure you have a few dozen of these, but you deserve one more

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Seriously what world do you live in where a teacher/instructor/professor would possibly be banned for "other earth friendly mantras" ? That is such a blatant politically correct falsehood that it took my breath away.

before the vapors overtake you, you better sit down, here

and here you go
http://www.livescience.com/50085-states-outlaw-climate-change.html

Meanwhile, other states had been passing laws of their own to curb the influence of climate change in education. In 2012, Tennessee passed a law to allow teachers to present alternative theories to climate change and evolution, making it the second state, after Louisiana, to pass such a law.

Yes, I used hyperbole to make it seem more severe, but given our current overlord elect and his view on that hoax known as climate change, who's to say what will be allowed in the future.