Discuss: Polymers Are Forever

The life-cycle persistence of plastic has been missing from the “paper vs. plastic” debate for a long time. We’ve used paper grocery sacks, when needed, for this reason. We figure when somebody has to work through a landfill, at least the paper will be compostable. The plastic grocery sacks which sail and hang up in the trees seem the flag of our times.

Ok, this is scary, but I have seen polyethelyne (consists only of carbon and hydrogen, in chains) break down.  In our attic, an old “cleaner’s bag” - a thin garment bag with a hole at the top for a coat hanger, had turned into tiny brittle flakes after about a decade.  I understand that it degrades much faster in sunlight.  I would expect the end result to be methane.  Our problem is doing with plastic the same thing we’ve done with organic matter - bury it or dump it down the “drain” (into the rivers and ocean).  Plastic needs its own life cycle and since we humans invented it, it is we who must complete the circle, if possible.

I have reusable cloth bags ordered and coming that I can use for produce bags and smaller ones I can use for grains from http://www.ecobags.com/s.nl/sc.1/.f

Wow, what a legacy, from us First World humans to the lovely sea creatures of the world - floating invisible death plastic for thousands of years. A metaphor for our times?
You and I remembering to use our cloth bags for a few trips is not going to stop this scenario one whit. I enjoy an article that gives us the straight scoop - are there enough people with the character to confront the horrors that we, in our unthinking haste to make and use, are now perpetually bound to? Thanks, Dupont. Thanks, FDA. Thanks, Republicans. Enjoy your cruise ships - you’ve done such a good job of research and oversight.

Mr. McGuire: I just want to say one word to you - just one word.
Ben: Yes sir.
Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?
Ben: Yes I am.
Mr. McGuire: ‘Plastics.’
Ben: Exactly how do you mean?
Mr. McGuire: There’s a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?

Dear Alan, thank you for this fascinating article.  I wonder if it would be possible to see the concentrated areas of plastic in the ocean using Google Earth?  If so, could you please publish the coordinates so that we could all see for ourselves and show our friends?

How can corrn seeds be found in the Egyptian Pyramids when corn was domesticated in Mexico.  The old world did not know of it until 15th century.

So the Author needs to clarify his assertion.

When I was a seaman on a US Coast Guard Cutter 30 years ago, I detested dumping garbage at sea. When we were more than one mile from shore, we’d get the order and everything would go overboard.

The sea back then (Hawaiian Islands) was mostly trash free. When we landed on uninhabited islands to count birds with fish and wildlife, the big thing was to look for glass Japanese fishing balls. There were enormous numbers of empty bottles on the windward sides, and I remember thinking some of them might have messages. There were a scattering of rubber/plastic fishing net floats, but very little plastic otherwise.

What a shame.

By the way, I preordered the book, and I recommend that others do likewise.

p.s., “corn” is the old world name for “wheat” which was later attached to maize when it was brought back by Columbus’ successors.