https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2022 ... Selections
One of the better discussions of that intractable issue of the environment and plastics. It lists some specific ways forward, some steps that could be taken, some that cannot, the pluses and minuses of some alternatives.
Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
Re: Plastics, After Plastics
I don't think we could or should get rid of plastic completely, but we should definitely start with food packaging...
"Turning oil and gas into plastic releases toxic gases that pollute the air and impact local communities. What's more, chemicals added during the production of plastics can disrupt the endocrine system, which produces hormones that regulate our growth and development. Two of the most well-studied of these endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are phthalates, used to soften plastic but also found in many cosmetics, and bisphenol A (BPA), used to harden plastic and commonly used in the lining of tins.
"While these phthalates or BPA are important for the structure of the plastic, they are not chemically bound to it," says Shanna Swan, professor of environmental medicine and public health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. That means when these chemicals are used in food packaging, they can leach into the food itself – and end up in our bodies.
Some phthalates can lower testosterone production, reducing sperm counts and increasing fertility problems in men. BPA, on the other hand, mimics oestrogen and has been linked with an increased risk of reproductive problems in women. But the effects extend beyond fertility. "The breadth of the potentially disruptive influences of EDCs is striking," writes Swan in her book, Count Down. "They have been linked to numerous adverse health effects in almost all biological systems, not just the reproductive system but also the immunological, neurological, metabolic, and cardiovascular systems."
Exposure to EDCs during critical periods of foetal growth can have long-lasting effects. "If the mother is pregnant, and she is exposed to plastics or other chemicals that alter the development of her foetus, those changes are lifelong, irreversible changes," says Swan. This means that, while going cold turkey on plastics would reduce our exposure, their effects would still be felt for at least the next two generations. "Your grandmother's exposure is relevant to your reproductive health and your health in general," says Swan."
"Turning oil and gas into plastic releases toxic gases that pollute the air and impact local communities. What's more, chemicals added during the production of plastics can disrupt the endocrine system, which produces hormones that regulate our growth and development. Two of the most well-studied of these endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are phthalates, used to soften plastic but also found in many cosmetics, and bisphenol A (BPA), used to harden plastic and commonly used in the lining of tins.
"While these phthalates or BPA are important for the structure of the plastic, they are not chemically bound to it," says Shanna Swan, professor of environmental medicine and public health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. That means when these chemicals are used in food packaging, they can leach into the food itself – and end up in our bodies.
Some phthalates can lower testosterone production, reducing sperm counts and increasing fertility problems in men. BPA, on the other hand, mimics oestrogen and has been linked with an increased risk of reproductive problems in women. But the effects extend beyond fertility. "The breadth of the potentially disruptive influences of EDCs is striking," writes Swan in her book, Count Down. "They have been linked to numerous adverse health effects in almost all biological systems, not just the reproductive system but also the immunological, neurological, metabolic, and cardiovascular systems."
Exposure to EDCs during critical periods of foetal growth can have long-lasting effects. "If the mother is pregnant, and she is exposed to plastics or other chemicals that alter the development of her foetus, those changes are lifelong, irreversible changes," says Swan. This means that, while going cold turkey on plastics would reduce our exposure, their effects would still be felt for at least the next two generations. "Your grandmother's exposure is relevant to your reproductive health and your health in general," says Swan."
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- AviationLuver
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Re: Plastics, After Plastics
Yawn.
Like always, nothing to get worked up over. I’ll just continue living the way I always have; I’ll be just fine and everyone else will be to.
Like always, nothing to get worked up over. I’ll just continue living the way I always have; I’ll be just fine and everyone else will be to.