leftist_lawyer@lemmy.today to memes@lemmy.worldEnglish · 16 days agoThe Human Conditionlemmy.todayimagemessage-square68fedilinkarrow-up1355arrow-down136
arrow-up1319arrow-down1imageThe Human Conditionlemmy.todayleftist_lawyer@lemmy.today to memes@lemmy.worldEnglish · 16 days agomessage-square68fedilink
minus-squarelurch (he/him)@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up1·16 days agoif it’s recycled, maybe. if it decomposes, no, because the carbon will escape again.
minus-squareJohnDClay@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkarrow-up1·16 days agoPlastic takes thousands of years to decompose, so wouldn’t it act as a carbon sink until then?
minus-squarelurch (he/him)@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up2·16 days agoThat is a bit outdated and only true for plastic buried in landfills. In the ocean, for example, the half life is a lot less and Comamonas testosteroni a bacteria commonly found in wastewater can break down plastic to turn it into a food source.
if it’s recycled, maybe. if it decomposes, no, because the carbon will escape again.
Plastic takes thousands of years to decompose, so wouldn’t it act as a carbon sink until then?
That is a bit outdated and only true for plastic buried in landfills. In the ocean, for example, the half life is a lot less and Comamonas testosteroni a bacteria commonly found in wastewater can break down plastic to turn it into a food source.