quote:

The concept of organism-encrusted plastic may sound like the story of ocean species triumphing in spite of human folly. But that’s not quite the case, explains Juan José Alava, PhD, an expert in marine ecotoxicology and conservation at the University of British Columbia.

In addition to transporting non-native species to delicate habitats where they may become invasive and destructive, neopelagic communities are “basically an ecological trap” says Alava. That’s because the sheer density of plastic in the ocean (researchers expect 600m metric tons of garbage will collect in the ocean by 2040) leads to the creation of permanent floating structures, covered in small species that attract creatures higher up the food chain, such as fish, turtles and mammals. When these creatures enter garbage gyres seeking shelter and food, they run a high risk of eating and/or becoming caught in plastic and dying. “For example, often the calves of whales, they are very curious – but that curiosity could lead them to get entangled and die,” says Alava.

While scientists have found some types of bacteria are able to break down hydrocarbons in plastic, thereby cleaning up garbage, it’s unlikely that the types of filter-feeding invertebrates thriving in neopelagic communities will have any such effect.

A Terrible Person posted:

I'm morbidly curious as to how the first world countries are going to handle food shortages and/or outright famine in the information age.

quote:

supermarket? more like sub-par-market

★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

umm where’s all the food lmao? like why even bother to open if u rnt goin to stock basic poo poo. n ur staff had a real bad attitude when i asked them to check the back, its not my fault u cnt run a store bithc

Rectal Death Adept posted:

you'd think microplastics would do something cool

all we get from it is butt cancer?

quote:

“But if he should eat of the tree of our knowledge, then he will shrug off his weariness. He will say, What does it matter that I’m weary of living as a murderer of all the life around me? I know good and evil, and this way of living is good. Therefore I must live this way even though I’m weary unto death, even though I destroy the world and even myself. The gods wrote in the world a law for all to follow, but it cannot apply to me because I’m their equal. Therefore I will live outside this law and grow without limit. To be limited is evil. I will steal the fire of life from the hands of the gods and heap it up for my growth, and that will be good. I will destroy those kinds that do not serve my growth, and that will be good. I will wrest the garden from the hands of the gods and order it anew so that it serves only my growth, and that will be good. And because these things are good, they must be done at any cost. It may be that I’ll destroy the garden and make a ruin of it. It may be that my progeny will teem over the earth like locusts, stripping it bare, until they drown in their own filth and hate the very sight of one another and go mad. Still they must go on, because to grow without limit is good and to accept the limits of the law is evil. And if any say, “Let’s put off the burdens of the criminal life and live in the hands of the gods once again,” I will kill them, for what they say is evil. And if any say, “Let’s turn aside from our misery and search for that other tree,” I will kill them, for what they say is evil. And when at last all the garden has been subjugated to my use and all kinds that do not serve my growth have been cast aside and all the fire of life in the world flows through my progeny, still I must grow. And to the people of this land I will say, “Grow, for this is good,” and they will grow. And to the people of the next land I will say, “Grow, for this is good,” and they will grow. And when they can grow no more, the people of this land will fall upon the people of the next to murder them, so that they may grow still more. And if the groans of my progeny fill the air throughout the world, I will say to them, “Your sufferings must be borne, for you suffer in the cause of good. See how great we have become! Wielding the knowledge of good and evil, we have made ourselves the masters of the world, and the gods have no power over us. Though your groans fill the air, isn’t it sweeter to live in our own hands than in the hands of the gods?”

bag em and tag em posted:

The most unrealistic part of the movie was the guy who looked up, saw the comet with his own eyes, and instead of doubling down and screaming even louder that comets were a myth actually got mad that his chosen political savior had lied.

500excf type r posted:

It's not good but it isn't bad. It isn't subtle but people are idiots and the audience needs it to be ham fisted and in their face otherwise it is just lost upon them, like everyone that thinks it's about trump and covid

McNugget Buddy posted:

That Spooky Witch posted:

a question on there made me think for a moment;

what if the dominant narrative ends up just keep redefining "civilization" so that current civilization never _technically_ collapses, its just getting smaller and simpler and more chaotic as our goalposts of civilization eventually land at the last dome or whatever, until it becomes "civilization" becomes a technicality and echoes of its once existence are all we have. There will be large steps along the way no doubt, but there will always be at least half of society being propagandized fully into ignoring, downplaying, distracting, denial, anything amiss and clinging to whats left

oh wait that is whats happening and has been happening

Oxxidation posted:

sell empty jars, call it Space Jam

Spime Wrangler posted:

texas is a deeply cursed land, above as it is below

https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/west-texas-geyser-oil-well-chevron/

Owling Howl posted:

If you accept it there's no reason to make it the focal point of everything. We know we're going to die but if your partner is constantly talking about cancer, heart disease, dementia, alzheimers etc it's going to destroy any potential joy you could have. If you truly fully accept it then you just live with it. If you make everything about it then you're still negotiating.

nomad2020 posted:

It’s been interesting reading everyone’s opinions WRT whether I should lie to, make miserable, or leave my spouse because the world is going to end at some point.

Perry Mason Jar posted:

omg

Evil_Greven posted:

Global Climate Report - Annual 2021
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/202113
The 2021 Northern Hemisphere surface temperature was also the sixth highest on record. However, the land portion of the Northern Hemisphere had a temperature that was 1.54°C (2.77°F) above average and the third highest in the 142-year record. Only the years of 2016 (second warmest) and 2020 (warmest) were warmer. Meanwhile, the Southern Hemisphere had its ninth warmest year on record.

lol

lmao

Paradoxish posted:

The best part is that it's wildly temporary so you really, really cannot stop. Stop shoving sulfates into the atmosphere and you're going to get temperatures bouncing back within a matter of years, which I'm sure will produce very normal effects on the climate. Also does nothing to help the oceans.

mawarannahr posted:

I can’t sleep bc I’m staring at the ceiling thinking about a river as acidic as grapefruit juice or vinegar

Jokerpilled Drudge posted:

I reused a ziplock today so not only is the planet saved but I have microplastics in my brain augmenting me giving me eternal life

T-Paine posted:

it's just a hockey stick. These things happen in nature, doesn't mean it's man made

JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:

threads is one of the most hosed up movies ive ever watched

only watched it once

mahershalalhashbaz posted:

lol are they really intending to harvest the earth's core

Ramrod Hotshot posted:

What single catastrophic event (because that is all the media will ever really respond to) would the Times and Atlantic start to say, "Actually, let's just start spraying sulfur dioxide now. It's cheap and who knows maybe it'll work!!"?

TeenageArchipelago posted:

its the ocean! its supposed to be blue!

Hubbert posted:

"The ship also seems to run on what is called "Organic Converter Reactors", where they send people who have reached an age limit of some sort to die and become fuel for the ship. It is also believed that the organic material is also partially used for the production of food."

Stereotype posted:

all of the coral is going to die. everywhere. it will be extinct within our lifetime.

Colin Mockery posted:

actually its only 40 degrees celsius

not that bad, yet

quote:

Parts of eastern Antarctica have seen temperatures hover 70 degrees (40 Celsius)

quote:

…above normal

500 good dogs posted:

https://twitter.com/abcnews/status/1506383000979783689

TACD posted:

luckily my new commemorative coral reef NFTs will last forever

a portion of each minting goes to a charity that sounds like it does something important, there’s no better way to remember these beautiful plants or whatever 🪸

Rectal Death Adept posted:

conservationists are shocked when someone spends several ape pictures to poison the great barrier reef to make their coral pictures more valuable

SniperWoreConverse posted:

you did this
start posting good poo poo

The Protagonist posted:

shock, surprise pikachu etc. etc.

im not sure what kind of singular catastrophe would be necessary for me to feel anything again

The Protagonist posted:

that's just happening now tho, u know? like there won't be a red letter day marking when the last wild coral bleaches or the last acre of Amazon is felled

cancer is metastasizing now

blatman posted:

i bought a vasectomy like 2 years ago i wonder if i can get a refund if we're in a children of men situation

Dr. Furious posted:

Moose populations have been in serious decline lately due to brainworms (for real).

Wakko posted:

nobody can tell how much warming we've already locked in as long as we press our eyes closed as hard as we can and shout nananananana when anyone tries to read the most fundamental analysis like i.e.

"the last time the atmospheric CO₂ amounts were this high was more than 3 million years ago, when temperature was 2°–3°C (3.6°–5.4°F) higher than during the pre-industrial era, and sea level was 15–25 meters (50–80 feet) higher than today."

Harry Potter on Ice posted:

You put the orange powder in, river goes green, dont over think it