4 ms·
The problem is if they become used in disposable or short-lifetime materials, most of that carbon will go right back to being CO2 once the thing is thrown away
by elihu 3y ago
The problem is if they become used in disposable or short-lifetime materials, most of that carbon will go right back to being CO2 once the thing is thrown away and it decomposes.
Ideally all that stuff would be sent to a facility where it can be properly sequestered long term, but most of it probably won't.
- Terr_ 3y agoI like to give an analogy where plants are like using sponges to control the rising water in a bathtub that has a clogged drain. Sure, you can soak up some water temporarily, but eventually the water comes back out.
- blagie 3y agoHow much of it decomposes into the atmosphere? How much stays down? That's a serious question. I have no clear sense of what happens in landfills. For all I know, they might be the new fossil fuel reserves in the year 30,000.