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No, burning it is not "rational", it is the very opposite. We talk so much of carbon sequestration, and then "rationally" try to release all of the already-sequ

No, burning it is not "rational", it is the very opposite. We talk so much of carbon sequestration, and then "rationally" try to release all of the already-sequestered carbon back in the atmosphere.

Zigurd 1y ago
It won't make a significant difference compared to burning coal.
- tsimionescu 1y ago
  That's like nicking a vein while you have a arterial hemmohrage - sure, it won't make a big difference, but it also doesn't help in any way. We need to stop burning coal, oil, and methane - and replacing any of them with plastic would not be helpful in the least.
  - Zigurd 1y ago
    It's technically correct that it doesn't help with reducing CO2 emissions. But plastic recycling is a flop and a charade. Reducing use of plastic is going to be the only effective way to reduce the harm from plastic. But if we're up to our asses in plastic that's going into the environment in our bodies, burning it isn't a bad choice.
    - tsimionescu 1y ago
      I'm not talking about recycling plastic, but about burying it it in landfills. The plastic in our bodies is not generally getting there from environmental pollution, it's getting there from us using plastic to wrap and cook the majority of our food and drink and cosmetics etc.
hollerith 1y ago
If the plastic to be burned substitutes for coal or oil, it is carbon neutral. Isn't that what the Scandinavian countries do with their trash as an alternative to landfilling it? Not burning the plastic risks its turning into microplastics, which will tend to interfere with the physiology of all plants and animals.
- tsimionescu 1y ago
  It's not carbon neutral, it still adds to the problem. We need to replace our carbon emitting power generation with renewable energy, not burn our trash to keep emitting the same. And trash can just be buried, it doesn't need to be burned. There's a lot of talk generally of running carbon sequestration technologies and how important that will be. Burying plastic waste is exactly doing that, without spending the extra power to actually extract the carbon from the air.
thinkcontext 1y ago
Plastic production produces several times as much co2 as is it contains.

No, burning it is not "rational", it is the very opposite. We talk so much of carbon sequestration, and then "rationally" try to release all of the already-sequestered carbon back in the atmosphere.

Zigurd 1y ago

It won't make a significant difference compared to burning coal.

tsimionescu 1y ago
That's like nicking a vein while you have a arterial hemmohrage - sure, it won't make a big difference, but it also doesn't help in any way. We need to stop burning coal, oil, and methane - and replacing any of them with plastic would not be helpful in the least.
- Zigurd 1y ago
  It's technically correct that it doesn't help with reducing CO2 emissions. But plastic recycling is a flop and a charade. Reducing use of plastic is going to be the only effective way to reduce the harm from plastic. But if we're up to our asses in plastic that's going into the environment in our bodies, burning it isn't a bad choice.
  - tsimionescu 1y ago
    I'm not talking about recycling plastic, but about burying it it in landfills. The plastic in our bodies is not generally getting there from environmental pollution, it's getting there from us using plastic to wrap and cook the majority of our food and drink and cosmetics etc.

hollerith 1y ago

If the plastic to be burned substitutes for coal or oil, it is carbon neutral. Isn't that what the Scandinavian countries do with their trash as an alternative to landfilling it? Not burning the plastic risks its turning into microplastics, which will tend to interfere with the physiology of all plants and animals.

tsimionescu 1y ago
It's not carbon neutral, it still adds to the problem. We need to replace our carbon emitting power generation with renewable energy, not burn our trash to keep emitting the same. And trash can just be buried, it doesn't need to be burned. There's a lot of talk generally of running carbon sequestration technologies and how important that will be. Burying plastic waste is exactly doing that, without spending the extra power to actually extract the carbon from the air.

thinkcontext 1y ago

Plastic production produces several times as much co2 as is it contains.