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Tire Dust Makes Up the Majority of Ocean Microplastics, Study Finds

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New research efforts are only just beginning to reveal the impact of near-invisible tire and brake dust. A report from the Pew Charitable Trust found that 78 percent of ocean microplastics are from synthetic tire rubber. These toxic particles often end up ingested by marine animals, where they can cause neurological effects, behavioral changes, and abnormal growth.

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hawkinspeter | 3 months ago
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hawkinspeter replied to levestane | 3 months ago
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levestane wrote:

Further reading

https://e360.yale.edu/features/tire-pollution-toxic-chemicals

https://www.systemiq.earth/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/BreakingThePlasticWave_MainReport.pdf

Thanks for adding those links. That's some scary evidence that we're indiscriminately poisoning the oceans.

Obviously bike tyres aren't subject to the same kinds of forces, but I'm now starting to think whether we've got some of the same chemicals used in bicycle tyres and whether there's "cleaner" manufacturers that we can purchase from to at least vote with our money. From the first link, Continental has experimented with some dandelion based tyres, but I don't know if they for sale.

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levestane replied to hawkinspeter | 3 months ago
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Cycling should reduce this provided folk are not driving to cycle. I wonder how the increase in the use of plastics and electonics in bikes will impact future environmental issues.

I see global crude oil demand is at an all time high, not much sign of net zero!

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chrisonabike replied to levestane | 3 months ago
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Sadly... meh.  I'm wondering if someone's already named some kind of effect whereby any technological change (and the pace of change is possibly still accellerating) must quickly come to use more resources and energy than previously.  Even if a driver for it happening was avoiding issues with the previous one (we used up all suitable fuel) or it succeeds because it's more efficient.

We also seem to be "and" rather than "or" e.g. cars AND electric bikes.

Perhaps we should be optimistic (but not for humans and many other current lifeforms) - the vast conversion of other materials into plastics and the extensive geoengineering of humans will almost certainly provide opportunies for other lifeforms, although they may not be particularly "cuddly" e.g. bacteria or fungal forms.  Perhaps enhanced by the mutagenic effects of the chemicals and/or radiation we're producing.

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levestane replied to chrisonabike | 3 months ago
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I guess you mean Jevons. Yes, this is not about 'save the planet' (which will be fine) but about minimising pain to Human society in a changing ecosphere. It looks like we will take the 'no pain - no gain' path.

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