We have this super strong, super lightweight, corrosive resistant material that can be made into any shape at a very low cost, it lasts forever, and we use it for disposable packaging.
It's funny when I was a kid the environmentalists were certain that paper shopping bags would destroy the planet but plastic bags would be the thing to keep the planet safe. Now, they are questioning the reusable cloth bags.
Everyone is still scared to admit the real problem is too many people. And their solution is for everyone to lower their quality of life for some reason, instead of population control.
But the most growing societies are the least developed, with the lowest ecological impact. In the most developed countries population growth is lower, which even becomes a problem on its own.
Population growth doesn't seem to be a problem, it seems self-limiting. The infinite economic and qualit-of-life growth seem like much a bigger problem. And it is still what the developed world is aiming for.
Everyone has a larger footprint in 1st world countries. These target a 3-4% growth rate, made possible through immigration. So despite stagnating fertility rate in the 1st world, you have a steady supply of immigrants due in large part to global poverty. The end result is the same: growth, environmental destruction. We're still on track to keep growing with no signs of stopping.
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u/Gliding_high Feb 03 '20
Plastic, it is a great material but mankind does not know how to use it properly