Amen, Dr. Rowen! Years ago, I read that fish actually prefer eating plastic to food. It reminded me of reading that bees prefer neonicotinoid-laced nectar. Nature does not know how to "Just say no!" to these poisons. The yoga pants craze ushered in the ongoing popularity of tight synthetic leggings that is microplastic manna in the ecosystem. And we insanely equate plastic with hygiene: everything is wrapped in multiple plastic layers, as if the merchandise was packed in a clean room and is antiseptic until opened. This dovetails into the covid craziness with landfills now full of plastic facemasks and more perceived need to supposedly seal out germs. Speaking of manna, Monsanto, which rains Roundup for us all to eat, in the 1950s exhibited its House of the Future, at Disney's Tomorrowland, which was an advertising paean to plastic. Looks like Tomorrowland is Now with slow death by plasticosis.
The reason those recycle bins disappeared is because they were never really functional. We never recycled plastic as it's much cheaper to make new. We had been sending all of it to China for them to use in landfills until they decided that they didn't want it anymore. Now even they just throw it in the ocean. I don't think there is any real recycling happening at any municipal level.
Bravo for another great article. However I disagree on a causal effect between micro plastics, and dysphoria through dis regulation of the endocrine system. You offer as proof that in your day (we are of the same generation) dysphoria was not seen. Believe me, it was still here but societal, peer and psychologists pressures all believed this was “abnormal.” Black or white, instead of what it really is, a huge variety in what sexuality and self identification of gender means.
Thank you for the disagreement. I wonder if we can say the same about autism. Did we see it in our day, or was it somehow suppressed?
Amen, Dr. Rowen! Years ago, I read that fish actually prefer eating plastic to food. It reminded me of reading that bees prefer neonicotinoid-laced nectar. Nature does not know how to "Just say no!" to these poisons. The yoga pants craze ushered in the ongoing popularity of tight synthetic leggings that is microplastic manna in the ecosystem. And we insanely equate plastic with hygiene: everything is wrapped in multiple plastic layers, as if the merchandise was packed in a clean room and is antiseptic until opened. This dovetails into the covid craziness with landfills now full of plastic facemasks and more perceived need to supposedly seal out germs. Speaking of manna, Monsanto, which rains Roundup for us all to eat, in the 1950s exhibited its House of the Future, at Disney's Tomorrowland, which was an advertising paean to plastic. Looks like Tomorrowland is Now with slow death by plasticosis.
The reason those recycle bins disappeared is because they were never really functional. We never recycled plastic as it's much cheaper to make new. We had been sending all of it to China for them to use in landfills until they decided that they didn't want it anymore. Now even they just throw it in the ocean. I don't think there is any real recycling happening at any municipal level.
Bravo for another great article. However I disagree on a causal effect between micro plastics, and dysphoria through dis regulation of the endocrine system. You offer as proof that in your day (we are of the same generation) dysphoria was not seen. Believe me, it was still here but societal, peer and psychologists pressures all believed this was “abnormal.” Black or white, instead of what it really is, a huge variety in what sexuality and self identification of gender means.
Could not agree more