this post was submitted on 12 Jul 2024
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Science Memes

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The circle of life (lemmy.world)
submitted 5 months ago by HootinNHollerin to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 30 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Actually, it's mostly plancton.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Let's make microplancton plastic toys.

Wait. What about microplastics in the oceans ?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

They will become new oil in a million years.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

They won't. There are bacteria that eat plastic. There is no path* to creating oil or coal again, biology is too good at breaking hydrocarbon precursors

*Except by deliberate human industry

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

If enough greenhouse gasses get released by this breakdown of hydrocarbons, and the temperature rises enough, the oceans may stop circulating and loose all their oxygen. The resulting die off and anoxic environment might be enough to form a massive new layer of tar and proto-oil with some luck.