this post was submitted on 28 Feb 2024
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The memes of the climate

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The climate of the memes of the climate!

Planet is on fire!

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[โ€“] [email protected] 30 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Worth noting that tire dust is major, major source of microplastics. One study claims that tire dust is responsible for nearly 4/5ths of all oceanic microplastics

https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2021/03/30/microplastics-are-a-big-and-growing-part-of-global-pollution

Other research shows that driving just 1 km can release over a trillion microplastic particles, and that number in increasing as vehicles get heavier.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/03/car-tyres-produce-more-particle-pollution-than-exhausts-tests-show

Over 7 trillion microplastics particles wash into San Francisco bay every year from tire dust pollution, and may be responsible for the extinction of the Coho Salmon from the bay. https://www.sfei.org/projects/microplastics

If you're worried about microplastics, the most important thing you can do to impact their emission is by taking direct action in supporting walkable/bikeable cities where you don't need a car to get by, as well as good public transit to cover the distances where you would need a car. What can you do? Well, in the US, your local representatives like your city council have both a shocking amount of power, as well as much more time to listen than any of your federal representatives. Start there. Organize, go and talk to them with a few friends; what you say comes across much louder if more people are saying it at the same time. These are achievable goals, you can do them if you try.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

Very informative, thank you!