Paper or Plastic?

Shawn · Posted: 1/21/2008, 2:47 pm Post subject: Paper or Plastic?

I'm listening to "The World Without Us" by Alan Weisman. I don't quite get the title, it's more about what we've done to the planet than what will happen when we are gone, but it is still more than worth while and very interesting. The most shocking thing I've heard so far is the extent to which plastic has spread across and throughout the world. This stuff doesn't rot, the pieces just get smaller and smaller and wind up in the oceans where sea animals ingest it and it enters the food chain.

The book will help me to remember my canvas grocery bag when I run into Safeway so often.
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GTG · Posted: 1/21/2008, 3:04 pm Post subject:

There's a special on the History Channel tonight about the world after humans are vanished. I imagine plastic will be the one thing that will remain after eons that will tell about us.

GTG
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GTG · Posted: 1/21/2008, 3:21 pm Post subject:

Here's a link to the program -
http://www.history.com/minisites/life_after_people

GTG
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Matt Hoffman · Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 701 Location: Grantham, NH

What a stupid concept for a show! How would anyone know what the world will be like when humans are gone? If I was making this show, I could make up any scenario I wanted. Who would say that I'm wrong? Nobody, cause nobody would be around. Does this make sense to anyone?

When humans are gone, plastic containers will rule the world. They will band together and decree a plastic 50 gallon drum their king. Peace will reign for hundreds of years until violent volcanic eruptions melt this new plastic world.

So stupid....
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Hikngrl · Posted: 1/21/2008, 5:34 pm Post subject:

Relax Matt, it's fiction.... if it were showing at the theater billed as futuristic action movie would you be so miffed? They don't even pretend to be reporting facts....I heard imagine and imagination used on that clip several times......
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MikeInFHAZ · Joined: 15 Feb 2004 Posts: 1401 Location: location location

funny thing is a person's imagination seems to be stifled when watching T.V.
I guess we're trained like Pavlov's dog.
you gotta love it
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evenstar · Joined: 03 Jan 2003 Posts: 5548 Location: SCW by way of CA

When humans are gone Richie Rich will rule the Earth! Crazy

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Richie Rich · Hooli's Da Man! Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 33

azhiker96 · Joined: 05 Jan 2003 Posts: 1419

But poor Richie. He won't have anyone to follow him around with a plastic baggie.
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Richie Rich · Hooli's Da Man! Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 33

Shawn · Posted: 1/21/2008, 7:15 pm Post subject:

There are places on earth where the humans just walked away, in recent years, Chernobyl (SP?) comes to mind, the book mentions Cyprus, where for political reasons, the population left and didn't come back for decades, the buildings started to deteriorate, plants took over the asphalt, water systems failed, etc.

The book is more about the effect of humans on the planet, interesting section today was on the English fellow who began fertilization on plants and his experiments.
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evenstar · Joined: 03 Jan 2003 Posts: 5548 Location: SCW by way of CA

Shawn · Posted: 1/21/2008, 7:48 pm Post subject:

That is scary!
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lzyboy · Joined: 21 Nov 2004 Posts: 201 Location: Mesa

Hey, I don't mind chucking out a few plastic bottles if I get some of those cool fishing net floats in return. When I lived on Saipan I had a couple dozen of them...

Oh, and don't worry, there's a moon-sized meteorite headed straight for the equator, even the cockroaches are going to be space dust....

Trishness · Posted: 1/22/2008, 7:58 pm Post subject: