Plastic microparticles are everywhere in the environment and in everyone’s body. Inevitably, the petrochemical industry will find people to tell us this is harmless, or perhaps even good for us, but the evidence points the other way.
So far, biodegradable alternatives have shortcomings, but this solution appears to have fixed them. A third of global plastics are made in China & 6.5 per cent of all global oil use currently goes to supply China with petrochemicals. Since 2021, 90% of the increase in Chinese oil imports has been used by chemical feedstocks, not fuels.
Quite apart from environmental concerns, oil imports are China’s top national security risk. They are the only way outside actors (the US) can leverage a chokehold over its economy.
Speedily electrifying with renewables has been one way they’ve been reducing that dependence; now they have another. Swap bamboo (something they have in vast abundance) for even more oil imports.
Excited to add this to the list
I think the worst part is that some of them could actually be interesting discussions if it wasn’t just china bad. China isn’t good, no empire can be. But it’s also not pure evil existing only to murder capitalists or something like western media seems to think.
Chinese Socialists have found a profit motive in maximizing quality of life for billions of people.
How long that lasts? Idk. You could have said the same about FDR’s America 80 years ago, and still be outraged at our treatment of interned Japanese and American Natives and our Caribbean colonies. Clearly, we’re worse now.
The quest to abolish Communism drove Americans insane. I hope Chinese politicians and proles aren’t dragged into that abyss in another generation.