Usually I don’t refer to “global warming could … ” stories, but this is a “… could global warming”, and as I was just commenting on recycling I thought it scraped through. I’ve long said that if people were really concerned about global warming, they wouldn’t recycle or compost, because the more carbon based food & plastics that get locked up in landfill, the less CO2 will get into the atmosphere. … it’s fantastic irony that those who do not recycle are “better” for the planet. Another fact that is eco-heresy!
RALEIGH, N.C. — New plastics designed to break down naturally have been hailed as environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional plastics. Instead of taking decades or even centuries to decompose, they vanish in a few years.
But new research at North Carolina State University suggests they may not be so green after all.
The study, led by NCSU doctoral student James Levis, found that biodegradable plastics can release large amounts of methane gas when they break down in landfills. Methane is one of the most problematic greenhouse gases, able to trap much more heat than carbon dioxide, making it a major contributor to global warming. (The Bulletin)
