Plastic is a new material in the Earths ecosystem
I gathered this hand full of tiny pieces of plastic on less than one square meter of beach in Greece (map). Spotted with the Next Nature Spotter iPhone app.
What is Next Nature?
With our attempts to cultivate nature, humankind causes the rising of a next nature, which is wild and unpredictable as ever. Wild systems, genetic surprises, autonomous machinery and splendidly beautiful black flowers. Nature changes along with us.
Discussion
Over at Orion magazine, a big ol’ article on this very topic: Polymers Are Forever:
“Among twigs and seaweed fibers in his fistful of sand are a couple dozen blue and green plastic cylinders about two millimeters high.
““They’re called nurdles. They’re the raw materials of plastic production. They melt these down to make all kinds of things.” He walks a little farther, then scoops up another handful. It contains more of the same plastic bits: pale blue ones, greens, reds, and tans. Each handful, he calculates, is about 20 percent plastic, and each holds at least thirty pellets.”