this post was submitted on 11 Nov 2024
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[–] [email protected] 30 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)

I’ve wondered how far out we are from microorganisms and insects adapting to remove one of the biggest utilities of plastics, their durability. Crazy to think it’s taking less than a century for these organisms to begin to adapt.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Might have been even faster if world insect populations weren't crashing.

[–] sorghum 17 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You could also draw a conclusion that plastic eating insects are evolving faster because of less competition and abundant plastic. It's amazing how life can be both fragile and resilient at the same time

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 weeks ago

Life is incredibly resilient. It’s been through way worse than us and it’s done fine.

The right conditions for any single species to keep existing in a safe and comfortable place, like the friendly green-blue paradise we were born on, are heartbreakingly fragile.

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