285
We are just getting started’: the plastic-eating bacteria that could change the world
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2023
285 points (97.3% liked)
Science
13141 readers
108 users here now
Subscribe to see new publications and popular science coverage of current research on your homepage
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
It will immediately start eating all the plastic that we are still using causing untold damage. Believe me. When I mentioned this before some techbro smuggly suggested that the scientists would just invent some sort of plastic that they couldn't eat. Thus setting is back to where we started.
This definitely feels like the biggest problem with this idea and I suggest we keep that techbro as far away from the solution as possible 😂
You realize that the bacteria in question were found in the wild, yes? This isn't something new. It's an effort to harness a capability that already exists in nature.
Ill Wind by Kevin J. Anderson and Doug Beason
The scientists undoubtedly know this, unfortunately I, like you, am too lazy to read what they have to say about this problem. It is conceivable that the bacteria would only flourish in certain environments and plastic would become slightly similar to wood - decomposes quite slowly if you keep it reasonably dry and clean, decomposes very fast when there are water and air and dirt where enough bacteria lives present.
They wouldn't just release a plastic eating bacteria like some sort of bioweapon. I could see that being a problem if it got out by mistake but still, how would it spread? What would stop us just using chemicals to kill any that got out like we already do with bacteria?