2026-02-20 23:25 UTC
@tobeB Surely It's better for oil to be turned into plastics & eventually buried than for it to be burned for transport or energy? It's useful to have an alternative market for oil & gas that doesn’t just burn it, to avoid price drops leading to continued burning, although eventually that market will support new oil/gas fields.
Burning plastics for energy does not help: It's higher CO2 per kWh than oil as well as emitting toxins.
Replies (2)
-
@lackthereof@beige.party 2026-02-20 23:53
@DavidPenington I mean, yes but far better to leave in the ground, especially with the solid waste problems around plastics disposal. Plus, plastics consumption encourages oil extraction to support it. Anything that encourages expanded extraction capacity can cheapen consumption.
-
@rootsandcalluses@mstdn.social 2026-02-21 07:02
@DavidPenington @tobeB Part of the problem with plastics is that they don't just dissolve. They don't go away. Microplastics, so tiny tiny plastic pieces, build up in just about anything. No, it is not better to make plastics. Burning them is a very inefficient energy source. I am not advocating it. I just don't agree that it is any better to turn them into plastic.