https://www.statista.com/stati...
I looked it up. 53.7 million tons of polyester fiber was produced in 2017. And that is just one of the synthetic fibers in production.
No, that's a whole bunch of different fabrics some of which are biodegradable https://sewport.com/fabrics-di... "synthetic fibre" doesn't automatically mean it's a pollution problem.
What options we have?
Plenty. 1)Select fibers that degrade relatively quickly (i.e less nylon more rayon or short lived polyester. 2)accept GMO for improved fibers rather than non-biodegradable synthetics 3)change the way we handle waste disposal so the plastics actually get recycled, or at least compacted and buried rather than allowed to spread. etc... None of these are perfect solutions, but if we actually implemented them we'd eliminate nearly all the microfibres that are a problem. If there's still a serious problem after those are implemented then you start getting into "solutions" that impact quality of life.
From the summary: "Microfibers, from sources like polyester clothing, made up 66 percent of the synthetic material in wet samples and 70 percent in dry samples. "
You could at least skim it.
What I'd like to know, and doesn't seem to be mentioned, is how much of those micofibres are actually a problem. Rayon is after all a synthetic that degrades naturally just fine, and even the toughest polyester (which is actually a large group of materials some of them natural and some of the synthetic ones bio-degredable) breaks down in ~40 years, which while terrible compared to most organics, is still great compared to most plastics, and thus not as much of a problem (which granted isn't the same as not a problem). Plastic microparticles in the enviroment that you can expect to cycle through the ecosystem pretty much unchanged for the next few centuries are a serious problem, microfibers that will float around for decades might, or might not be a proble, I don't know, naturally degredable micro fibres regardless of if they're synthetic or not are not a problem and people trying to equate them to plastic micro-particles are at best idiots.
Now refrigeration requires a working and reliable grid so its effects are not felt everywhere
Refrigeration does not require an electric grid, or even electricity. Using an electric refrigerator does require electricity, but not an electric grid.
Yep. Several boxes. And power supplies. The article doesn't say, though: what the heck are we supposed to do with them?
Nor does it mention that sometimes you find a use for the old cords/power supplies. Granted modern electronics seem to go out of their way to ensure that won't happen by each coming up with a unique one to use for their devices, but despite their best efforts I have reused old power cords, power supplies and data cables.
1. "Fusion over unity is ten years away. It always has been."
Sooner than humans on Mars 20 years from now (for the past 50 years).
In both cases the statements are true and have been true all along, as long as you add the qualifier with which they were originally made "...if you agree to fund this project". Given that the politicians keep not agreeing to fund the project the date keeps getting pushed back.
To get the acceleration you divide by the time squared as a = 2 * s / (t^2), so if you halve the time the acceleration increases by a factor of 4. Sorry, I had implicitly assumed that everyone here had covered basic algebra! (You replied to my post but Slashdot is acting weird when I tried to find your post -- can't see all posts when I'm logged in! This happens a lot, so I normally read without being logged in.
I think everyone has taken algebra, what they haven't taken is mind reading classes, so we still have no idea why you think an acceleration 4 times what was calculated would be needed. From what I can tell a constant acceleration of somewhere between 6.2 and 6.3m/s^2 would be enough to get you to a point exactly opposite you on the planet within an hour traveling in an arc with a peak 100km up. While granted the effects of gravity would require you'd need to vary the ship's drive power to cancel out the effects of gravity, but as long as the average acceleration is as described it would work. now if you wanted to reach the spot in half the time, than yes, the average acceleration would need to increase by a factor of 4.
Do they really think we are this stupid?
The politicians on both sides think the voters in general (even if possibly not you specifically) are that stupid, and the reason they think so is that they've been proven right repeatedly. The truth doesn't matter for most people, only the latest sound bite.
No different than day trading stocks.
So you agree it's not a currency.
Do you have any idea what a "currency" is? The fact that X is a stock doesn't mean it can't also be a currency. No clue if Bitcoin is a currency but even if it was stock and not just "like stock in the specific case being discussed", that wouldn't have an effect on if it is or isn't currency.
Any company that deals with more than one currency has people dedicated to managing volatility.
Yes, and most companies don't deal with multiple currencies. If you go to the supermarket in the US or France or Germany, the reaction if you offer to pay in Yen or Bitcoin is likely to be the same - "we don't deal with that". Bit coin has it's uses, but that doesn't include normal day-to-day transactions.
Understanding is always the understanding of a smaller problem in relation to a bigger problem. -- P.D. Ouspensky