oscardog said..
Does anyone know the percentage of an average windsurfing set up that is not derived from oil and gas?

I think it's a very small percentage.

So are we better off pumping petrochemicals out of the ground, converting them to plastic and returning it to landfill or is it more eco to burn it in vehicles and dump it in the atmosphere as CO2?

Either way, there's way more petrochemical goes in the tank and out the exhaust pipe on the way to and from windsurfing destinations than lives in the back of the van. And then add up the extra CO2 released in all the other little non-windsurfing errands you do in a 2 tonne van rather than a 1 tonne hatchback because you're a windsurfer.

Paradox said..

If anyone has spent time in Japan thier recycling efforts are next level. People have like 6 different bins.

Bollocks. They also seperate their household glass into 4 different colours. So what? What happens to the recycled plastics? I'm gonna say most gets incinerated at high temp, heating nothing more than the local civic pool. If that's recycling, then you win.

I'm sure I saw at some stage the solution to plastic waste was an enzyme that had been created to eat it & brake it down into it's component parts.
So I'm wondering what ever happened to that research ?

actiomax said..
I'm sure I saw at some stage the solution to plastic waste was an enzyme that had been created to eat it & brake it down into it's component parts.
So I'm wondering what ever happened to that research ?

I heard something about that years ago, no idea what happened to it

cisco said..

oscardog said..
Was thinking it a little hypocritical to be claiming "plastic, worse than anything else " on a forum that is based on people enjoying watercraft built from plastic.

My watercraft is built from fibreglass. People call them plastic boats but they are not plastic.

Isn't GRP the technical term? How does the resin that holds the fibreglass together biodegrade? Must be few sunk without trace after hitting a reef.

Ian K said..

How does the resin that holds the fibreglass together biodegrade?

As far as we know it doesn't degrade as no fibre glass boat has ever rotted away yet.

Cisco..Does your yacht have cotton sails....hang on, cotton is eviromentally s..t... Hemp sails.

I actually like plastic bags. I can put all my plastic and rubbish in one bag and dispose of it humanly. Where else would I put my plastic and rubbish?

oscardog said..
Suggest independent research into Bisphenol-A and epichlorohydrin, common ingredients in epoxy resin.

How about you just make your point.

cisco said..
Yeah whatever!!
It still does not alter the fact that the use of plastic is a greater threat to the environment than all the other shriek shriek crap that is being touted.

A Cisco-fact is it?

Look I agree we have to all do our bit to reduce our use of plastics, but honestly, it's not even close to the biggest threat to the environment!

cisco said..

oscardog said..
Suggest independent research into Bisphenol-A and epichlorohydrin, common ingredients in epoxy resin.

How about you just make your point.

My point is that windsurfing/foiling is one of the best things ever, and plastics form the main ingredients of the equipment we use. So as plastics enable one of the best things ever, plastics are part of the best things ever.

Another point: We do need to find a way of catching plastic waste before it gets in rivers and oceans, the western world seems to do this ok, but Asia (ex Japan and South Korea) and Latin America have not yet worked out how. Reducing use of single use plastics will have an effect if applied in Asia and Latin America, will have little effect if applied in western world (apart from maybe give a sense of satisfaction to the western world promoters of the concept).

There was a meme post somewhere else on seabreeze about the secret to happiness. If I could find that, would add a link here.