On the shores of Hawaii, scientists found a brand new rock-type, one that man has made. It’s multi-colored, has a variety of textures, is eroded into a round shape, and is usually 2” to 8” in size. Break down its name—plastiglomerate—and you’ll guess at what it’s made of. Yes, it’s partly plastic. It forms when our garbage plastic melts, then hardens inside the pores of a rock.
How does our discarded plastic get melted? Because the area where the hybrid rock was discovered is remote, campers keep fires going for cooking and heat for the period in which they camp there. Often they think they’re doing a good thing by burning their garbage, much of which contains plastic. The melted plastic seeps into the ground and into rocks.
Makes me wonder how else we’re changing Nature.
