A cave that's been closed off to human visitors for 30 years has been found to contain high concentrations of microplastics — and that should worry you.
Such were the findings of a pair of new studies, the most recent of which was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, that used the cave's hermetic seclusion as a way of gauging just how far microplastics have penetrated the environment, and more specifically, subsurface water systems.
"A lot of research has been focused on surface water settings," Elizabeth Hasenmueller, a geochemist and associate director of the WATER Institute at Saint Louis University who authored both studies, said in a statement. "However, one of the most understudied areas in this field relates to what's happening to the subsurface in terms of microplastic contamination."
Inescapable Waste
Scientists continue to find new places where these tiny shards of plastic waste — five millimeters and smaller — end up, and none of them are reassuring. Recent notable studies have discovered it everywhere from polluting clouds to the inside of human hearts.
The locale selected by the researchers is Cliff Cave, located in Missouri, and while it has been closed to the public since 1993, it is located near a residential area. As such, it's not totally sequestered from civilization, but serves as a good case study on how human settlements impact nearby ecosystems. READ MORE...
Kimberly Thompson, center, listens as Francis Howell School Board members talk in favor of rescinding all previously passed resolutions, including an anti-racism resolution, during a meeting on Thursday, July 20, 2023 in O’Fallon, Mo. © Photo: David Carson (AP)
In the latest attempt by conservatives to turn back the hands of time, a Missouri school district just voted to roll back a 2020 anti-racism resolution.After the May 2020 murder of George Floyd, residents in the Francis Howell School District took to the streets, calling on officials to take action against racial discrimination in their schools. And in August 2020, the suburban St. Louis district responded by passing a resolution which “pledges to our learning community that we will speak firmly against any racism, discrimination, and senseless violence against people regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, immigration status, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or ability.”But in the years since, the board has become increasingly conservative, with five new members elected with the support of conservative PAC Francis Howell Families. Now, only two members of the 2020 board remain. And in a meeting last week, they voted to cancel several resolutions, including the one against racism, which the PAC has labeled “woke activism.”The Francis Howell school district serves 17,000 students and is nearly 90 percent white.Board members defended the decision, questioning the resolution’s ability to produce any real results. “What has it really done? How effective has it really been?” asked board member Jane Puszkar.But according to St. Charles County NAACP President Zebrina Looney, rolling back a resolution against racism is a step in the wrong direction and “sets a precedent for what’s to come.” Looney said, “I think this is only the beginning for what this new board is set out to do.”Sign up for The Root's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.Click here to read the full article.
