Micro Misunderstanding – 26th April 2024

It’s an undisputed fact that we all consume and breathe lots of microplastics, and we have done for our whole lives. The average person probably takes in 100,000 particles of microplastic annually.

Microplastics are suspected of being dangerous in just about every way you can imagine, damaging our internal organs, poisoning us with leached chemicals, breaking down our cell walls, and causing countless diseases. A vast body of research has been published investigating these concerns.

There’s still no evidence that any of these happen. More data is always needed. More study. More investigation. And when there is evidence of microplastic interaction with living tissue — which there is, certain plastics can and do have detectable biological effects, there’s so far never been any evidence that it’s harmful.

Will you go without?
Though it makes no difference
To save the planet

Paragraph text, quoted/paraphrased from Brian Dunning’s Skeptoid article on microplastics.
Submitted to dVerse for Earth Day Haibun and NaPoMo

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Today I’m feeling:

Late start again after very good sleep. Aided by canna oil. Exercised, which sucked and was good too.

Today I’m grateful for:

Noey sending me a message at 11.30 am wondering where I was!  It’s nice to feel missed sometimes, even if it is just by the baristas in your favourite coffee shop!

The best thing about today was:

Another storm blowing in this afternoon whilst I was in my room.  

Two days in a row now, I got to hear the big splats of rain falling on the tin roof above the ceiling and to hear the wind banging all sorts of things around just outside.  

Strangely, it hasn’t rained in the city at all whilst we’ve been lucky enough to not need to water these two days.

Something I learned today?

From a report issued by the US-based International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights:

“The breadth of the U.S. violations of the ICCPR is overwhelming. The committee found breaches of the treaty in nearly every aspect of life in the United States. We (the United States) should heed the committee’s recommendations and demand that our federal, state and local governments in the U.S. comply with our human rights obligations.”

Did you do something difficult or challenging today?

In general, my exercise wasn’t too bad today, except for 3 by one-and-a-half minutes of bicycle kicks.  I could do thirty, take a break and then do 15 more but that was it.  I’m happy to adapt the exercises to my skill and strength level so that I don’t give up but can keep going.

How do I handle disagreements or conflicts?

Disagreements I am generally ok with, but when it comes to conflict I don’t deal very well.  I’d rather walk along and forget about it.

I’ve never really cared what other people think but in the past would try to argue my point.  These days I don’t feel the need.  People believe the things that they want to.

I’m open to a lot of different ideas but still obviously have my own beliefs about things.  Entering into conflict over these things seems a waste of time.  Most people don’t want to listen to something that they don’t believe. And for many things that applies to me too.

When was the last time I felt exceptionally strong or brave?

I’ve been looking at this one for a few days already and can’t think of anything.  Perhaps others looking from the outside might have considered some of my actions at one time or another as strong or brave but to me, they were just normal.

Even so, there’s no standout moment of bravery rescuing someone drowning or pulling people out of a car crash.  Nothing so exciting.

What’s an aspect of my culture that I love?

This is a weird one to answer because just what is my culture?  I carry traits from growing up in England, from the middle of my life in Australia and now with some influence from six years in Thailand.

Culture can be great when you are young, something to bond and identify with, but the more you experience and can take the opportunity to travel you begin to see that beyond culture we are all basically the same.

Is culture manipulated by us ourselves to keep us divided?

The aspects of my cultures that I love are that they have given me grit, taught me when to run and when to walk and taught me acceptance.  And when I write that all down I realise that my mum taught me all that.  Mums are culture.