Buried plastic does not removing anything from the biosphere. The fossil fuel it came from was already removed from the biosphere and if the plastic is recycled it's still not contributing to global warming. Burying it does delay the contribution to GW but you can't remove something that wasn't there to begin with. Garbage is incinerated in many areas and incinerating plastic does contribute to global warming.
Fair enough. I should be more precise.
I guess I am hung up on ENERGY and the damage that energy use (which is still mostly fossils) does to the planet first and foremost through AGW and ocean acidification. Those social-media driven campaigns to ban plastic grocery bags....studies have shown that the alternatives use more resources and energy (making a heavy cloth bag, or a bunch of heavy paper bags) than the plastic bags do. Same for Styro cups versus (often doubled) paper cups. The latest social media campaign (just sent me by my well-intentioned SIL) is that we will save the world and the oceans, if we all carry a fork in our back pockets, and never use a plastic utensil again.
How do we feel about switching plastic packaging for paper packaging that uses more energy for manufacturing, shipping (weight), land use (making virgin paper), water (ditto), and which then gets landfilled anyway (because it is greasy) or uses even more energy to wash (with hot water pre-recycling). And all that fossil energy makes AGW and ocean acidification worse on balance...versus making a thin plastic wrapper, and then landfilling it?
I would really love it if campaigns like this actually had an impact, but in my neighborhood I am surrounded by wealthy people driving their Escalades and Land Rovers to the Whole Paycheck store two towns over, canvas bags in tow, because they have this ineffable feeling that buying organic food (with less efficient production versus energy or land use than conventional), and putting it in a canvas bag, and saving 5 grams of plastic use, will save the world and the oceans. The problem is that these people are eagerly consuming 'feel good' misinformation while they are driving the earth and the biosphere off a cliff with their fossil energy habit.
Every time we spur someone to positive action with one of these campaigns....we REDUCE their interest and willingness and desire to do something else, that might have had an actual impact, but might have required a little thought (like shopping closer to home), or adjustment (to a smaller vehicle), or upfront money (like putting solar on their roof). Nope, these people will recycle earnestly, buy some organic cotton canvas bags online, now carry a never-used fork in the bottom of their purse, and will sleep like babies knowing that they have done their part and are part of the solution!
