Plastics are the ingenious creations of the petrochemical industry.  Over the course of the last half century the oil producers have collaborated with many from the American Chemical Society (ACS) to turn toxic waste into plastic.  Capitalistic Genius!  But there is, as this article notes, a downside to their scheme.

"They launched their study into the problem in 2013 after birds near remote Attu Island were found with large chunks of plastic debris in their stomachs.

Two years later, about 25 percent of the birds collected had plastic beads in their stomachs. To birds, the pellets — called nurdles — might resemble tasty bits of plankton, Causey said.

The discovery of so much plastic has triggered a parallel research project led by Veronica Padula, a graduate student working in Causey's program. The same birds that are analyzed for signs of climate change are also being analyzed for effects of plastic consumption."

Sad that we sh_t where we live.