this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2026
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[–] Hadriscus@jlai.lu -5 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (4 children)

As long as both use tires that contribute 45% of the world's microplastics, this is focusing on the wrong issue

https://theconversation.com/one-of-the-biggest-microplastic-pollution-sources-isnt-straws-or-grocery-bags-its-your-tires-259440

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.3c05002

So I say, let's not get distracted

[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

Look at you now getting distracted by an issue you can't solve.

[–] UnfairUtan@lemmy.world 7 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I don't see what this has to do with climate change. It's bad yes, but irrelevant for this debate.

[–] Hadriscus@jlai.lu 0 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Even if we forget about microplastics for a second, extractivism is still doing its thing, manufacturing billions of cars emits co2, that's how it has to do with climate

[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Are you looking to increase or decrease CO2 emissions?

[–] innermachine@lemmy.world 12 points 9 hours ago (4 children)

For personal transportation do you have an alternative to tires? I mean shit even bicycles contribute to this. I know the answer is better public transport, but for PERSONAL transport it's pretty hard to avoid tires!

[–] VibeSurgeon@piefed.social 4 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

The amount of tyre wear pollution from a bicycle is negligible, to the point where they are not even worth mentioning in these types of conversations.

[–] innermachine@lemmy.world 3 points 5 hours ago

Kind of like how it's not worth mentioning tire micropalstics in a discussion about EV vs ICE emissions?

[–] freebee@sh.itjust.works 9 points 8 hours ago

The contribution from bicycle tires is peanuts by comparison. The weight of the vehicle is a fraction, the forces starting and braking are a fraction. It's not zero, but compared to that from a 2000kg EV: that from a +-28kg EV bicycle or <15kg non-electric bicycle is pretty dang close to zero, especially when adding to the equation a regular speed of 50-120kmh <> 10-25kmh...

[–] Leviathan@lemmy.world 10 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

In a properly urbanized environment owning a car would be both unnecessary and inconvenient. We should strive to properly urbanize our living areas.

Bringing back true suburbs would be good, too. People living a half hour train journey from the city by high speed rail would mean small walkable islands could form in small towns the way they used to.

To the bike tire point, let's face it, if we replaced every car with a bicycle we would probably reduce the amount of microplastics by a massive amount because a bike tire could never contain the amount of plastic a car tire does, cars have four and weigh a lot more. It's incomparable, but you compared it so I had to point that out.

[–] innermachine@lemmy.world 3 points 6 hours ago

Oh ur absolutely right, bike tire pollution is probably so insignificant it doesn't matter. But that comparison was in the spirit of the original comment talking about focusing on the wrong thing and bringing up tire pollution when comparing EV to ice as if EVs aren't significantly reducing emissions. In the hunt for perfection people will sacrifice improvement. It's ok to make things better without perfecting them, as long as we are moving in the right direction.

[–] Hadriscus@jlai.lu 2 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

I mean, it's an existential threat. It doesn't really matter what's required to make it stop -it's necessary.

Yes it does require a transformation of our infrastructure, of our culture, and that in turn means a transformation or our institutions, a big crackdown on lobbies and corruption, etc. It's the biggest challenge of our lives. Not trying to give the impression it's easy

[–] innermachine@lemmy.world 4 points 8 hours ago

Yea people don't like talking about problems that don't have solutions, but to find the solution you must first talk about the problem!

[–] patruelis@lemmy.world 1 points 8 hours ago

I dont know where you ate, in Australia they are in par or cheaper than Ice.

[–] jabjoe@feddit.uk 1 points 6 hours ago

Changing tires seams an easier upgrade than fuel and drive systems. Won't need to change the whole car and infrastructure!