• psud@aussie.zone
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          4 months ago

          They won’t. There are bacteria that eat plastic. There is no path* to creating oil or coal again, biology is too good at breaking hydrocarbon precursors

          *Except by deliberate human industry

          • Tlaloc_Temporal@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            4 months ago

            If enough greenhouse gasses get released by this breakdown of hydrocarbons, and the temperature rises enough, the oceans may stop circulating and loose all their oxygen. The resulting die off and anoxic environment might be enough to form a massive new layer of tar and proto-oil with some luck.