Big Plastic >>>> Your Balls

[Elok]

https://www.gq.com/story/sperm-count-zero

TLDR: There's strong evidence that extremely common--basically ubiquitous--plastics disrupt the endocrine system. They've been lowering sperm counts in the developing world for decades, the trend seems to be accelerating, and in the near future male infertility will start to cause significant problems. Spermatologists and endocrinologists are mentioning the word "extinction," though not as a certainty or even an extremely likely thing. There are epigenetic effects at work here, so the damage accumulates over generations.

I do wonder if this could also be partially responsible for any number of other weird health issues. It notes that low sperm count in men is associated with all kinds of health problems. What if phthalates and BPA are behind some of the drop in crime (due to dropping testosterone)? What if trans turns out to be a purely modern phenomenon? Etc.

[Giancarlo]

[Giancarlo]

BTW, my image was more about the second paragraph. Trans turns out to be a purely modern phenomenon? Don't think so.

Some tend to use a lot of scare language in order to induce reactions for change and reform. We need to reduce plastics, but for another entirely different reason. Plastics are made with a lot of petroleum and are toxic for the environment.

Dropping birth rates in the developed world is because of other factors. The developing world in many areas are not seeing any sort of drop.

[Elok]

... you didn't actually read the article. Or much of the OP, even. I explicitly said it's just getting to the point where it could start to pose significant problems (but due to the epigenetic aspect a lot of the trouble is now locked in). In fact, the article says the general drop in reproduction may have been masking the problem.

[Aeson]

Climate change, pollution, and infertility vs convenience... I wonder who will win?

Time to start drinking from bottle gourds again. Must protect the little ones ... the few, the proud, the Marines.

[Giancarlo]

I think there needs to be less people in this world anyways as we are overpopulating, so I don't see a problem with this at all.

I think reproducing at the past rates in the 1970s would kill us off faster than this.

[Lorizael]

I think there needs to be less people in this world...

Okay, where do we start?

(*fewer)

[Giancarlo]

Well... I'm not for killing people off in gas chambers. I'll leave that to the far right (like the dumbass Swedish Democrats - nice name bull****!)

I think people should just have FEWER children, especially in the developed world.

[Elok]

I think you missed the part where the process shows no sign of stopping. It builds on itself. We're talking about an eventual demographic cliff.

[Giancarlo]

http://theconversation.com/how-does-...ertility-95224

https://www.malereproduction.com/blo...e-infertility/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...ity-sperm.html

I think putting the blame all on plastics is misguided as is the original article.

Men with higher BMIs have far lower sperm counts.

You're pointing to plastics as the end all cause. Are you saying that plastic is the sole cause?

Because I think the obesity epidemic is more at fault.

There isn't going to be a cliff. That's more fear mongering from people who want drastic reforms. I get the motivation though. It just seems a bit extremist to me making long winded predictions. NONETHLESS, We really do need to move away from plastic. It's not just bad for people, it's bad for the entire world.

[Elok]

Well, as your own articles note, hormones are strongly implicated in obesity. Which means that, in theory, the plastics could bear some responsibility for the fat part as well, since they "work" by having a similar structure to estrogen. Anyway, I haven't found the original study, but here's a report that isn't from frickin' GQ magazine:

https://www.phipps.conservatory.org/one-health-one-planet/session-3/altering-the-fetal-hormonal-environment/

Swann does allow that plastics are likely not the whole picture. But it seems quite clear that in utero phthalate exposure leads to lower AGD, and that AGD is linked to lower male fertility. The plastics sure as hell aren't helping.

[Giancarlo]

Sure I can agree with this. They may have some responsibility, but I feel the lion share is on the decline of physical activity and worsening diets. I think you are perhaps correct, but I also feel like garbage like high fructose corn syrup is another leading factor. I view HFCS as a leading factor to the obesity epidemic, but I guess that's a conspiracy theory on my part.

[Aeson]

Maybe we can manufacture little plastic sperm someday ...

[Giancarlo]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5747444/

Hmm... This source says there could be a link, but its more focused on the rise of sugar heavy diets as a whole. Maybe not a crazy conspiracy theory, but there may be something to it. HFCS was widely adopted in the 60s/70s and that coincides with the dramatic rises in obesity.

Lots of garbage out there. I take it downing two liter bottles of HFCS soda in plastic bottles may not help. Lol.

I will stick to my kombucha in glass bottles. My sex drive is insane, but I won't be reproducing any time soon for obvious reasons lol. Other family members made up for that (I'm an uncle of four kids).

[Lorizael]

I think people should just have FEWER children, especially in the developed world.

Yes! We should institute some sort of policy about the number of children people should have. What's a good number?

[Giancarlo]

Yes! We should institute some sort of policy about the number of children people should have. What's a good number?

Greater opportunity. There was a study that linked microbanking in Bangladesh to lower birth rates. Microbanking is accessed mainly by women.

If you are referring to China's one child policy, I think that would be ill advised. It has had adverse effects. I respect you if you are in favor of that.

I'm not advocating anything draconian. I've come a long way since my moronic days in the past and I'm a big leftist green gender fluid person these days.

https://1pdf.net/the-impact-of-credit-programs-on-women39s-fertility-in-bangladesh_585b8028e12e897d421311a4

So my approach is one of granting more in small business opportunity to women. It can also help women in these countries have more independence.

Btw the same source above says its likely the overall world population will increase by 2.7 billion by 2050 if present birth rates remain the same globally.