If this isn’t the most dystopian thing you’ve read today I don’t know what is.
Artificial Refugia (such as bat boxes) can be used to somewhat offset lost habitat, but it’s like replacing a rainforest with a plastic plant and calling it conservation. Further, unless they are meticulously designed, they can act as traps (trap animals inside), snack plates for predators, or even ‘cook’ the animals inside them.
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Feels more dystopia than feel good.
Is there fault or advantage with this practice?
They’re putting plastic balls into fields for mice that chew everything. So if you want to efficiently distribute micro plastics into the environment, I can’t think of a better solution.
The original tennis ball was actually made of wood and later transitioned to leather with sawdust as the material added inside for an extra bounce. Eventually, the inside of the tennis ball was stuffed with wool and the core was wrapped in twine.
So, this no longer holds true?
mea culpa!
It’s always felt funny to me how dumping things turning into the environment rehabilitation are often presented as feel good stories, like throwing subway cars to make coral reefs. Sure they help revitalize ecosystems in many cases but it’s just a weird feeling to me.
Whelp, sorry about messing up your habitat. Here’s some garbage… Looks like our job here is done.
Like when companies boast about how their clothing range is made from recycled plastic bottles. Yes, congrats, you’ve taken big bits of plastic, and now turned them into microplastic fibres that will make their way into the water system every time you wash them. Bravo.
Not all are used for these habitats, most are sold to the public to support charities and the rest are recycled into children’s playgrounds or similar.
This is also why the spectators are not allowed to keep balls that they catch unlike other tennis tournaments. It’s not to be mean. Wimbledon tennis balls have a life after the tournament.
Aw, now the massive collection of little shit pellets is on the inside of the tennis balls.
