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Comment by throwup238 | Hacker News Reader

Is there any evidence they prefer the trash to real shells? This could be a sign of shell shortages, maybe a consequence of increasing ocean acidity, or a boom in hermit crab populations.

I don't see the problem. Used correctly, even trash can contribute positively to ocean like all the ships we scuttle to build reefs on.

Edit: from TFA: > The researcher said that the natural snail shells were in decline, so she suspected it might be becoming easier for the animals to find an artificial alternative. And lighter, plastic 'shells' might even help smaller, weaker crabs to survive because they are easier to carry.

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> I don't see the problem.

It's (more) evidence of the (increasing?) extent of the ecological impact of humanity and human societies. We (humans) have proved over and over again that we have a very poor ability to understand the greater consequences of any changes, human-induced or not, to the natural environment. So the fact that we are having an unforeseen impact on the environment should be cause for concern, if not alarm.

That's not to say that when we make deliberate changes to the natural environment we have a good track record. See: e.g. cane toads in Australia[0]

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_toads_in_Australia

> So the fact that we are having an unforeseen impact on the environment should be cause for concern, if not alarm.

The environment has never been stable, not once in the history of the environment. It is constantly changing. The only way we could avoid having an unforeseen impact is if we wipe the environment out.

As is stands, we're having a milder impact than one of the big ones like blue-green algae and the oxygen crisis. I'd go as far as saying the hermit crabs are pretty happy with how this situation is developing. Plastic shells sound like a pretty high tech option for the happening hermit.

> The environment has never been stable, not once in the history of the environment. It is constantly changing.

You are making a false equivalence here. That fact that the environment changes naturally does not mean, that it doesn't matter how we influence it.

> As is stands, we're having a milder impact than one of the big ones like blue-green algae and the oxygen crisis.

That's a pretty low standard to hold us to. Also, you're writing as if we had no agency in this, but one look at consoomer culture will suffice to convince you of the exact opposite...

On the other hand you don’t really want your kids to have to worry about wolves on their way to school. So I don’t think the zero environmental impact is the target either.

Shell shortages. that is a first. Time to get this trending on twitter.

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