There is a huge diversity of plastics being produced today and each one will require a unique evolutionary adaptation to be biodegraded. We’re also continuously developing new plastics and new combinations of plastics such as core-shell polymers. You also had much more wood available than you have plastic scattered across the earth, meaning much more energy available for any microorganisms that evolved to degrade wood and thus a greater evolutionary advantage. I don’t think microbes are going to save us from the plastic scourge anytime soon.

If you actually look up ancient trees they were basically just giant ferns. Versions of them are still around today although they do now rot of course when they die. They’re super creepy looking.

I would really like some for my fern garden but unfortunately it is literally cheaper to buy a top of the range smartphone than it is to buy those things. It’s really weird going to a garden centre with everything costing single digit prices and then suddenly there is this tree thingy with commas in its price.

Life finds a way