[MrVandemar]

> Because in the real world burning plastic for energy reduces CO2 emissions.

This is a monstrously insane statement.

I am looking at a piece of plastic. Let's say it's a plastic bag. Other than the (considerable!) emissions that came from its mining, manufacture and shipping, it has zero CO2 emissions.

I now set fire to it. I'm, uh, seeing a fair bit of smoke come off it. I'm thinking there might possibly be some emissions happening there.

It also smells really acrid, and I'm getting these weird premonitions of winding up in a cancer ward suddenly.

[ars]

Did you just overlook the "for energy" part of the sentence?

You burn plastic instead of oil, and if you burn it properly it has zero toxic emissions.

In the net, you have reduced CO2 emissions, because now you don't need to pull extra oil out of the ground - you instead burn the oil in your hand.

> This is a monstrously insane statement.

I suppose if your plan is to hold plastic bags in your hand and burn them. Of course that's not the actual suggestion you were replying to - so you basically made up a scenario, then criticized it.

Yes, that's a good plan - don't do the thing that no one was suggesting anyone do.