Microplastics absorb heat in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming — as if they weren't bad enough

A digitally generated image of a plastic tornado.

Microplastics are absorbing heat in the atmosphere and contributing to global warming, a new study reveals.

Microplastics are infamous for being everywhere, contaminating ecosystems and accumulating inside our bodies. Scientists have known for a while that plastics are also blown high into the atmosphere, where they are now pervasive, but it was unclear what impact they might be having up there.