Photo: YGRIGORII/Depositphotos
There is consensus that the nations of the globe must unite if we are to avoid any climate catastrophe. Although it may seem impossible or unrealistic, it has been done before. 1987 was the year that the Montreal ProtocolIn a shockingly coordinated effort to combat the expanding hole in the ozone, all 198 UN member states ratified it. Today, the treaty is one of the most important. Successful environmental solutions ever. Now, 35 years later, the world has another promising environmental agreement—a UN treaty to solve the plastic waste crisis.
The following week, March 2022 will see the following: UN Environmental Assembly met in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss the problem of plastic waste—9.2 billion metric tons of plastics are estimated to have been produced between 1950 and 2017; seven billion metric tons are now trash; 75% of this waste clogs landfills, our oceans, and forests. We all have seen the images of sea creatures trapped in soda rings. MicroplasticsStandard grocery bags can cause harm to ecosystems. Additionally, producing plastic—which uses petroleum and a lot of energy—leaves a massive carbon footprint. The burden of waste is not shared equally—wealthy nations consume more plastic, while poorer nations Recycle plastic waste.
The assembly gathered thousands of participants in person and virtual to discuss a global solution that addresses both plastic waste and production. The assembly adopted a resolution for an intergovernmental negotiation committee that will draft the treaty and ratify it by 2024. Christina Dixon, Environmental Investigation Agency said Information regarding the resolution, “This resolution finally recognizes that we cannot begin to address plastics in our ocean and on land without intervening at source.”
The treaty also finally recognizes the important role waste pickers—low-income workers who collect plastic from waste dumps in many developing nations—play in the circular economy. The treaty will not be finalized until 2024, but environmentalists encourage countries to create their own forward-looking plans to make a better future. #beatplasticpollution.
The UN environment assembly meets in Nairobi, Kenya. They have agreed to create a plastic waste treaty before 2024.
Photo: SABLIN/Depositphotos
h/t: [The Guardian, Science Alert]
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