Plastic and other Environmental Dangerous Waste

[Alf]

They just don’t care. Once they have occupied any open land within a few weeks you see litter everywhere

[Lisbeth]

Plastic in crosshairs at UN environment forum

2019-03-13 09:01 - AFP

Countries from around the world set their sights on Monday on a pivotal deal to curb plastic waste, a source of long-term pollution and worsening contamination of the ocean's food chain.

Thousands of delegates, business leaders and campaigners are in Nairobi for the five-day UN Environment Assembly, the top annual forum on the planet's environmental crisis.

The UN wants individual countries to sign up to "significantly" reduce plastic production, including a phasing out of single-use plastics by 2030 – a goal inspired by the 2015 Paris Agreement on voluntary reductions of carbon emissions.

https://youtu.be/CLzkunOLlpQ
Plastic found in deepest ocean animals
Researchers say they have identified cases of plastic ingestion among tiny shrimp in six of the world's deepest ocean trenches. #pollution #oceans #plastic

"In the field of (plastic) pollution we don't have such agreements," Siim Kiisler, UN Environment Assembly president and Estonia's environment minister, told journalists as the gathering got underway.

"This is the first time (we have) to convince member states to make international commitments."

A landmark report due out this week is expected to ram home the warning of the threat to ecosystems from rampant plastic and chemical waste.

The world currently produces more than 300 million tonnes of plastics annually, and there are at least five trillion plastic pieces floating in our oceans, scientists have estimated.

Microplastics have been found in the deepest sea trenches and high up Earth's tallest peaks, and plastic consumption is growing year-on-year.

"Plastic is a very good material, it's durable, flexible and light," Kiisler said. "This means we should make the best out of it for as long as possible instead of disposing of it."

The conference started on a sombre note after an Ethiopian Airlines jet crashed on Sunday, killing all 157 on board, many of whom were heading to the event.

The Nairobi meeting comes against the backdrop of a series of UN reports outlining in stark terms the damage mankind is doing to the planet, much of it due to reckless consumption.

"These things are all linked: Climate, the environment, waste," one delegate told AFP.

One briefing on the eve of the summit said the cost of ecosystems loss through agriculture, deforestation and pollution was a much as $20tn (17.7 trillion euros) since 1995.

Acting UN environment chief Joyce Msuya said the world needed to "transform the way our economies work... break the link between growth and increased resource use, and end our throwaway culture".

The One Planet Summit on Thursday will bring together heads of state including French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta to lend political clout to the process.

Kiisler said it was a "critical time for action to protect and reverse the degradation of our planet.

"We are not going fast enough," he told reporters.

"Today we are talking about declarations and commitments but I believe in the future we need some international legislation in place."

The UN on Monday also warned that the global scale of chemical production was likely to double between now and 2030.

A study it commissioned found that worldwide chemical production capacity stands at 2.3 billion tonnes and is growing despite repeat warnings from environmental groups of the dangers hazardous materials pose to ecosystems.

[Lisbeth]

Plastic microparticles threaten unique Galapagos fauna

2019-03-23 07:32 - AFP

https://youtu.be/CLzkunOLlpQ
Plastic found in deepest ocean animals
Researchers say they have identified cases of plastic ingestion among tiny shrimp in six of the world's deepest ocean trenches. #pollution #oceans #plastic

Armed only with gloves and large sacks, park rangers and volunteers are battling the scourge of plastic waste blighting the idyllic Galapagos Islands and their unique creatures.

Tons of plastic waste wash up on the shores of the Galapagos islands where microparticles end up in the stomachs of species found only in the Pacific archipelago 1 000km west of mainland Ecuador.

Those microparticles, often from waste discarded in big cities from other countries and even continents, are perhaps one of the greatest threats to the iguanas, tortoises, birds and fish of the Galapagos.

The tiny plastic pieces become part of the food chain "that we may later feed on", biologist Jennifer Suarez, a marine ecosystems expert with the Galapagos National Parks (PNG), told AFP.


A volunteer holds a detergent plastic bottle collected on Isabela Island in the Galapagos archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. (Rodrigo Buendia, AFP)

Sun rays and the ocean's saltwater break down bottles, bags, lids, containers and fishing nets.

Yet while those objects may appear solid to the naked eye, when battered against rocks or by the force of waves, microparticles splinter off, which are subsequently ingested by animals.

Every year, and despite the punishing heat and sun, expeditionary groups arrive at Galapagos beaches to survey the damage caused by man.

Sex toys, shoes, lighters, pens and tin cans are amongst the waste found in areas used by animals, including some in danger of extinction.

In uninhabited zones such as Punta Albemarle, in the far north of Isabela Island, where AFP joined a team of cleaners, waste from far and wide was discovered.

"More than 90% of the waste gathered doesn't come from Galapagos activities, but rather from South America, Central America and even a great deal of waste with Asian branding," said PNG director Jorge Carrion.

With a population of around 25 000, the archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has tightened its rules regarding plastics use in recent years.

'Chinese brands'

Most of the plastic waste washing up on the Galapagos shores are bottles of Peruvian, Colombian or Panamanian products, and containers with Chinese branding.

That waste "probably comes from the fishing fleets from Asia just outside the Galapagos' exclusive economic area", said Carrion, speaking from the PNG dock in Puerto Ayora, the capital of Santa Cruz Island.

Since 1996, local fishermen have been cleaning the remotest islands and for the last three years, they've been keeping a register.

"This lets us identify the origin of waste on unpopulated coasts," said Suarez.

"Over the last two years of monitoring, we've noticed that the largest number of brands are Peruvian and Chinese."

While currently there is no such legislation, the hope is that this register can be used in the future to make compensation claims against those responsible for environmental harm.

Already in 2019, eight tons of waste has been collected, compared to 24 in the whole of 2018 and just under 6.5 tons the year before.

Park rangers also keep a register, but theirs is of the animals affected by the waste, such as the cormorant that builds its nests using used diapers and plastic bags, or the body of a booby found buried in a pile of rubbish.

'Appeal to consciences'

Another shocking discovery is plastic bags that have been bitten by sea turtles that mistake them for jellyfish, an important part of their diet.

"We have indiscriminately thrown so much waste into the sea that it has turned up at coasts where there are no people, but already there is garbage," Sharlyn Zuniga told AFP.

The 24-year-old clean-up volunteer said she came across pristine beaches with fine white sand, but spoilt by rubbish.

"What I saw was very hard (to take). We're used to seeing the best part of the Galapagos in pictures and postcards," she said.

Large bags of plastic waste collected on the archipelago are sent to mainland Ecuador to be incinerated.

"We're getting rid of the waste that accumulates in these places, to avoid it breaking down and turning into microparticles," said Suarez.

Over time Carrion hopes less and less waste will be collected but 2019 is expected to turn up as much as 2018.

"We need to go beyond just collecting waste. We need to appeal to consciences on a global level, so people stop throwing waste into the sea," said Carrion.

[Lisbeth]

A beach of the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, invaded by plastic

https://youtu.be/V5K9_98MDP0

[Flutterby]

[Flutterby]

Brewery Unveils 6-Pack Rings That Feed Sea Turtles Instead of Killing Them

March 23, 2019



The plastic six-pack rings can severely damage marine life, as they tangle the wings of sea birds, warp the shells of sea turtles, and choke seals. Plastic pollution is a serious issue for the Gulf of Mexico, as it has one of the highest concentrations of marine plastic in the world.

However, one brewery in Florida has a solution- bio gradable six-pack rings that can serve as a snack to wildlife, as they are made of wheat and barley.

They look like they are made out of cardboard, but the wheat and barley byproducts have been compressed into a touch, durable material, which can sustain the usual wear and tear associated with transport and storage in a refrigerator.

These rings were developed by Saltwater Brewery, a craft microbrewery in Delray Beach, with a startup called E6PR (short for Eco Six Pack Rings). They hope other breweries will purchase the new rings and help bring manufacturing costs down.

Peter Agardy, head of the brand at the brewery, said that it is a large investment for such a small brewery created by fisherman, surfers, and people that love the sea, so Chris Gove, president of Delray admitted that they hope they will influence the big guys and inspire them to get on board.

CBS News reported that the project was a collaborative effort between New York ad agency We Believers, Mexican biodegradable supplier Entelequia, and private investors from the beverage packing industry. Since they are made with “by-product waste and other materials,” these rings will be compostable when disposed of properly, and biodegradable if they end up being littered.

The brewery is testing the rings with a group of craft breweries, but they won’t discuss specifics now. E6PR is one of the potential ways to turn the tide toward cleaner waters.

Sources:
realfarmacy.com
www.cbsnews.com

https://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/brewer ... ZlG1Ie5wD8

[okie]

Now they just have to develop cardboard/wheat and bran -bio-degradable beer-cans , softdrink bottles ............

[Lisbeth]

Sarah's epic swim to highlight global plastic pollution

SPAR Eastern Cape's eco-ambassador breaks a world record with her 65km “Swim Against Plastic” round Easter Island

BY GILLIAN MCAINSH - 21 April 2019


Record-breaking swimmer Sarah Ferguson visited Port Elizabeth in March 2019 as an ambassador for SPAR Eastern Cape and to highlight its campaign against plastic pollution - Image: Leon Hugo

South African endurance swimmer Sarah Ferguson broke a world record in a 65km “Swim Against Plastic” round Easter Island in March.

And it was a swim with a purpose, as with every stroke she hoped to raise awareness about the shocking level of pollution in this remote Pacific heritage spot.

“It was horrific , and devastating, seeing how much plastic there was. “There were just tons and tons and most of it doesn’t even come from Easter Island,” the Durban-based physiotherapist and eco-campaigner said.

“The local people don’t really use a lot of plastic so it brings home the reality of the situation.”

Just two weeks before her epic world record feat Sarah was in Port Elizabeth as a high-profile ambassador for SPAR Eastern Cape’s Stop Plastics campaign.

Already SPAR has seen the impact of its ongoing campaign with 3 million fewer plastic bags sold over just a few months in 2018 and it has also had a major impact in creating awareness of the problem.

Live deeply, tread lightly

And Sarah certainly walks the talk – or, rather, she dives right in and swims it.

“Live deeply, tread lightly and follow your passions but be aware of the impact of your actions,” is her mantra.

Chile’s Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as the locals know it, is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. It’s also a World Heritage Site famous for the stone heads, or moai, that line its coast.

Sadly, says Sarah, it has not escaped the blight of plastic pollution and she chose this iconic location for her swim because it also has an extremely high level of plastic debris.

Ironically, however, most of the microplastics that wash up on Rapa Nui beaches come from thousands of kilometres away.

How many people who see a plastic cool drink bottle, polystyrene take-away box or chip packet on a beach in Nelson Mandela Bay know that this litter tossed away may be killing ocean life in the farthest corners of the world?

Sarah would like to educate people so that they will be more mindful of how they use – and dispose of – plastic in general.

“Port Elizabeth is much cleaner than Durban, which is close to a river that washes lots of plastics washed down to the sea.

“However, the plastic on Easter Island beaches doesn’t have that, there is no river. The plastic on its beaches comes from China and Australia which is about as far away as you possibly can get and shows how plastic pollution affects us everywhere, not only where you are but elsewhere also.”

The Swim Against Plastic Easter Island campaign was her biggest challenge in a water-based career that has included a solo Robben Island crossing as well as a six-day swim down the coast of KwaZulu-Natal.

She is also an ambassador for Plastic Oceans International which fights the problem of plastic pollution, and founded Breathe Conservation, a non-profit which aims to eliminate disposable plastic.

How to win the battle against plastic

Sarah says the battle can be won if everyone plays their part.

1. Use a bamboo or pasta straw or don’t use one at all.
2. Avoid unnecessary packaging and reuse packaging wherever possible.
3. Take your own re-usable bag to the supermarket.
4. Take your own reusable cup when you buy a take-away coffee from one of the SPAR Bean Tree coffee stations.
5. When you buy a takeaway, takeyour own container.
6. Drink tap water (South Africa’s water quality is one of the best in the world says Sarah) and don’t buy water in a plastic bottle.
7. Impossible? Not in this campaigner’s eyes, noting that San Francisco has just banned the sale of plastic water bottles.

Read the amazing story of Sarah Ferguson’s Easter Island swim in her own words at the Plastic Oceans website.

[RogerFraser]

FB images of Durban harbour after the heavy rains washed plastic into it :

If ever you needed a reminder of just how badly we've treated the environment. Wilson's Wharf today:

[Sprocky]

SHOCKING!!!