Sixteen-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg with Charles Norman Shay, a Native American D-Day Veteran and a sponsor of the Freedom Award, during the 2019 Freedom Award Ceremony, in Abbaye-aux-Dames, Caen, France, on Sunday, July 21, 2019. Artur Widak / NurPhoto / Getty Images)
By Andrea Germanos
Climate activist Greta Thunberg on Sunday urged people to recognize "the link between climate and ecological emergency and mass migration, famine, and war" as she was given the first "Freedom Prize" from France's Normandy region for her ongoing school strikes for climate and role in catalyzing the Fridays for future climate movement.
The 16-year-old received the award before a crowd of roughly 2,000 people in the city of Caen. She shared the stage with D-Day veterans and prize sponsors Léon Gautier of France et Charles Norman Shay of the U.S.
"I think the least we can do to honor them," said Thunberg, "is to stop destroying that same world that Charles, Leon, and their friends and colleagues fought so hard to save."
Thunberg spent the day before the award ceremony with Shay:
I had the honour of spending the day with Charles Norman Shay at Omaha Beach. Charles was in the first wave that spearheaded D-Day. He is also Native American and member of the Penobscot tribe of Maine. He’s a hero in a way that is almost impossible to understand. #prixliberte pic.twitter.com/7KnrowF96d
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) July 20, 2019
On Twitter, Thunberg also highlighted some of Shay's remarks during Sunday's ceremony, calling them "the most powerful words on the climate and ecological emergency I've ever heard."
"All these many damages on Mother Nature make me sad," said Shay. "As a soldier I fought for freedom to liberate Europe [and the] world [from] Nazism 75 yeas ago, but this is no sense if Mother Nature is deeply wounded, and if our civilization collapses due to inappropriate human behaviors."
These are the most powerful words on the climate and ecological emergency I’ve ever heard.
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) July 21, 2019
Listen to Charles Norman Shay, a Native American D-Day veteran who was in the first wave and landed on Omaha Beach 06.30h June 6th 1944.#PrixLiberte #ClimateBreakdown #EcologicalBreakdown pic.twitter.com/M28dxeWvu0
Agence France-Presse reported on Thunberg's remarks at the ceremony:
"This is a silent war going on. We are currently on track for a world that could displace billions of people from their homes, taking away even the most basic living conditions from countless people, making areas of the world uninhabitable from some part of the year.
"The fact that this will create huge conflicts and unspoken suffering is far from secret."
"And yet the link between climate and ecological emergency and mass migration, famine, and war is still not clear to many people. This must change."
Thunberg beat out two other finalists, Saudi blogger and dissident Raif Badawi and Chinese photojournalist Lu Guang, to become the winner.
The Freedom Prize website offers this background of the new award:
Focused on the meaning and values of the Allied landings, the Freedom Prize gives young people all over the world the opportunity to choose an exemplary person or organization, committed to the fight for freedom. Just like those who risked their lives when they landed on the Normandy beaches on 6 June 1944.
On 6 June 1944, it was in the name of the ideal of freedom that 130,000 soldiers, including a significant number of young volunteers, risked their lives and that several thousand died on these unfamiliar beaches. 17 nations were involved in Operation Overlord to open up "Liberty Road" on which nearly 3 million soldiers traveled in their bid to save the world from the barbarity of the Nazis. The Allied landings remind us that freedom is a universal demand.
Today, many situations around the world testify to its fragility. The Freedom Prize pays homage to all those who fought and continue to fight for this ideal.
Thunberg, responding to a recent question from one of the readers of the UK's Observer, made clear that her commitment to the fight for urgent climate action is unwavering.
"We must never give up," she said. "I have made up my mind and decided to never, ever give up."
Reposted with permission from our media associate Common Dreams.
Related Articles Around the Web
President of the European Investment Bank Werner Hoyer holds a press conference in Brussels, Belgium on Jan. 30, 2020. Dursun Aydemir / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
By Jon Queally
Noted author and 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben was among the first to celebrate word that the president of the European Investment Bank on Wednesday openly declared, "To put it mildly, gas is over" — an admission that squares with what climate experts and economists have been saying for years if not decades.
<p>Dr. Werner Hoyer, president of the EIB — the investment bank publicly owned by the European Union's member states — made the comments while presenting a review of the institution's 2020 operations at a press conference in Luxembourg.</p><p>Calling a future break with fracked gas "a serious departure from the past," Hoer added that "without the end to the use of unabated fossil fuels, we will not be able to reach the climate targets" to which the EU states — and therefore the bank — have committed.</p><p>McKibben and others responded to the comments as the most recent promising signal that the financial world is catching up with the climate science that demands a rapid and profound shift away from fossil fuels.</p>
<div id="3e832" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4fe43fadc02a3bc19b3bb0387627f5a0"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1352242766621904896" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Head of the European Investment Bank: "Gas is over."
I'd say the message is starting to sink in.
https://t.co/BYKCJO0EVS</div> — Bill McKibben (@Bill McKibben)<a href="https://twitter.com/billmckibben/statuses/1352242766621904896">1611234773.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"President of the EIB, Werner Hoyer, clearly knows what's up," <a href="https://twitter.com/PriceofOil/status/1352226504432885760" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tweeted</a> Oil Change International. "We agree. Time to #StopFundingFossils."</p><p>Greenpeace EU also heralded the news and stated: "There's nothing clean about gas — it's not a 'transition fuel' or a 'bridge fuel,' it's a dirty fossil fuel just like coal and oil. It's time to stop bankrolling the #ClimateEmergency and stop public money back gas projects."</p>
<div id="9a0df" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="794b3b0f2b24a61966878250dd90138a"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1351871509334253574" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">European Investment Bank says GAS IS OVER! 🥂👋
Now we need to make sure it doesn't fund gas before its 2022 deadlin… https://t.co/I5G8zvPOUE</div> — Gastivists Network (@Gastivists Network)<a href="https://twitter.com/gastivists/statuses/1351871509334253574">1611146259.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p><a href="https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/gas-is-over-eu-bank-chief-says/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">According</a> to EurActiv:</p><blockquote>The EU aims to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and is expected to adopt a new carbon reduction target of -55% for 2030. However, gas has remained a grey area, with the European Commission <a href="https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/natural-gas-is-a-caveat-in-energy-transition-eu-admits/" target="_blank">saying it will still be needed to help coal-reliant EU member states transition away from fossil fuels</a>.<br>Under their <a href="https://www.eib.org/attachments/thematic/eib_group_climate_bank_roadmap_en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate bank roadmap published in 2020</a>, the EIB plans to use 50% of its activity to support climate and environmental sustainability, unlocking €1 trillion for green funding by 2030. It will also ensure that all activity is aligned with the Paris Agreement.</blockquote><p>Others emphasized what a historic shift the comment represents from even just a few years ago:</p>
<div id="c61d5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1023ac797ce2060c2237eb53aebdf9e2"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1352166077980143618" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">June 2011, IEA: "Are We Entering A Golden Age of gas"
Jan 2021, EIB: "Gas is over"
https://t.co/DXdDBOhiLG</div> — Michael Liebreich (@Michael Liebreich)<a href="https://twitter.com/MLiebreich/statuses/1352166077980143618">1611216489.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>While many European climate groups and financial watchdogs have criticized the EU member states and the EIB itself for not moving forward fast enough with proposed reforms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Hoyer said Wednesday that the shift away from fossil fuels is paramount and that even the Covid-19 pandemic wreaking havoc across the continent must not act as a roadblock.</p><p>"We have achieved unprecedented impact on climate, preparing the ground for much more," Hoyer said in his remarks. "But the risk of a recovery that neglects climate and the environment remains."</p><p>"The fight against climate change cannot wait until the pandemic is over," he added. "The [Covid-19] crisis is not a reason to stop tackling the climate and environmental challenges facing humanity."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/21/reality-starting-sink-says-mckibben-after-european-investment-bank-chief-admits-gas" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- Fossil Fuel Industry Is Now 'in the Death Knell Phase': CNBC's Jim ... ›
- Mayors of 12 Major Global Cities Pledge Fossil Fuel Divestment ... ›
- World's Largest Public Bank Ditches Oil and Coal in Victory for the ... ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
A dwarf giraffe is seen in Uganda, Africa. Dr. Michael Brown, GCF
Nine feet tall is gigantic by human standards, but when researcher and conservationist Michael Brown spotted a giraffe in Uganda's Murchison Falls National Park that measured nine feet, four inches, he was shocked.
<p>Giraffes have an average height of around 16 feet. Their necks alone can measure six feet. So why was this giraffe so much shorter?</p><p>"The initial reaction was disbelief," Brown, who is a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a> science fellow with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/science/dwarf-giraffes.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.</p><p>Scientists first spotted the Nubian giraffe, named Gimli, in 2015. Three years later, researchers found another short giraffe living on a private farm in central Namibia. That one, named Nigel, is an Angolan giraffe measuring eight-and-a-half-feet tall.</p><p>The researchers compared the two giraffes to each other, along with those of average height, <a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/environment/534873-new-discovery-of-dwarf-giraffes-is-baffling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Hill explained</a>. The comparisons revealed that the two giraffes had shorter legs than their similarly aged peers, caused by skeletal dysplasia, or dwarfism.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="54af350ee3a2950e0e5e69d926a55d83"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yf4NRKzzTFk?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>This is the first time that dwarfism has been documented in wild giraffe populations, Brown and his GCF colleague Emma Wells wrote in a paper published in <a href="https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1186/s13104-020-05403-9?sharing_token=ntjvG3fP1wY_nrBV0eDdO2_BpE1tBhCbnbw3BuzI2RO_hp-8Guw6xV7ywaIirtjhYCijpdOVcpcsRSq7HBvvCbScuMwHpvQOGkFiUA-k4_ttaOODkzWhYBOHXQo5ujaizGjqTke6RMmuFIZAkUUXjslcFxiMDL3g07YUIA8JPsA%3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BMC Research Notes</a> last month. They noted how dwarfism has been observed in domestic <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/animals/" target="_self">animals</a>, but rarely in the wild. Other incidents include a red deer in Scotland and an Asian elephant in Sri Lanka.</p><p>"Instances of wild animals with these types of skeletal dysplasias are extraordinarily rare," Brown said in a <a href="https://giraffeconservation.org/2021/01/09/dwarf-giraffe-spotted-in-namibia-and-uganda/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">statement to GCF</a>. "It's another interesting wrinkle in the unique story of giraffe in these diverse ecosystems."</p><p>The researchers are unsure what caused dwarfism in the two giraffes. In domestic animals, it is usually associated with inbreeding or a lack of genetic diversity, The New York Times explained. Researchers don't know if this is the case for the giraffes, but GCF noted that the giraffes in Uganda suffered significant population decline in the 1980s due to unrest and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/poaching" target="_self">poaching</a>.</p><p>While the giraffe population in Uganda is recovering, the overall population is in trouble across Africa. Their numbers have fallen 40 percent in the last 30 years, according to The Hill. GCF estimates that there are about 111,000 left in the wild in Africa.</p>
<p>"Giraffe are undergoing a silent extinction in Africa. The fact that this is the first description of dwarf giraffe is just another example of how little we know about these charismatic animals," GCF Director and Co-Founder Dr. Julian Fennessy said in a statement.</p><p>As for Nigel and Gimli's individual chances, Brown told The New York Times it was a good sign that both had survived to adulthood, since more than half of giraffes die beforehand. However, Brown thought they might have problems later in life because of their size.</p><p>"It's easy to imagine how this might make them more susceptible to predation since they lack the ability to effectively run and kick, which are two of the giraffe's most effective anti-predator tactics," Brown told The New York Times. "Additionally, given the mechanics of giraffe mating, I'd speculate that for both of these giraffes, mating would be physically challenging."</p><p>Nigel was last seen during a July 2020 survey but Gimli has not been seen since 2017. Researchers hope he will appear again soon.</p>
From Your Site Articles
- Giraffe Parts Sold Across U.S. Despite Plummeting Wild Populations ... ›
- Green Groups Sue to Get Giraffes on Endangered Species List ... ›
- Conservationists Sound Alarm on Plummeting Giraffe Numbers ... ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
Trending
Kelsey Mueller, 16, pets Ruby while waiting with her family to be escorted from the evacuation zone at the Shaver Lake Marina parking lot off of CA-168 during the Creek Fire on Sept. 7, 2020 in Shaver Lake, California. Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images
By Daisy Simmons
In a wildfire, hurricane, or other disaster, people with pets should heed the Humane Society's advice: If it isn't safe for you, it isn't safe for your animals either.
<p>Whether your charge is a lap dog, bird, outdoor cat, or farm animal, planning ahead for a potential evacuation can help you protect your animals and also first responders, who may risk their safety to save your pets.</p><p>Take the following measures now to help keep family pets safe should an evacuation become necessary:</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/01/how-to-evacuate-with-pets-during-a-wildfire-hurricane-or-other-disaster/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2650067972#/" target="_self"></a></p>
1. Stay Informed
<p>A first order of business in pet evacuation planning is to understand and be ready for the possible threats in your area. Visit <a href="https://www.ready.gov/be-informed" target="_blank">Ready.gov</a> to learn more about preparing for potential disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and wildfires. Then pay attention to related updates by tuning <a href="http://www.weather.gov/nwr/" target="_blank">NOAA Weather Radio</a> to your local emergency station or using the <a href="https://www.fema.gov/mobile-app" target="_blank">FEMA app</a> to get National Weather Service alerts.</p>2. Ensure Your Pet is Easily Identifiable
<p><span>Household pets, including indoor cats, should wear collars with ID tags that have your mobile phone number. </span><a href="https://www.avma.org/microchipping-animals-faq" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Microchipping</a><span> your pets will also improve your chances of reunion should you become separated. Be sure to add an emergency contact for friends or relatives outside your immediate area.</span></p><p>Additionally, use <a href="https://secure.aspca.org/take-action/order-your-pet-safety-pack" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">'animals inside' door/window stickers</a> to show rescue workers how many pets live there. (If you evacuate with your pets, quickly write "Evacuated" on the sticker so first responders don't waste time searching for them.)</p>3. Make a Pet Evacuation Plan
<p> "No family disaster plan is complete without including your pets and all of your animals," says veterinarian Heather Case in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9NRJkFKAm4" target="_blank">a video</a> produced by the American Veterinary Medical Association.</p><p>It's important to determine where to take your pet in the event of an emergency.</p><p>Red Cross shelters and many other emergency shelters allow only service animals. Ask your vet, local animal shelters, and emergency management officials for information on local and regional animal sheltering options.</p><p>For those with access to the rare shelter that allows pets, CDC offers <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/emergencies/pets-in-evacuation-centers.html" target="_blank">tips on what to expect</a> there, including potential health risks and hygiene best practices.</p><p>Beyond that, talk with family or friends outside the evacuation area about potentially hosting you and/or your pet if you're comfortable doing so. Search for pet-friendly hotel or boarding options along key evacuation routes.</p><p>If you have exotic pets or a mix of large and small animals, you may need to identify multiple locations to shelter them.</p><p>For other household pets like hamsters, snakes, and fish, the SPCA recommends that if they normally live in a cage, they should be transported in that cage. If the enclosure is too big to transport, however, transfer them to a smaller container temporarily. (More on that <a href="https://www.spcai.org/take-action/emergency-preparedness/evacuation-how-to-be-pet-prepared" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.)</p><p>For any pet, a key step is to establish who in your household will be the point person for gathering up pets and bringing their supplies. Keep in mind that you may not be home when disaster strikes, so come up with a Plan B. For example, you might form a buddy system with neighbors with pets, or coordinate with a trusted pet sitter.</p>4. Prepare a Pet Evacuation Kit
<p>Like the emergency preparedness kit you'd prepare for humans, assemble basic survival items for your pets in a sturdy, easy-to-grab container. Items should include:</p><ul><li>Water, food, and medicine to last a week or two;</li><li>Water, food bowls, and a can opener if packing wet food;</li><li>Litter supplies for cats (a shoebox lined with a plastic bag and litter may work);</li><li>Leashes, harnesses, or vehicle restraints if applicable;</li><li>A <a href="https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/emergencycare/pet-first-aid-supplies-checklist" target="_blank">pet first aid kit</a>;</li><li>A sturdy carrier or crate for each cat or dog. In addition to easing transport, these may serve as your pet's most familiar or safe space in an unfamiliar environment;</li><li>A favorite toy and/or blanket;</li><li>If your pet is prone to anxiety or stress, the American Kennel Club suggests adding <a href="https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/home-living/create-emergency-evacuation-plan-dog/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stress-relieving items</a> like an anxiety vest or calming sprays.</li></ul><p>In the not-unlikely event that you and your pet have to shelter in different places, your kit should also include:</p><ul><li>Detailed information including contact information for you, your vet, and other emergency contacts;</li><li>A list with phone numbers and addresses of potential destinations, including pet-friendly hotels and emergency boarding facilities near your planned evacuation routes, plus friends or relatives in other areas who might be willing to host you or your pet;</li><li>Medical information including vaccine records and a current rabies vaccination tag;</li><li>Feeding notes including portions and sizes in case you need to leave your pet in someone else's care;</li><li>A photo of you and your pet for identification purposes.</li></ul>5. Be Ready to Evacuate at Any Time
<p>It's always wise to be prepared, but stay especially vigilant in high-risk periods during fire or hurricane season. Practice evacuating at different times of day. Make sure your grab-and-go kit is up to date and in a convenient location, and keep leashes and carriers by the exit door. You might even stow a thick pillowcase under your bed for middle-of-the-night, dash-out emergencies when you don't have time to coax an anxious pet into a carrier. If forecasters warn of potential wildfire, a hurricane, or other dangerous conditions, bring outdoor pets inside so you can keep a close eye on them.</p><p>As with any emergency, the key is to be prepared. As the American Kennel Club points out, "If you panic, it will agitate your dog. Therefore, <a href="https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/home-living/create-emergency-evacuation-plan-dog/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pet disaster preparedness</a> will not only reduce your anxiety but will help reduce your pet's anxiety too."</p>Evacuating Horses and Other Farm Animals
<p>The same basic principles apply for evacuating horses and most other livestock. Provide each with some form of identification. Ensure that adequate food, water, and medicine are available. And develop a clear plan on where to go and how to get there.</p><p>Sheltering and transporting farm animals requires careful coordination, from identifying potential shelter space at fairgrounds, racetracks, or pastures, to ensuring enough space is available in vehicles and trailers – not to mention handlers and drivers on hand to support the effort.</p><p>For most farm animals, the Red Cross advises that you consider precautionary evacuation when a threat seems imminent but evacuation orders haven't yet been announced. The American Veterinary Medical Association has <a href="https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/emergencycare/large-animals-and-livestock-disasters" target="_blank">more information</a>.</p>Bottom Line: If You Need to Evacuate, So Do Your Pets
<p>As the Humane Society warns, pets left behind in a disaster can easily be injured, lost, or killed. Plan ahead to make sure you can safely evacuate your entire household – furry members included.</p>From Your Site Articles
- 5 Ways to Be an Eco-Friendly Pet Owner - EcoWatch ›
- Can Your Pets Get and Transmit Coronavirus? - EcoWatch ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
The growing Texas solar industry is offering jobs to unemployed oil and gas professionals. King Lawrence / Getty Images
The growing Texas solar industry is offering a safe harbor to unemployed oil and gas professionals amidst the latest oil and gas industry bust, this one brought on by the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Houston Chronicle reports.
<p>With the fracking sector in turmoil, many workers are looking to apply their skills — from construction to negotiating land use agreements — to the solar industry. </p><p>"No question, we are getting workers moving over from oil and gas," Kevin Smith, Lighthouse BP's CEO in the Americas, said. "A lot of the oil and gas skills are applicable to solar." </p><p>Renewables are the fastest-growing energy sector in the country and Texas' topography, climate, and grid make it an attractive market for solar energy. </p><p>"Clean energy is growing and growing fast in Texas... This is where the jobs are going to be and where the economy is heading," Raj Prahbu, CEO of the Austin-based research firm Mercom Capital Group, told the Chronicle. </p><p>"If you're not going to make the shift, you're going to be left behind."</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/Solar-offered-out-of-work-oil-landmen-place-to-15886138.php?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=107659709&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--jGRDk_B6Ji8TgYYD-MiYVUNnHjTwLHlnNpLk6rmBmQFRGCUHSVTG82fadaE-2OlB8gfDMBmrml1xmlhwOKVNfEzz38NIXpkL088Kq9hB3TbYdl-E&utm_content=107659709&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Houston Chronicle</a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>. </em></p>
Read More
Show Less
A 2019 Basel Convention amendment targeting plastic waste exports went into effect on Jan. 1. Boris Horvat / AFP / Getty Images
This month, a new era began in the fight against plastic pollution.
<p>In 2019, 187 nations within the United Nations amended the 1989 <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/basel-convention" target="_self">Basel Convention</a>, which governs trade in hazardous materials, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-pollution-agreement-2636986814.html" target="_self">to include plastic waste</a>. The historic treaty created a legally binding framework to make global trade in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastic</a> waste more transparent and better regulated, the UN Environment Program (UNEP) said in a <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/governments-agree-landmark-decisions-protect-people-and-planet" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p><p>The amendment to the Basel Convention, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2021, will result in a cleaner ocean within five years and allow developing nations like Vietnam and Malaysia to refuse low-quality and difficult-to-recycle waste before it ever gets shipped, a UN transboundary waste chief told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/29/new-rules-to-tackle-wild-west-of-plastic-waste-dumped-on-poorer-countries" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p><p>"It is my optimistic view that, in five years, we will see results," Rolph Payet, the executive director of the Basel Convention, told The Guardian. "People on the frontline are going to be telling us whether there is a decrease of plastic in the ocean. I don't see that happening in the next two to three years, but on the horizon of five years. This amendment is just the beginning."</p><p>"Pollution from <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastic-waste" target="_self">plastic waste</a>, acknowledged as a major environmental problem of global concern, has reached epidemic proportions with an estimated 100 million tons of plastic now found in the oceans, 80-90 percent of which comes from land-based sources," the UNEP release noted, explaining a primary rationale behind the amendment's passage.</p><p>Once in the oceans, plastic continues to cause harm. It degrades into <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/microplastics" target="_self">microplastics</a>, which <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/seafood-study-plastic-contamination-2646982206.html" target="_self">end up in our seafood</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/microplastics-found-human-organs-2647014349.html#:~:text=According%20to%20PlasticsEurope.org%2C%20359,74%2C000%20microplastic%20particles%20a%20year." target="_self">ultimately us</a>. A recent study also found that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/ocean-acidification-plastic-polllution-2648847023.html" target="_self">plastic pollution increases ocean acidification</a>.</p>
<p>The amendment now requires "prior notice and consent" in writing from importing and transit countries before shipping plastic waste for recycling, the <a href="http://requirements/" target="_blank">Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)</a> explained. Exporting countries must detail whether a shipment is mixed or contaminated. If permission isn't granted to receive the goods, they must remain in their country of origin.</p><p>The new international rule aims to level the playing field between wealthy nations that dump contaminated plastic waste and poorer ones that have traditionally received it. According to The Guardian, before the new rule, shipments containing contaminated, non-recyclable and low-quality plastics were often sold to developing nations for recycling. After China refused to continue accepting contaminated waste in 2018, the onus fell on other developing nations to accept it, a 2020 <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/43469/waste-trade-woes-plastic-waste-from-developed-countries-add-to-malaysias-environmental-crisis/" target="_blank">Greenpeace report </a>found. Once received, the waste was often illegally burned or dumped in landfills and waterways because it was unusable and unrecyclable.</p><p>Heng Kiah Chun, a Greenpeace Malaysia campaigner, called the impact from illegally dumping plastic waste from more than 19 countries worldwide "an indelible mark" left throughout Southeast Asia, the report added.</p><p>According to the EPA, the Basel Convention made an exception for pre-sorted, clean, uncontaminated and recycling-bound plastic scrap: it will not be subject to informed consent requirements. The idea is to encourage exports of commercially viable plastics for recycling rather than the unrestricted dumping of plastic trash that previously occurred.</p><p>In Dec. 2020, the European Union passed <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/eu-bans-plastic-waste-exports-2649639389.html" target="_self">additional regulations</a> that are even stricter than the Basel Convention amendment, including a ban on sending unsorted plastic waste, which is harder to recycle, to poorer countries. </p>
<p>Despite <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/world-plastic-waste-leader-us-2648607158.html" target="_self">leading the world in plastic waste</a>, the U.S. did not agree to the amendment in 2019. However, the amendment still applies to the U.S. anytime it tries to trade plastic waste with another of the 187 participating countries, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/11/world/basel-convention-plastic-waste-trade-intl/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported.</p><p>Rather than framing the plastic problem as an issue between developed and developing nations, some critics would rather see <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-pollution-producer-responsibility-2649792843.html" target="_self">commercial producers take responsibility</a>. Others, noting that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-recycling-myth-2647706452.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1" target="_self">recycling</a> models, especially in the U.S., aren't working, are encouraging a cultural shift away from using plastics, stemming the problem of plastic pollution at the source.</p><p>Nevertheless, the convention is a "crucial first step towards stopping the use of developing countries as a dumping ground for the world's plastic waste, especially those coming from rich nations," Von Hernandez, Break Free From Plastic global coordinator, told CNN.</p><p>"Countries at the receiving end of mixed and unsorted plastic waste from foreign sources now have the right to refuse these problematic shipments, in turn compelling source countries to ensure exports of clean, recyclable plastics only," Hernandez added. "Recycling will not be enough, however. Ultimately, production of plastics has to be significantly curtailed to effectively resolve the plastic pollution crisis."</p>
From Your Site Articles
- Historic Agreement on Plastic Pollution Reached by 180+ Countries ... ›
- U.S. Leads the World in Plastic Waste, New Study Finds - EcoWatch ›
- EU Bans Exporting Unsorted Plastic Waste to Poorer Countries ... ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less