Plastic pollution can be classified among the top three environmental problems countries are experiencing. The catastrophe of plastics has reached every country and continent. Some countries have experienced the effects of plastics on marine animals. For example, in some countries, dead whales have washed ashore with plastics in their stomach. Sea turtles have also been found with plastics in their stomach and plastic straws in their nostrils. Sea birds and fish have not been left out; they have also been found with plastics in their stomach. Microplastics have also been found in Antarctica.
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, we have witnessed the effects of plastics. During heavy rainfall, rivers and gutters are blocked with plastic products, which can be a habitat for mosquitoes. When rivers and gutters are blocked, it causes flooding in various communities. Plastic litter on some of our beaches is very “unsightly” and can affect the tourism industry. Tourists would not want to use a dirty beach.
Some Vincentians are “litter bugs”. They throw their garbage out of vehicles, on private and government lands, and sometimes even leave it in the forest, which can affect wildlife. Wildlife sometimes mistake plastic for food. This can clog their digestive system, causing them to die. Not disposing of our garbage properly could cause an infestation of rats, flies, and cockroaches. We must always remember that many products that we use are made from plastic and plastics are non-biodegradable. Could the amount of plastics found in the world’s oceans have a global effect on fishermen’s livelihood in the future?
A CNN article states that microplastics have been found in human stools, suggesting they may be widespread in our food chain. The article further states that Austrian scientists monitored and tested stool samples from eight study participants from different countries and all of them tested positive for at least one form of microplastic, with nine different types discovered ranging in size from 50 to 500 micrometres.
All these problems that countries are facing with plastic pollution, the United Nations
In March 2022, 175 UN member states agreed on a mandate to create a first-of-its-kind international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. However, like climate change, this treaty is proving to be a failure. BBC has reported that countries have failed to reach a landmark agreement on tackling plastic pollution after more than two years of negotiations.
Deep divisions remained between nearly 100 high-ambition countries calling for plastic to be phased out and oil-producing nations that warned this would affect the world’s development.
The article further states that plastic is produced from fossil fuels and is responsible for 5% of global emissions. Why are countries pussyfooting with plastic pollution although the world is facing a plastic crisis?
By Kimani Wiseman