More plastic in sea than fish by 2050: Why we must act NOW
Its outcome could have had a more profound long-term impact on you than the next five-year Irish political cycle.
Busan, a coastal city in South Korea, famous for its port, sandy beaches, shiny skyscrapers, and scenic mountains, hosted a major summit to create an international legally binding agreement on plastic pollution.
Representatives from more than 170 countries gathered for the fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting to agree a new UN Plastics Treaty and avert us from a plastic-choked future.
I have written about the scourge of plastic pollution before. How our planet is drowning in this fossil fuel-derived substance, the damaging ‘forever chemicals’ that are used to produce them, and the impacts on health conditions ranging from infertility to cancer, but the UN’s report pitching to reduce plastic pollution contains one astonishing fact piled on top of another.
Since the 1950s, 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced, of which 7 billion tonnes have become waste on our land and in our seas. Output continues apace.
Some 430 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year, two-thirds of which soon become waste. Globally, only 9% of plastic is recycled.
And it doesn’t go away. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, one of the largest accumulations of plastic in the ocean, is the size of three s made entirely of floating plastic waste. In the next 25 years, there is likely to be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
These figures are staggering, but it’s not just about numbers - it’s about the irreversible damage to ecosystems, wildlife, and human health.
Clearly, humanity needs to do something, and this is why 3,800 participants gathered in South Korea at the weekend.
The chair of the meeting, Ecuadorian Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso, said “The voices of the world are clear: we need healthy meals free from microplastics; we need clean air, oceans, and forests; we need safe, non-toxic plastic products; we need innovation, circularity, and collaboration to replace harmful plastics".
The Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, Inger Anderson, said “Not a single person on this planet wants to witness plastic in their communities or washing up on their shores. Not a single person wants chemical-laced plastic particles in their bloodstreams, organs, or their unborn babies.”
Just as we have annual Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings attempting to tackle carbon emissions (COP 29 has just concluded and emissions are still going up!), we now have a similar process for tackling plastic pollution. With all too familiar pitfalls.
It is beyond infuriating that, despite overwhelming evidence of the devastating effects on ecosystems, human health, and the climate, plastic-producing nations like China, and Saudi Arabia can hinder global efforts to tackle the plastic crisis, prioritising profit over planetary survival.
By stymieing international agreements, they ensure that billions of tons of plastic will continue polluting our oceans, poisoning communities, and undermining public health.
According to the OECD, plastic production could climb 70% to 736 million tons by 2040 without drastic action.
To think that some industries and countries want to continue with business as usual while the world drowns in plastic is enraging.
While global leaders struggle to reach consensus, researchers and innovators are taking matters into their own hands.
In next week’s episode of RTÉ’s , we investigate growing evidence of the dangers of chemicals used in plastic manufacturing, such as phthalates and PFAS, and meet the Irish researchers tackling these issues with innovative solutions.
We also unwrap the latest developments of fossil-fuel-free bioplastics that aim to reduce both plastic and food waste, offering hope in tackling the plastic crisis which oftentimes feels quite hopeless.
I did not expect General Election 24 to create a scenario where a Cork woman took down a Dublin gangland leader, but we are living in interesting times.
For a while at the weekend, it seemed possible that someone currently released on bail could be taking a seat at the 34th Dáil.
She was not the only person shedding tears of relief when she won the final seat in the Dublin Central constituency. The energetic and effective former senator is the epitome of a public servant, and it was only right and just that she would take a seat over Gerry Hutch.
Although Sherlock will be representing the people of Drumcondra, not Douglas, I’m sure many Cork people will wish her well. And thank her for her election success which warded off an ignominious political milestone.
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