In an article published in the Swiss press, the director of the UN Environment Law Division, Elizabeth Mrema, warns of inadequate management of chemicals, including substances present in e-waste. Until 13 millions of people die each year from pollution and environmental degradation, including about 190 thousand by accidental poisoning.
Because the theme is so relevant and important?
The article brings a global perspective, contextualizing the evolution of the countryside and the city, thanks to the various technologies acquired. Emphasizes chemicals, present in almost everything we use. From conversational to food, cleaning products, batteries and electronics, even the innovations, held responsible for mitigating the impacts of climate change, towards a green economy transition, like solar cells and electric cars.
The future will be green and clean? Or dangerous and toxic? With this question, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, director of the UN Environment Law Division, brings a clear vision, lucid and concerned about the direction of our actions, and make a call for change. Summarizing this article seemed to make no sense to us., leaving a single word out would be a mistake.. Then, read the full article below.
By Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, director of the UN Environment Law Division*
When I was a child, growing at the foot of Kilimanjaro, my parents took care of our farm without access to synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and antibiotics. Crops were eventually poor and cattle sometimes succumbed to disease., but the weather was more predictable back then, droughts were rarer and there were fewer invasive species. We really needed to walk a lot to get water, but she was clean, and we lived most of the time without the risk of exposure to harmful substances.
In that time, chemical compounds were much less present in our lives than, in many ways, were harder than today. At the same time, the challenges, although they were often big, were less complex than the ones we face today..
Chemicals are now the building blocks of modern life. They are in our medicines and health products, preserve our food and — through batteries and other components of our tablets and telephones — make modern communication possible. Also allow us to use solar panels and electric cars, as well as other technologies needed to mitigate the impacts of climate change and to accelerate our shift towards a green economy.
In other words, chemicals are part of our future. But that future will be clean and green or toxic and dangerous? The choice is ours, but we have to act quickly. Until 13 millions of people die each year from pollution and environmental degradation, including about 190 thousand by accidental poisoning.
Without ensuring the environmentally responsible management of harmful substances, proper regulation and phasing out of the use of some especially hazardous compounds, we will continue to see more lives being lost to intoxication, contamination and pollution. We've all seen the data: pollution is not just a problem for developing countries. Parisians and Londoners — not to mention the significant number of Poles and Montenegrins — are also fighting toxic gases.
At the same time, unscrupulous corporations and organized crime continue to transport highly toxic waste from Europe to the shores of many of the world's poorest nations. Some of these residues are part of the 36 millions of tons of e-waste that is processed without regulation, threatening the health of hundreds of thousands of women and children and causing long-term damage to the environment through heavy metal pollution.
The global regulatory response to chemical compounds and waste is simply too slow to keep pace with a growing problem.. The Basel Conventions, Rotterdam and Stockholm, that help control international flows and disposal of harmful waste, and the control of the production and use of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) currently regulate about a hundred chemical compounds.
That leaves approximately 140 a thousand substances in circulation in today's international markets, contributing to the annual production of 10 millions of tons of solid waste in cities. Most of these chemical compounds have not been carefully evaluated for their environmental and health impacts..
Then, because, with the threat posed by harmful substances being so evident, it is so difficult to achieve effective international governance of chemical compounds? Part of the answer lies in our attitude to risk. We tend to wait for a substance to prove harmful to human health and the environment before we act..
Related to this question, is the role of the private sector. Not only do they have superior knowledge of most products., as well as control the money. No effective regulatory framework can be thought of without your support and investment in testing and evaluation..
And we also have China. Until 2030, China will detain 44% From 6,3 trillions of euros moved by the chemical market. This means that failure to adequately engage the country in substance governance will render any future regulations on compounds meaningless..
The good news is that some attempts are already underway to build a more comprehensive regiment on compounds and waste.. The Strategic Approach to International Chemical Management (SAICM) is a unique voluntary platform, in which governments, the private sector and civil society can discuss issues involving chemicals and waste. One of SAICM's goals is to focus efforts on designing a more flexible governance structure for the post-2020 period., in order to deal with a wider range of substances.
2017 is an important year for chemicals and waste. This week, near 180 countries are meeting Geneva for the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel Conventions, Rotterdam and Stockholm to decide how to address potentially harmful impacts on the environment and health caused by substances and waste. They will be joined by industry leaders, including from companies like Dow Chemical, Plastics Europe e Dell.
In September, the Minamata Convention on Mercury will hold its first major meeting of Member States and, in December, the UN Environment will host its 3rd Environmental Assembly, also known as the Pollution Summit. Countries will be called upon to make honest and resolute commitments to reduce pollution through practical measures, including policies, laws and regulations.
We hope that this call will be heard and that it will be fulfilled because we cannot live without chemicals, but we cannot continue losing lives to the fatal pollution caused by inadequate management.. We have to take chemicals seriously, our lives depend on it.
*Article originally published in the Swiss newspaper Le Temps, in 30 April 2017, on the occasion of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel Conventions, Rotterdam and Stockholm, held in Geneva of the days 24 from April to 5 from May of 2017. To view the original content access here.