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More than 200 nations promise to stop ocean plastic waste

By John Ndiso

 

FILE PHOTO: A boy searches for fish in the polluted sea backwaters near marina beach in the southern Indian city of Chennai July 3, 2013. REUTERS/Babu/File Photo

 

NAIROBI (Reuters) - More than 200 countries signed a U.N. resolution in Nairobi on Wednesday to eliminate plastic pollution in the sea, a move some delegates hoped would pave the way to a legally binding treaty.

 

If current pollution rates continue, there will be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050, said the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) which organised the meeting.

 

Eight million tonnes of plastic - bottles, packaging and other waste - are dumped into the ocean every year, killing marine life and entering the human food chain, UNEP added.

 

"There is very strong language in this resolution," Norway's environment minister, Vidar Helgesen, told Reuters.

 

"We now have an agreement to explore a legally binding instrument and other measures and that will be done at the international level over the next 18 months."

 

Norway, which initiated the resolution, has seen the evidence of the damage the pollution causes first hand, he said.

 

"We found micro plastics inside mussels, which is something we like to eat," Helgesen added. "In January this year, a fairly rare species of whale was stranded on a beach because of exhaustion and they simply had to kill it. In its tummy they found 30 plastic bags."

 

China is the biggest producer of plastic waste but has started making efforts to cut down, UNEP head Erik Solheim said.

 

"If there is one nation changing at the moment more than anyone else, it's China ... the speed and determination of the government to change is enormous," said Solheim.

 

Solheim eventually wants to see governments ban and redesign some packaging.

 

"Let's abolish products that we do not need ... if you go to tourist places like Bali, a huge amount of the plastic picked from the oceans are actually straws."

 

Under the resolution, countries agreed to start monitoring the amount of plastic they put into the ocean.

 

"While this is not a treaty, significant progress is being made ... 39 governments announced new commitments to reduce the amount of plastic going into the sea," said the chief of public advocacy at UNEP, Sam Barrat.

 

"Chile, Oman, Sri Lanka and South Africa today ... announced measures including plastic bag bans, new marine reserves and drives to increase recycling."

 

(Editing by Katharine Houreld and Andrew Heavens)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-12-07

[Scott]

I didn't realize we had hit the 200 mark on the number of countries in the world.

 

[RotMahKid]

I did not know that a nation can make a promise for a thing that local fishermen and people inside the nation do.

[champers]

So anyone can sign up. If it was limited to just those countries that had a workable action plan in place it wouldn't be anywhere near 200.

[i claudius]

There are two hopes of this happening and one is Bob

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[craigt3365]

3 hours ago, Scott said:

I didn't realize we had hit the 200 mark on the number of countries in the world.

 

The UN recognizes 193, with 2 observer states, Taiwan and Kosovo.  Making it 197.  FIFA has 211. LOL

[craigt3365]

200 nations aren't important.  The top polluters are right here in Asia.

 

https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-01-13/5-countries-dump-more-plastic-oceans-rest-world-combined

5 countries dump more plastic into the oceans than the rest of the world combined

In a recent report, Ocean Conservancy claims that China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam are spewing out as much as 60 percent of the plastic waste that enters the world’s seas.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, champers said:

So anyone can sign up. If it was limited to just those countries that had a workable action plan in place it wouldn't be anywhere near 200.

Agreed. I'm calling a BS alert on this. It's all talk and nothing or next to nothing will actually happen.

No excuse not to ban disposable plastic supermarket bags right NOW.

[zydeco]

4 hours ago, Scott said:

I didn't realize we had hit the 200 mark on the number of countries in the world.

 

195 it says here.

 

http://www.worldometers.info/geography/how-many-countries-are-there-in-the-world/

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Make it 199 or 194 as Trump will likely opt to increase the USA's plastic deposits into the ocean in order to make the oceans great again!!

[ThaiTrav]

6 hours ago, Scott said:

I didn't realize we had hit the 200 mark on the number of countries in the world.

 

Why the f2@#4k  don't they use plastic that biodegrades or have packaging in these high pollutant countries that does???????????? Its not like we don't have the technology..

[pattayadon]

I had to look it up........ Sorry Mr John Ndiso (Author)     According to Wikepedia:

 

There are 195 countries in the world today. This total comprises 193 countries that are member states of the United Nations and 2 countries that are non-member observer states: the Holy See and the State of Palestine.

 

News that aren't true????

[Coconutman]

6 hours ago, Scott said:

I didn't realize we had hit the 200 mark on the number of countries in the world.

 

It hasent the total is 195..

Maybe some countries that no longer exist signed like dead votors vote

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, ThaiTrav said:

Why the f2@#4k  don't they use plastic that biodegrades or have packaging in these high pollutant countries that does???????????? Its not like we don't have the technology..

Greed. Probably costs more for biodegradable. 

Not all biodegradable can be disposed of without treatment though.

Even cardboard cartons coated with plastic will not degrade quickly.

IMO just ban everything disposable made out of non biodegradable plastic, right now. I grew up before any of it existed.

Simplest and most workable solution would be a mandatory return deposit on ALL containers. At least 10 baht in LOS. All rubbish collected the day after the law is instituted.

[Scott]

6 hours ago, ALLSEEINGEYE said:

Make it 199 or 194 as Trump will likely opt to increase the USA's plastic deposits into the ocean in order to make the oceans great again!!

Oh, oh, it's a case of illegal countries voting on this.

 

Now, we should try to stay a little closer to the topic.  

[boomerangutang]

It's a very big topic.  Plastic pollution probably rates in the top 5 of humans' legacy, along with CO2, radioactive trash, agricultural pollution, and toxic fumes.   Maybe I missed it, but the article didn't even mention the Pacific Trash Vortex, which China contributes massively towards.  Sad to see that Thailand is in the top 5 plastic polluters.  Perhaps not surprising, when most Thais have zero consciousness about tossing trash as easily as breathing.

[Oziex1]

Trying to convince the girlfriend and family to stop burning the damn stuff no wonder they all have lung disorders.

 

Where to put it must be an answer the situation is critical!

[coulson]

13 hours ago, Scott said:

I didn't realize we had hit the 200 mark on the number of countries in the world.

 

....especially being within proximity to an Ocean

 

Good to see places like Oman  participating however, they have a huge coastline....almost pristine only because it is unpopulated.

 

If you ask me it may as well be just 2 Countries signing up, China and India. The pearl delta and the Indian Ocean are just open sewers to the rest of the water on the planet.

[craigt3365]

7 hours ago, ThaiTrav said:

Why the f2@#4k  don't they use plastic that biodegrades or have packaging in these high pollutant countries that does???????????? Its not like we don't have the technology..

Not that hard to help. Refuse plastic bags and cups and Styrofoam. I bring my own reusable bags. Either bring a stainless steel water bottle or recycle plastic water bottles. No plastic spoons. No straws. Etc. It can help a lot.

[Morch]

10 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

The UN recognizes 193, with 2 observer states, Taiwan and Kosovo.  Making it 197.  FIFA has 211. LOL

 

And then you got countries like Laos, or Nepal..."yeah, sure...we'll sign it".

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, Morch said:

 

And then you got countries like Laos, or Nepal..."yeah, sure...we'll sign it".

You forget rivers which run to the sea. The Mekong probably has a lot of Laotian plastic trash in it.

[boomerangutang]

I turn down plastic bags, daily.  (residing in northernmost Thailand).

 

We hear a lot of talk about plastic bags, and of course, they're bad, but there are other things made of plastic which are much heavier.  Two examples:  speed-bumps and shipping crates.   Those things could be made of degradable and/or recyclable materials, like ground-up old tires.

 

18 yrs ago, I planted giant bamboo. They've gone from one sprig to groves, 5 meters wide.  The sheaves (approx. 16" x 16" square) are interesting, and could be made into bio-degradable/disposable bowls and containers - to take the place of styrofoam.  Singly, they can be used in place of paper/plastic plates.  With rice glue, 3 or 4 sheets can be laminated and shaped to form useful items.  

[crazygreg44]

On 7.12.2017 at 3:01 AM, RotMahKid said:

I did not know that a nation can make a promise for a thing that local fishermen and people inside the nation do.

I thought the same when reading this report.

 

How can delegates of countries make any promises which their citizens are not ready and willing to keep?

 

fishermen and the people living along the khlongs, rivers and canals would have to be closely monitored if a country like Thailand was willing to stop all the polluting. My bet is that nothing will change. Just hot air and Safari trips for delegates

[crazygreg44]

On 7.12.2017 at 4:49 PM, Morch said:

 

And then you got countries like Laos, or Nepal..."yeah, sure...we'll sign it".

I think even Switzerland delegates took the opportunity to visit Africa, Nairobi especially and enjoyed the safari trips and a visit to the Victoria Falls. 

 

Isn't Switzerland known to border to the Atlantic Ocean as well as to parts of the Mediterranean?. . .

 

Does plastic garbage which makes it through the Schaffhausen Falls end up in the North Sea?  We need to mark the bags and see which route they take . . . .

Edited December 10, 2017 by crazygreg44