For those who haven't seen it, this GWPF video is entertaining. The video text on YouTube has the key points.
An explosive report from the Global Warming Policy Foundation reveals that efforts to recycle plastic are a major cause of the marine litter problem. The report, written by public health expert Dr Mikko Paunio, sets out the case for incinerating waste rather than trying to recycle it.
* Most of the plastic waste comes from just a few countries, mostly in Asia and Africa.
* 25% is "leakage" from Asian waste management processes -- the rest is waste that has never been collected, but is simply thrown into rivers.
* But European countries ship inject huge quantities of waste into Asian waste management streams, ostensibly for recycling. As much as 20% -- millions of tons every year -- ends up in the oceans and will continue to do so.
* Since the Chinese banned waste imports at the start of the year, shipments have been diverted to other Asian countries with even weaker environmental controls.
* EU recycling is therefore a major contributor to marine waste and increasing recycling will therefore simply increase marine litter.
4 comments:
Asian and African countries can't possibly be the source of plastic pollution. Their populations are insufficiently white to harm anything. It's obvious that they either live in harmony with their surroundings, or else they are merely exploited by the West. Them's the rules.
Oh, and another thing. What should I be doing with all those yogurt pots etc? Ever since I read on here about the amount of energy required to wash them ready for collection, I have, may Monbiot forgive me, harboured some doubts. Now I'm tormented by visions of just putting them straight in what we call the "rubbish rubbish". I can't turn them all into seedling pots; the children eat too many yogurts.
Could I just set fire to them in the back garden?
No, you can't set fire to your children in the back garden: think of the air pollution!
Sam - you could follow the Asian and African approach and simply chuck your yogurt pots into the nearest river although I suppose that could be construed as cultural appropriation.
Alternatively you could encourage the children to make decorations from the yogurt pots. They could paint them, make long strings of them suitable for Christmas decorations and present them to neighbours as gifts. Or maybe it would be a good idea to leave them on the doorstep as a nice surprise.
DCB - and nobody likes to see children smoking.
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