Can we solve the climate crisis without confronting global inequities?
A recent study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA found that white residents in the USA produce more climate pollution than black or hispanic residents, but black and hispanic people are exposed to more air pollution.
And that is just the USA! Think about the global inequities in the "haves" and the "have nots".
And how are we going to lift people out of poverty without making the climate crisis even worse?
If you are a resident in a wealthy country, is it your responsibility to address both problems at once? And what would that look like in terms of national and international policy?
Environmental Justice >
Plastic
Plastic is ruining our environment and especially our oceans. Plastics are made from natural materials such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt and crude oil which makes it so difficult to be broken down. Plastics that our thrown into our oceans are threatening wildlife and spreading deadly toxins. Lots of fish and other mammals eat the plastic that is thrown away, so the plastic is also poisoning our food chain and human health because when we eat fish, we eat the toxins that are inside of them. Over 100,000 marine mammals are killed every year from plastic pollution. It is also scientifically proven that over one million sea birds have died from eating plastic and having it in their system for too long. Not only is plastic killing our wildlife, it is also polluting our air and vegetation. When plastics are burned down, they release toxic gases that our not healthy for humans to breathe. Also, when plastic is dumped in landfills, it interacts with water and creates hazardous chemicals. When these chemicals seep underground, they degrade the water quality. If we reduce the amount of plastic used, humans and all living things will improve much better. It's obvious that plastic is destroying our world, so we must reduce the amount of plastic to save our earth. We have to take action now, or soon it may be too late.
I too agree that with the overuse of plastic, we are slowly deteriorating the Earth. That is why it's best to try and find an alternative as soon as possible. According to learn.eartheasy.com, some of the best alternatives for plastic that are eco-friendly include stainless steel, glass, platinum silicone, wood, bamboo, and many other materials. If we truly think about all these different types of materials that could potentially replace plastic it could change the world. Now I do understand that these materials are not as convenient as plastic, but we don’t have to switch them. One option could be to use these other alternatives more and plastic less. Another option could be to replace certain categories of packaging with the most convenient materials. For example, instead of cups and tupperware, you could use stainless steel kitchenware to have multiple use items. A bonus is that since these alternatives are eco-friendly, less and less aquatic and land animals will die from eating plastic. All in all, there are definitely other substitutes for plastic, it is just the world hasn’t made their move.