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To honor 52 years of motion impressed by Earth Day, Earth911 is presenting 52 Actions for the Earth. Each week by means of Earth Day 2023, we are going to share an motion you’ll be able to take to invest in the Earth and make your individual life extra sustainable. Taking motion for the setting isn’t nearly your decisions as a person, although. When an environmental downside is systemic, it additionally means pushing for presidency motion.
This week, you’ll be able to spend money on the Earth by encouraging an official to take motion on plastic air pollution.
Action: Ask an Official To Help End Plastic Pollution
Plastic Pollution
Plastic is a multi-faceted downside. The fossil fuel-based materials generates greenhouse gasoline emissions all through its lifecycle; is never recycled (and infrequently unrecyclable); contributes to giant gyres of ocean air pollution; and even accumulates within the human physique as microplastics. We ought to all be working in direction of a post-plastic world, however particular person motion isn’t sufficient to get there. Governments have a job to play, too, by passing laws that can regulate plastic manufacturing and waste and incentivize sustainable options.
Global Plastic Pollution Treaty
Last yr, Peru and Rwanda launched a draft resolution to the United Nations Environment Assembly to create a world authorized framework regulating the usage of plastic. In August, Norway and Rwanda launched the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution. The coalition of 20 international locations joined collectively to forge a world plastics treaty that can finish plastic air pollution by 2040. The United States is just not a part of this coalition.
The coalition has three strategic targets for the treaty: restrain plastic consumption; allow a round financial system for plastics; and obtain environmentally sound plastic administration and recycling. They have established seven deliverables for attaining the targets:
- Eliminate problematic plastics, together with by bans and restrictions.
- Develop international sustainability standards and requirements for plastics.
- Set international baselines and targets for sustainability all through the lifecycle of plastics.
- Ensure transparency within the worth chain of plastics, together with for materials and chemical composition.
- Establish mechanisms for strengthening commitments, targets, and controls over time.
- Implement monitoring and reporting at every stage of the lifecycle of plastics.
- Facilitate efficient technical and monetary help, scientific and socio-economic assessments.
To Whom it May Concern
You can at all times write to your Congressional representatives, however the president is the elected official who appoints diplomats to serve the United States Mission to the United Nations. It’s unlikely the president will personally see your letter, however the White House does observe all correspondence. Follow their guidelines for calling the White House or writing to the president.
What To Write
Writing a letter to an official may be easy, however when you don’t have time this week, you’ll be able to signal the petition on EarthDay.org’s plastic air pollution campaign page. You may use their petition for inspiration – your letter doesn’t need to be unique, simply correct. In your letter, you’ll be able to share details about the issues brought on by plastic air pollution, and the significance of taking the steps outlined by the High Ambition Coalition. Or you’ll be able to preserve it easy and skip straight to asking the official to help the coalition and take part within the growth of a world plastics treaty.
