Save Menorca and the Mediterranean Sea

Well August is here and this year it is absolutely full to the brim, for those of us that live here all year round it is a bit stressfull.

At this very moment in time we are swamped with visitors to the Island, there have been 500 cars arriving on each boat from various places in Spain, our little Island cannot cope with it.  Some of the driving is really dangerous, to risk the lives of your family and themselves to save 5 minutes is baffling to me. The pollution is off the scale not to mention the amount of electricity being used along with the mountains of rubbish being dumped at our virgin beaches (which they get up at 6.00 in the morning to go and fry themselves on, enjoy the pristine cleanliness, litter it then leave).  These visitors come to our Island for the natural beauty and cleanliness, which some of them abuse and ruin the very thing they come here for.  How twisted is that?  

A lot of people seem to think that they don´t need to recycle, just put everything in the green bin, and it magically gets separated by the little elves at the rubbish plant, well I hate to burst that bubble but "IT EFFING WELL DOESN´T".  

Near where we live there are a lot of tourists ( alot of spanish who know how the system works) and very few can actually be bothered to walk for an extra 5 minutes to recycle THEIR CRAP.  It is the responsiblity of the hotels and private landlords to ask their guests politely to recycle, so that we can all make an effort to preserve the beauty of Menorca.

Save the Mediterranean
Our sea is overexploited, polluted by spills and suffocated by excessive maritime traffic and tourism. Protection for the Mediterranean Now!

The Mediterranean, the Mare Nostrum, is not only the cradle of ancient civilizations and one of the busiest places on the planet, but also one of the most important areas for marine biodiversity on our planet.

Although it represents less than 1% of the surface of the planet's oceans, this sea is home to 1 in 10 marine species, of which 28% are unique. Among others, the resident populations of 8 species of cetaceans stand out, as well as populations of loggerhead and green turtles, monk seals and more than 70 species of sharks and rays.

THE MOST POLLUTED SEA IN THE WORLD

But it is also one of the most threatened seas and one that suffers the greatest pressure from human beings. The 200 million annual tourists who visit the Mediterranean coast generate great urban pressures on the coast, contribute to the increase in pollution and the dumping of plastics into the sea and prevent sea turtles from making their nests in their usual areas

The Mediterranean is the most polluted sea in the world and is considered the sixth area with the highest accumulation of marine debris, concentrating 7% of the planet's microplastics. This is a serious problem for the entire ecosystem and for such emblematic species as turtles or cetaceans that can ingest large pieces of plastic.

VICTIMS OF GHOST NETWORKS

In addition, they are victims of the so-called ghost nets, remains of abandoned fishing nets and gear in which different species become entangled, causing death. Globally 45% of marine mammals, 21% of seabirds and all species of sea turtles have been affected by this marine debris. The intense fishing activity also has a serious impact on many species: 75% of the assessed fisheries are overexploited.

DEADLY TRAP FOR CETACEANS

The Mediterranean concentrates 25% of the world's maritime traffic, which causes serious damage to marine mammals (noise, collisions, annoyances, etc.) A level of traffic that has doubled since 2002. This increase has triggered the number of cruise passengers in the Mediterranean from 8.7 to 30 million in just one decade. Luxury tourism is also suffocating our seas: more than half of the world's superyachts ply the waters of the Mediterranean each summer with increasing infrastructure needs on the coast.

The results of all these pressures are truly dramatic. From whales that are hit by boats, turtles that ingest plastic and compete with tourists on their nesting beaches, to sharks threatened by overfishing. As a consequence, marine mammal populations have decreased by 41% in the last 50 years. More than half of the shark and ray species found in the Mediterranean are classified as endangered. There are only about 400 monk seals left in the Mediterranean.

LIKE A SOUP

The Mediterranean Sea is suffering the impact of climate change very directly and is heating up 20% faster than the world average. At least 1,000 invasive species have appeared from warmer areas to the Mediterranean displacing indigenous ones and destroying important habitats.

MEDITERRANEAN ALREADY PROTECTED

Only 1.27% of the Mediterranean is effectively protected, while international agreements establish a minimum of 10% and the world's leading scientists recommend that at least 30% of the sea should be protected through marine spaces protected areas and other conservation and management measures for the most vulnerable ecosystems.

IT'S POSSIBLE

With our work we demonstrate that the protection of the seas is a possible and NECESSARY solution. In addition to fighting against plastic pollution and promoting sustainable fishing, from WWF we are promoting the creation of a network of protected areas where species can find refuge and recover their populations, where activities such as fishing are sustainable and where marine traffic is not. cause damage to marine fauna.

The Marine Reserves of Tagomago, the Medas Islands, Tabarca, Columbretes, the Cabrera National Park, among many other cases show that it is possible.

The Mediterranean is calling us and asking for urgent help. We are suffocating it more and more. We have to act now.

The blog song for today is: "You got the love" by Candi Staton "sometimes I feel like throwing my hands up in the air"  I know that feeling!

TTFN

 

Victoria para Greenpeace: Llegó la hora de que Ence nos devuelva el paraíso. Victory for Greenpeace, The time has come for Ence to give us back paradise

23/06/1993. Pontevedra, Galicia, España. Protesta contra la papelera Ence por sus vertidos contaminantes al mar.

Version in english below the spanish text.

Entrada de blog por Manoel Santos - 23-07-2021

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Llegó la hora de que Ence nos devuelva el paraíso

El pasado 15 de julio la Audiencia Nacional dictaba sentencia a favor de Greenpeace y abría la puerta para que la planta de celulosa de Ence salga por fin de la ría de Pontevedra. Una fabulosa noticia para el medio ambiente y para todas aquellas personas que concordamos en que los intereses políticos y económicos nunca deben pasar por encima del bien común y, menos aún, sobre esos reductos de biodiversidad de los que depende el futuro del planeta. 

La sentencia, contundente y coherente, da la razón a Greenpeace –y otra similar al Concello de Pontevedra– y anula a todos los efectos la indignante prórroga de 60 años, nada más y nada menos que hasta 2073, que el gobierno ¡en funciones! de Mariano Rajoy concedió en 2016 a Ence para permanecer en la costa de Lourizán. El texto concluye que la actividad de la pastera es incompatible con su presencia en el dominio público marítimo-terrestre, pues por su naturaleza puede desarrollarse en otro lugar. De hecho, así ocurre con el resto de pasteras del Estado. 

15/04/2008. Lourizan, Pontevedra, Galicia, España. Imagen aérea del complejo químico donde se asientan Ence y Elnosa en Pontevedra. ©Greenpeace/ Pedro Armestre.

Una historia de amiguismo y puertas giratorias

Nos acercamos así un poco más, pues Ence aún puede recurrir al Tribunal Supremo, al final de un vergonzoso capítulo de nuestra historia. El que habla de cómo una negligente e interesada gestión pública despreció nuestros recursos naturales y nuestra biodiversidad, reprimió las protestas de miles de personas y acabó sepultando y contaminando una de las marismas más maravillosas de nuestro litoral hace 60 años.

Conviene recordar que la celulosa debía abandonar la ría en 2018, cuando venció la concesión otorgada por el desarrollismo franquista en 1958 a la entonces Empresa Nacional de Celulosas, fecha que sin duda tuvo mucho peso en el precio que Ence pago a la SEPI para culminar el proceso de privatización de la pastera en 2001. Sin embargo, Ence nunca estuvo dispuesta a respetar la ley y reubicar su actividad a partir de 2018. Logró operar en el lado oscuro del sistema incluso haciendo cambiar de criterio al Partido Popular de Núñez Feijoó, que en 2009 y 2012 llevaba el traslado de la celulosa en sus programas electorales. Y después trató de beneficiarse de esa desorbitada prórroga que se apoyaba en la indecente reforma de la ley de Costas a la carta impulsada en 2013 por el entonces Ministro de Medio Ambiente Arias Cañete. En Greenpeace publicamos aquel año una investigación sobre los intereses privados que había detrás de la reforma bajo el título Amnistía a la destrucción. Con Arias Cañete, quien tenía un amigo tenía un tesoro. 

Labores de marisqueo frente a la planta de Ence en una imagen de archivo.

Ence da la espalda al empleo

En todo este tiempo Ence se ha preocupado más por mantener su millonario negocio que por los empleos –menos de los que generaría una ría restaurada y bien conservada– o por el medio ambiente, por mucho que se autodenomine con el eufemismo biofábrica. De lo contrario tendría ya bajo el brazo el proyecto de una nueva fábrica en una nueva ubicación. Pero decidió apostarlo todo a una carta, emprendiendo una estrategia basada en comprar voluntades, forzar el cambio de leyes como la de Costas y la de Cambio Climático, cerrar los ojos cuando cargos electos y activistas eran acosados o jugar a las puertas giratorias con ex-cargos públicos, entre ellos una ex-ministra y un ex-conselleiro de medio ambiente.

09/02/2011. Berrocal, Huelva, Andalucia, España. Ence renueva plantaciones de eucaliptos. Trabajos de la Empresa Nacional de Celulosas (Ence) en la zona de Berrocal, provincia de Huelva. ©Greenpeace/Pedro Armestre

Ence, una de las culpables de la ‘eucaliptización’ de España

Y mientras condicionaba la nefasta política forestal gallega, excesivamente permisiva con una eucaliptización que ha puesto en franco peligro la integridad ecológica de todo el país. Y contaminaba. Porque la producción de celulosa no es inocua para el medio ambiente. Ence contamina y ha contaminado aún mucho más, en aquellos años en los que activistas de Greenpeace bloqueaban los vertidos que envenenaban Galicia.

Mariscadoras contra el franquismo

En 2016, cuando M. Rajoy decidió darle a Ence la prórroga, el cineasta gallego Lukas Santiago, con la ayuda de la casi heróica Asociación pola Defensa da Ría (APDR), retomó un proyecto al que llamó “Paraíso Roubado”. El documental, con voz en off de Manuel Rivas, es un maravilloso ejercicio de memoria histórica que relata cómo era Lourizán antes de la llegada de la celulosa. Residencia estival del ministro y presidente Eugenio Montero Ríos, fue el centro veraniego de la política española y gallega a principios del siglo XX, un paraíso donde el turismo de élite se mezclaba con jóvenes que llegaban en el desaparecido tranvía desde Marín y Pontevedra para disfrutar de su Casa de Baños y sobre todo de su inmenso arenal. En él miles de mariscadoras, esas mujeres que llevan dentro el alma de la costa gallega y que se enfrentaron a la represión franquista para defender su playa, recolectaban almejas, berberechos y otros frutos del mar en uno de los mejores bancos marisqueros que existió en la península. En palabras del director: “la instalación de la celulosa supuso una condena para la parroquia de Lourizán, que ahora (con la prórroga) pretenden convertir en cadena perpetua”. 

En Greenpeace confiamos que este gran paso se acabe confirmando en sentencia firme y en Lourizán se emprendan las medidas para “asegurar su integridad y debida conservación, adoptando, en su caso, las medidas de protección y restauración necesarias”, que es lo que dice literalmente la ley de Costas. Porque para eso se ha creado, para respetarla, para cumplirla, para proteger el medio ambiente y, en el caso que nos ocupa, para que por fin nos devuelvan el paraíso robado.

 

English Translation below:

The time has come for Ence to give us back paradise

On July 15, the National Court issued a ruling in favor of Greenpeace and opened the door for Ence's pulp mill to finally leave the Pontevedra estuary. Fabulous news for the environment and for all those of us who agree that political and economic interests should never go over the common good and, even less, over those pockets of biodiversity on which the future of the planet depends.

The sentence, forceful and coherent, agrees with Greenpeace - and another similar to the Council of Pontevedra - and annuls for all purposes the outrageous extension of 60 years, nothing more and nothing less than until 2073, that the government is in office! de Mariano Rajoy granted in 2016 to Ence to remain on the coast of Lourizán. The text concludes that the activity of the pastry plant is incompatible with its presence in the maritime-terrestrial public domain, since by its nature it can take place elsewhere. In fact, this is the case with the rest of the state's pastors.

A history of cronyism and revolving doors

We get a little closer this way, as Ence can still appeal to the Supreme Court, at the end of a shameful chapter in our history. The one who talks about how a negligent and interested public administration despised our natural resources and our biodiversity, repressed the protests of thousands of people and ended up burying and polluting one of the most wonderful marshes on our coast 60 years ago.

It should be remembered that cellulose had to leave the estuary in 2018, when the concession granted by Franco's developmentalism in 1958 to the then National Cellulose Company expired, a date that undoubtedly had a lot of weight in the price that Ence paid to SEPI to complete the process of privatisation of the pastry plant in 2001. However, Ence was never willing to respect the law and relocate its activity as of 2018. It managed to operate on the dark side of the system even by changing its criteria to the Popular Party of Núñez Feijoó, which in 2009 and 2012 it carried out the transfer of cellulose in its electoral programs. And then he tried to benefit from that exorbitant extension that was supported by the indecent reform of the law on Coasts a la carte promoted in 2013 by the then Minister of the Environment Arias Cañete. In Greenpeace we published that year an investigation into the private interests behind the reform under the title Amnesty for destruction. With Arias Cañete, whoever had a friend had a treasure.

In all this time Ence has been more concerned with maintaining its millionaire business than with jobs - less than those generated by a restored and well-preserved estuary - or with the environment, no matter how much it calls itself the biofactory euphemism. Otherwise he would already have under his arm the project of a new factory in a new location. But he decided to bet everything on one card, embarking on a strategy based on buying wills, forcing the change of laws such as Costas and Climate Change, closing his eyes when elected officials and activists were harassed, or playing revolving doors with ex- public officials, including a former minister and a former environment minister.

Ence, one of the culprits of the ‘eucalyptization’ of Spain

And while conditioning the disastrous Galician forest policy, excessively permissive with eucalyptization that has put the ecological integrity of the entire country at risk. And it polluted. Because pulp production is not environmentally friendly. Ence pollutes and has polluted even more, in those years when Greenpeace activists blocked the spills that poisoned Galicia.
Blocking the main entrances to the Ence plant


In 2016, when M. Rajoy decided to give Ence an extension, the Galician filmmaker Lukas Santiago, with the help of the almost heroic Asociación pola Defensa da Ría (APDR), took up a project that he called “Paraíso Roubado”. The documentary, with a voiceover by Manuel Rivas, is a wonderful exercise in historical memory that recounts what Lourizán was like before the arrival of cellulose. Summer residence of the minister and president Eugenio Montero Ríos, it was the summer centre of Spanish and Galician politics at the beginning of the 20th century, a paradise where tourism or the elite mixed with young people who arrived in the disappeared tram from Marín and Pontevedra to enjoy its Bath House and especially its immense sandy area. In it, thousands of shellfish women, those women who carry within the soul of the Galician coast and who faced Franco's repression to defend their beach, collected clams, cockles and other fruits of the sea in one of the best shellfish banks that existed in the peninsula. In the words of the director: "the installation of the cellulose was a sentence for the parish of Lourizán, which now (with the extension) they intend to convert into life imprisonment".

In Greenpeace we trust that this great step will end up being confirmed in a final judgment and in Lourizán measures will be taken to "ensure its integrity and due conservation, adopting, where appropriate, the necessary protection and restoration measures", which is what it literally says the Coastal law. Because that is why it has been created, to respect it, to comply with it, to protect the environment and, in the case at hand, to finally return the stolen paradise to us.

What great news and well done to Greenpeace, a lot of time and patience and persistence to achieve this outcome.  A big win for the environment. The bottom line each time is money, it is behind a lot of the bad things that are happening today, but with wins like these, it gives the rest of us a boost to carry on in what seems at times a hopeless cause.

The blog song for today is: " All right now" by Free

TTFN

the almost impossible mission to buy fruit juice in glass bottles - on Menorca

For quite some time now, as you know, I have been on a mission to reduce the amount of plastic I buy.  One of the main ones has been drinks!  Water is the main one, because the water here is not drinkable and to have one of those osmosis machines at the moment is not environmentally friendly because of the amount of water that I would waste to make 1 ltr of drinkable water.  It is a catch 22 situation, what do I do reduce the amount of plastic I buy or waste water? Until the authorities here get their act together and provide drinkable water to every household on Menorca ,we only have those two choices. Maybe the osmosis machines will improve in the future and not so much water will be wasted. There is the option of the Brida filter but, I am not so sure of how reliable it would be with the water here!

The other bugbear is fruit juice!  I have been around most of the supermarkets here and can report the following:

Diskont: I found 4 juices in glass bottles - Bio Pineapple and orange, a white grape and a purple grape.

Nou Mercat- the gourmet range -  3 - orange, peach, pineapple

Eroski Syp - only white and purple grape juice

Spar Allorens - the clear winners with their fantastic bio range - more or less 10 different types, the prices are fair too.

Here is their webpage: https://www.allorens.com/es

Lidl - sadly Zero

Dia - the same as Lidl

Mercadona - I don´t shop there at all.

 The great thing about the Spar shop is that it is a Menorcan family owned chain of stores.  They have a great range of bio products and their fruit and vegetables are very good. I really like the bakery section, especially the cakes! They also offer a loyalty card. I try to support local businesses as much as possible.

The Consell de Menorca have launched a great scheme to try to give support to local producers and businesses on the Island, Its very easy to join.  Register and download the coupons which can be spent in many businesses on the island, there is a minimum amount of 34euros you need to spend to get 10euros off, however I think it is a very good idea and I have already downloaded my coupons.

  visit the website to find out more!

https://consumenorca.cime.es/es

The blog song for today is: " Golden touch" by Razorlight

TTFN

The World is Not Enough - more about Earth Overshoot Day

Here is a report from https://www.statista.com , very informative, it looks at life from a different angle.

When it comes to living sustainably, the world is only about halfway there. Today marks Earth Overshoot Day, the date when the world's citizens have collectively used up their allotment of natural resources for the year. After a brief breather in the pandemic year, Earth Overshoot Day returns to its 2019 date - July 29 - in 2021.

If the citizens of the world lived like those of the United States, the resources of five full planets would be needed to satisfy the global need for resources every year.

This data is highlighted annually by the NGO Global Footprint Network, which also publicizes the date on which all humans on Earth have collectively used up more natural resources than mother nature can reproduce in a year. The so-called Earth Overshoot Day happened later than usual last year - on August 22, 2020 - due to the coronavirus pandemic. In 2021, it falls on July 29, the same day as in 2019. Before, it had moved forward gradually from August 18 in 2009.

Industrialized nations have the biggest share in pushing the date forward. Qatar, Luxembourg and the United Arab Emirates are actually even bigger offenders than the U.S. The lifestyle in these countries would use up between 5.5 and 9.1 Earths if the whole world lived it but because of the small size of their populations, they actually have less of an influence on global resource depletion than bigger developed countries like the U.S.

Other industrialized nations in Europe and Asia would use between four and 2.5 Earths if their lifestyle was universal. Chinese living standards meant 2.3 Earths would be used up. Indonesians, with a local Earth Overshoot Day on Dec 18, 2021, were about on track of using up exactly the resources allotted to Earth citizens.

People in several countries also used up less than their allotment of resources, for example in India, where the equivalent of 0.7 Earths were used in 2019.

Emissions, but also the use of resources like wood, fish and land for crops are among the things counted in when calculating Earth Overshoot Day.

 

 Also, try this site out!

https://www.overshootday.org/

Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. In 2021, it falls on July 29.

We know it can be overwhelming to think about the various impacts of global ecological overshoot such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and extreme weather events (to name a few). However, thriving lives within the means of our planet are not out of reach.

For 100 Days of Possibility, we’re highlighting ways for each country, city, or business to ready themselves for a world increasingly defined by overshoot. These responses also #MoveTheDate of Earth Overshoot Day. Check out the solution-of-the-day, or explore solutions from 100 Days of Possibility that have already been unveiled 

We are entering a ‘storm’ of climate change and resource constraints. The earlier we start preparing ourselves for this predictable future, the better positioned we will be.

Fighting the climate and resource crisis will be easier with international cooperation. Without it, the need for companies, cities, and countries to prepare themselves for the future becomes even more existential.

Let’s #MoveTheDate!

For 100 days, from Earth Overshoot Day 2021 to COP 26, we’re showcasing many ways we can use existing technology to displace business as usual practices we can no longer afford.

#MoveTheDate

13

Days

If we reduce our Footprint from driving by 50% around the world and assume one-third of car miles are replaced by public transportation and the rest by biking and walking, Earth Overshoot Day would move back 13 days.

Nordbahntrasse, Northern Railway Line

Case Study

What is the solution? 

23 km of a railroad line, which was closed to rail transit in 1999, were converted into a walking, cycling and inline path. 7 tunnels, 23 bridges and viaducts, as well as more than 200 supporting structures were rehabilitated with €23.75 million in funding from the EU, federal and state governments.  

How does it #MoveTheDate? 

The proportion of cyclists in Wuppertal has risen from 2 to 8 percent of commuters in the last 10 years. This is largely due to the expansion of the Nordbahn route, which runs right through the city.

How is it scalable?“Since the route has been in place, children in Wuppertal have been learning to ride bicycles,” is the local moto. A connecting path in the direction of Langerfeld was developed and opened at the end of 2020. This extension has connected additional neighborhoods with about 50,000 citizens to the Nordbahntrasse and other leisure routes.

 

What a very good site, it is full of ideas which are in place all over the world!  

The blog song for today is: "I´m a believer" by the Monkees

TTFNN

We’ve Been Sold Disposability; We Can Demand a Material Change

Here is a great report from a lady called Dune Ives

Executive Director, Lonely Whale

 

Our “throw-away” culture first developed during the 1918 pandemic, when disposable items were sold as the safe option to protect against disease. Today, in the face of another global pandemic and rampant plastic pollution, the plastics industry is taking advantage of the crisis, putting profits over people and the planet.

 

One of the reasons the 1918 pandemic spread so rapidly, killing 50 million people worldwide, was due to a common practice of the times: drinking free water from a communal cup known as a “tin dipper.”

Ten years before the outbreak, Boston attorney Lawrence Luellen had created a different type of cup—the “Health Kup”—made from paper. For just a penny per cup, people could get their own individual cup and then throw it away, preventing the spread of disease. Market adoption had been slow over its first 10 years of production, but the pandemic created the perfect conditions for the Health Kup to take off. It was quickly renamed the “Dixie Cup” and is still hailed as a “life-saving technology” today, commonly used in school classrooms and doctors’ offices.

Market copycats soon followed the Dixie Cup, as did other disposable items including Kleenex tissues and paper towels. Importantly, our “throw-away” culture was born. 

With the world’s first plastic, celluloid, having been invented by John Wesley Hyatt in 1869 and repeatedly refined since then, disposable plastics quickly became a key part of this throw-away culture. Items such as plastic straws, cups, and lids were introduced to a growing consumer base whose new normal was becoming one of single-use and throw-away both to keep their families safe from disease and to support a new promise of convenience.

 

An intentional, profitable plastic path

Since its initial introduction, the production of plastics has grown exponentially. Today more than 350 million metric tons of new plastic are produced every single year. And stakeholders in the plastic industry have steep growth plans—from the oil, gas, and petrochemical companies that fuel the manufacturing of plastic, to the consumer packaged-goods companies that use plastic for packaging their products. A new study by the Pew Charitable Trusts predicts that, with those growth plans, production will increase to 400 million metric tons of new plastic by the year 2040. 

Plastic is derived from by-products of oil and natural gas.

These by-products are used by the petrochemical industry to create highly profitable plastic polymer-based items that we now rely on to make our lives more convenient, to ensure products have greater “shelf lives” in supermarkets, and to keep healthcare workers safe from the spread of disease in clinics, to name only a few applications. 

But despite its many uses, there is significant evidence that the growth of the plastics industry is not driven by end-customer demand, but rather by the oil and gas industry’s need to offload supply. As renewable energy options become increasingly competitive with fossil fuels, oil and gas companies are saddled with a surplus of ethylene that they need to convert to a sellable product. Ethylene is the foundational petrochemical for plastic bags and bottles.

Make no mistake, this industry is entirely focused on profitability. 

Earlier this year, Mother Jones reported that ExxonMobil executives had assured shareholders that the company could offset falling fuel demands from electric cars with growth in petrochemicals. And in 2018, the International Energy Agency found that petrochemicals were slated to be the largest driver of global oil consumption, ahead of cars, planes, and trucks. It is clear, the oil and gas industries are increasingly relying on plastics to make their profits.

Never let a good crisis go to waste

Today it is estimated that between 8 and 12 million tons of new plastic enter the ocean every single year. The Pew Charitable Trusts estimates this figure will increase to 29 million metric tons per year by the year 2040 if we continue to operate under a business-as-usual scenario—meaning all current policies to prevent plastic pollution are enforced, but we do not expand these policies or take additional preventative action. 

And this was before the pandemic. We now know that, in 2020 alone, plastic polymers will be used to produce 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves every month to keep frontline health care workers safe. None of these items are recyclable.

Yet beyond these essential items, the modern plastics industry has been taking advantage of the pandemic to further increase its profits, strategically planting unfounded fears and exploiting concerns over surface transmission to encourage greater consumption of all single-use plastic items. We’ve seen pressure by the industry to delay, hinder, or even roll back single-use plastic bans in favor of disposables, especially as restaurants prepare to re-open for business and offer meals to go.

Therefore, it is paramount that we reject the business-as-usual scenario and expand policies that can push back against industry efforts.

Sabotaging its own recycling fairytale

In the 1980s and 1990s the plastics industry was well aware of the mounting waste problem caused by its products. In response to public outcry, the industry spent millions of dollars launching campaigns through the Ad Council and organizations such as “Keep America Beautiful” that told Americans—once we can put our trash in the recycling bin, the waste problem will disappear.

 

Yet after four decades of campaigning, our global recycling rates have hovered around just 14 percent (13 percent in the US).

 

This low rate is due in large part to industry itself. During the same time period that they were pushing recycling campaigns, industry continued to produce increasingly more complex and harder-to-sort plastics that most collection centers cannot accept, simply because there are no buyers for the recycled materials. Simultaneously, the plastics industry began a multi-decade lobbying effort to prevent bans on single-use plastics such as bags and bottles, which it knew were poised for significant growth and profit.

 

 

And didn´t we all fall for it, hook, line and sinker.  I have been faithfully recycling for over 30 years and when I found out that the companies responsible for the next stage were not doing their part, to say I was a bit angry was an understatement.

 

I totally agree with everything that this lady has written about.  The piece was written so well and explained everything  I have been trying to say in one go about this terrible situation that we find ourselves in. 

I have been reading about how the production of plastic will be reduced but we should use what has already been made, however if we buy more then they will make more, it is a catch 22 situation, but if the supermarkets (this is just one area that we can make a difference) are left with large quantities of plastic containers etc, and we buy more products in glass or tins for example,then maybe they will see the benefit of stocking more environmentally friendly packaged items,which should bring the prices down and enable more people to buy them. We have to think like they do, it´s all about money.

Bit by bit we can make a change!

The blog song for today is: " Our house" by Madness

TTFN

Marine litter: the issue

Here is an interesting article I found, I hope you find it informative too!

Litter is found in all the world's oceans and seas, even in remote areas far from human contact and obvious sources of the problem. The continuous growth in the amount of solid waste thrown away, and the very slow rate of degradation of most items, are together leading to a gradual increase in marine litter found at sea, on the seafloor and coastal shores. It is an economic, environmental, human health and aesthetic problem posing a complex and multi-dimensional challenge.

Marine litter results from human behaviour, whether accidental or intentional. The greatest sources of it are land-based activities, including: waste released from dumpsites near the coast or river banks, the littering of beaches, tourism and recreational use of the coasts, fishing industry activities and ship-breaking yards. Storm-related events, like floods, flush the resulting waste out to sea where it sinks to the bottom or is carried on coastal eddies and ocean currents. The major sea-based sources include: abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear shipping activities and legal and illegal dumping.

All this can cause serious economic losses. Coastal communities are facing increased expenditure on beach cleaning, public health and waste disposal. The tourism sector has to deal with loss of income and bad publicity. The shipping industry is impacted by higher costs associated with fouled propellers, damaged engines, removing litter and managing waste in harbours. The fishing industry faces reduced and lost catch, damaged nets and other fishing gear, fouled propellers and contamination, which also affects fish farming and coastal aquaculture.

Marine litter can also lead to loss of biodiversity and of ecosystem functions and services. For instance, discarded, lost, or abandoned fishing gear are continuing to fish and trap animals, entangling and potentially killing marine life, smothering habitat and acting as a hazard to navigation.

Microplastics are also raising concerns. Toxins including DDT, BPA and pesticides adhere to these tiny particles of plastics that can be accidently ingested by small aquatic life. Once ingested, the toxins biomagnify as they move up the food chain, accumulating in birds, sea life and possibly humans.

Causes of marine litter are both cultural and multi-sectoral, resulting from poor practices in managing solid wastes, a lack of infrastructure, insufficient understanding among the public of the potential consequences of its actions, inadequate legal and enforcement systems and a shortage of financial resources.

As you have probably read on one of my earlier blog (s) this is a terrible crisis that the planet is facing at this very moment, it does seem that it is out of our control, but it is not!  Don´t give up.

The blog song for today is : " Do you remember" by Pulp

TTFN

 

 

Global Earth Challenge Most of the air pollution we breathe indoors comes from outside

 

We usually think of air pollution as an outdoors issue — something we should worry about while outside. But that’s a common misconception; the vast majority of our exposure to the most harmful outdoor air pollutants actually occurs indoors. This has important implications for how we think about — and act on — both indoor and outdoor air pollution.

What is fine particulate matter and how does it affect our health?

Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, is a collection of tiny particles that are 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter. These particles are so small that once inhaled, they can penetrate our lungs and even get into our bloodstream.

Chronic PM2.5 exposure is associated with a number of symptoms and health issues. Short-term effects include irritation of the eyes, nose, throat or lungs; sneezing; coughing; shortness of breath; and worsening of asthma.

Long-term exposure can lead to stroke; ischemic heart disease; chronic respiratory diseases and infections; neonatal disorders; vision loss; and tracheal, bronchus and lung cancer. And unfortunately, even low levels of PM2.5 (at concentrations below current national standards) have been linked to greater mortality.

Exposure to PM2.5 indoors

Infographic of sources of PM2.5

Outdoor air is not limited to just the outdoors. It gets inside through windows, doors and HVAC systems, bringing pollutants along with it. Most of our exposure to ambient (outdoor) PM2.5 actually occurs indoors — and over two thirds (67%) occur in our homes.

This has devastating health consequences: we now know that indoor exposure to outdoor PM2.5 is responsible for about half of all deaths associated with PM2.5 pollution.

Sources of outdoor PM2.5 include vehicle exhaust, burning of fossil fuels and firewood and non-human activities such as wildfires and dust storms. Roadway traffic is a significant source of ambient air pollution. 15% of schools in the U.S. (6.4 million children) are located less than 250 meters (820 feet) away from a major roadway.

Fortunately, traffic-related air pollutants decrease with increasing distance to major roadways, with many pollutants indistinguishable from background levels at a distance of 250 meters or more. However, schools located closer than that may expose students to higher levels of traffic-related air pollution, which has been associated with increased asthma diagnosis and decreased working memory scores.

Some particulate matter can also be generated indoors, from smoking, cooking, cleaning, burning candles and using personal care products. However, indoor-generated PM2.5 accounts for a smaller proportion of our overall exposure to PM2.5 (in developed countries).

How can we reduce our exposure to air pollution while indoors?

While the effects of PM2.5 pollution may seem daunting, there are steps that we all can take to breathe cleaner — and easier.

• Increase outdoor air ventilation rate. Whether through mechanical ventilation systems or opening windows when outdoor conditions are good, ventilation is an effective way to improve indoor air quality.
• Use an air quality monitor to track air pollution levels. Many consumer-grade monitors are available online.
• Get an air purifier. Use of portable air purifiers in homes, offices and schools has been found to reduce PM2.5 by up to 92%. During wildfires, the use of air purifiers can help reduce PM2.5 exposure by 55–92%. Delos offers an array of advanced air purification solutions. The Delos Compact, which uses patented disinfecting filtration system (DFS) technology, is able to remove 99.99% of particles 0.3 microns in size, which is more efficient than the HEPA standard testing efficiency requirement.
• Stay informed about outdoor levels of air pollution in your area, or buy your own outdoor air quality monitor. If the outdoor air quality is poor, keep your windows closed.
  
• Consider switching to a hybrid or an electric car to help reduce the amount of particulate matter your vehicle emits into the air.

So as you can imagine, this is a big problem in the cities all over the world.  We are fortunate here in Menorca in the fact that it is such a small island and we can walk and use bikes a lot.  We are over-run in the summer with hire cars, but the goverment here are taking steps to reduce the amount of hire cars on the island.  In 2019 it really was quite ridiculous the amount of cars here.  There was nowhere to park for the residents and workers because all of the tourists wanted to park near to where they were staying and there was nowhere left for the people who live and work here.  

The blog song for today is:"Cars" by Gary Numan

 

TTFN

End Plastic Pollution Plastic-free living for the whole family

Here is a little bit of information from Earthday.org!  I have found it very informative and helpful. The person who wrote the article is based in the United States, but the contents can be applied to anywhere in the world.  I have taken bits out of it and applied it to here in Menorca.

"Making the change to plastic-free living can be difficult as an individual, and can be even more difficult when living at home with others. Routines and habits are often passed down from older family members to younger ones, which can perpetuate certain lifestyle habits that are plastic heavy or unsustainable.

Engaging family members or roommates is an important step toward building plastic-free habits.

While changing your shower and sink routines is a highly personal action that is dependent on each individual person, household-wide changes including food shopping, household cleaning and food storage can encourage a group to participate together.

The key to saving our oceans and local marine ecosystems is to reconfigure our personal waste habits and limit our plastic use.

Need an extra push to get started going plastic free? I’ll show you just how I did it by starting small and thinking big.

After transitioning to a plastic-free shower, I moved onto making my sink-based routines plastic free. Looking at the overwhelming amount of plastic on my sink worktop, I realised that I needed to do something about it. Many of the products that we use for hygiene purposes — toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, hand sanitiser — are packaged in single-use plastic containers.

Oftentimes, people don’t recycle or don’t do so correctly because it’s confusing to understand what can or can’t be recycled and how. For example, some containers for deodorants must be disassembled and toothpaste tubes mailed back to manufacturers in order to be properly recycled instead of trashed. An easier solution is purchasing products that are entirely recyclable, compostable and plastic free.

I purchased glass bottles that can be reused for hand soap by using water-activated tablets, natural (paraben, sulfate and aluminum free) deodorant sold in recyclable push tubes and hand sanitiser sold in aluminum cans with reusable pumps. I even discovered a plastic-free toothpaste alternative by using toothpaste tablets that I bite down on and active with water along with my compostable toothbrush. 

Overall, I’m now spending about $276 per year on my sink products versus the $288 per year I spent when they were plastics based. The prices are quite comparable, meaning you don’t have to spend more money to have a plastic-free sink. All it takes to get started is some research and a little bit of trial and error to make an impact.

Up-and-coming companies understand that the plastic-free movement isn’t going away anytime soon, and that to stay in the game they have to adapt their products for climate literate and eco-conscious citizens. You can make a pledge the to switch out one product at a time to a plastic-free substitute. Over time, the benefits will add up and we can begin reducing the amount of plastics we encounter on a daily basis.

Modifying food purchasing habits can go a long way in reducing plastic. Most products we come across in the grocery store rely on plastic in some way — whether that be for transport or packaging. By bringing our own grocery and produce bags, my family has reduced the amount of plastic we use each week.

While we had made plastic-free switches for shopping, we noticed how much food we were still wasting at home. So, we began composting to grow closer to becoming entirely waste free. Composting can reduce the amount of food waste that your household contributes to landfills on a daily basis and create nutrient-dense compost that can be used for gardening. 

Other plastic-free group activities include cleaning and storage of shared groceries. A number of companies have created plastic-free alternatives to cleaning products, including window cleaner, dishwasher tablets and washing machine tablets. All of these products have reduced my family’s plastic footprint.

Another household change that we decided to make was using plastic-free produce containers for leftover food. By using a mixture of glass containers and reusable produce bags, we have reduced the need for single-use plastic ziploc bags and takeout containers.

It’s important to remember that while living sustainably and plastic free is beneficial to the planet, previously purchased products should still be used instead of thrown away. As we had found new products, we decided to donate the previous products to a women’s shelter. Sustainability isn’t yet accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities and individuals living in poverty, so we made sure that our products would still be put to use by those in need.

For more tips and tricks on how to reduce your overall plastic consumption sign up for EARTHDAY.ORG’s End Plastic Pollution campaign. Become a member to support our work against plastic and to join a growing community of environmental advocates working to protect the planet we all rely on"

 Some of the actions are so easy to do and are so small that we should be able to do at least one of them, which is a start!

The blog song for today is: "Time" by Pink Floyd

TTFN

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