ENVIRONS
Ocean Treaty
The High Seas Treaty aims to help place 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030, to safeguard and recuperate marine nature. These areas will put limits on how much fishing can take place, the routes of shipping lanes and exploration activities like deep sea mining - when minerals are taken from a sea bed 200m or more below the surface.
Source: Stallard, Esme. "Ocean treaty: Historic agreement reached after decade of talks," BBC News, 4 March, 2023. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64815782
Vape Poses Environmental Threat
More than 90 tonnes of lithium were used in the production of the $5bn worth of single-use vapes sold globally last year, according to Financial Times estimates based on data from the research group Euromonitor, the consultancy ECigIntelligence and the electricals recycling non-profit Material Focus. That is enough lithium to supply more than 11,000 electric vehicle batteries. They also contained roughly 1,160 tonnes of copper, enough for 1.6mn home electric vehicle chargers.
Yet, seldom are such devices recycled anywhere in the world. In the UK alone, 138mn disposable vapes were sold last year, according to FT calculations based on NielsenIQ data. The vast majority are unlikely to have been recycled.
Source: Oliver Barnes and Alexandra Hea, "The environmental cost of single-use vapes
Critical raw metals inside the disposable e-cigarettes enticing Gen Z are more likely to be dumped than recycled. The products are a big money-spinner, but companies in the field are rarely acting responsibly," Financial Times, 6 March 2023. Retrieved from: https://www.ft.com/content/6d5ed980-8b91-4372-9e7e-14eda5419325
UN warns of 'imminent' global water crisis
The UN World Water Development Report 2023 found the global consumption of water has increased by about 1% every year over the past four decades "and is expected to grow at a similar rate through to 2050, driven by a combination of population growth, socio-economic development and changing consumption patterns." The report says that because of climate change "seasonal water scarcity will increase in regions where it is currently abundant — such as Central Africa, East Asia and parts of South America — and worsen in regions where water is already in short supply, such as the Middle East and the Sahara in Africa."
Source: "UN warns of 'imminent' global water crisis." Retreived from: https://www.dw.com/en/un-warns-of-imminent-global-water-crisis/a-65074261
New climate paper calls for charging big US oil firms with homicide
Authors of paper accepted for publication in Harvard Environmental Law Review argue there's a way to hold big oil accountable for climate damage: trying companies for homicide. The paper is rooted in part in the growing body of evidence fossil fuel companies knew of the harm their products caused and misled the public about them.
Source: Kahn, Brian. "New climate paper calls for charging big US oil firms with homicide," The Guardian, 22 March 2023. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/22/big-oil-companies-homicide-harvard-environmental-law-review
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