Pollution and global warming are two terms that we tend to hear more. We are asked to sort out our garbage, encouraged to eat organic food and Facebook users share viral videos of oceans spoiled with plastic. We have carefully studied the scourges of our modern world, so it all becomes crystal clear.
Breathing kills
According to the Health Effect Institute based in Boston, 95% of the world’s air would retain more fine particles than the ratio recommended by the World Health Organization. The most unbreathable regions are logically located around the equator, where the heat imprisons the gas and fumes. Several studies quoted in the organization’s article reveal that poor air quality accounts for up to 7 millions of deaths each year, globally. The number of deaths due to air pollution is constantly growing despite the fact that some major cities like London or Paris have decided to tackle the problem. For 10 years now, the representatives of the two capitals have carried out a series of measures to encourage greener modes of transportation, ban diesel cars and lower the cities’ energy consumption. While Europe is not among the most polluted regions and though the air situation should get better, in 2016 the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance recorded that 48,000 people in France had died due to fine particles and lists air pollution as the 3rd most deadly risk behind tobacco and alcohol. On the other side of the Channel, air quality accounts for about 3600 lungs cancers per year, the Cancer Research UK reports.
If things seem moving forward, why do citizens around the world protest and show signs of irritation towards their government? Have they gone mad due to a prolonged exposure to fine particles? Or have they just realized that, unlike the French government stated about Chernobyl 25 years ago, a toxic cloud is not to respect each country’s border?
Social and political tensions may arise from the fact that according to the WHO, 9 people out of 10 would breath low air quality. While the successive COPs and their attendees fail to tackle any of these fast progressing global issues, it is likely that public protests will sprout to condemn these deterred governments. The recent events in France and the latest political hindrances regarding May and Merkel might just reflect this overall gloominess. In democratic countries, could people force governments to finally take a stand against lobbies and multinationals and guarantee a green and prosperous future, not only for the elites, but also for the citizens of the world?
Our taxes vanishes into thick air
As it is, our health is not the only valuable suffering from pollution. Our purchasing power might also be affected. In 2015, the Senate’s inquiry committee concluded that pollution cost 100 billion euros to France. This figure is two times bigger than the money loss related to tobacco (47 billions). The death of premature babies, hospitalization for various respiratory problems, low farming yield, and facades’ erosion are all too many reasons for the French Senate to sound the alarm and urge the government to take action. This goes without saying that on top of the current expenses that pollution represents, the country could be held in debt to the European Commission for disregarding the environmental requirements. To avoid such money waste, new laws have been implemented that should show significant results in France before 2020. In 2018, these measures enabled France to rank second out of 180 countries on the environmental listing put together by the University of Yale (Read more on the 3rd Did you know)
If the French people ought to be sickened by this sinister bill, global air pollution amounts for 3,2 trillion dollars in social welfare, reported the OECD in 2015. They also warned that the cost is likely to reach 25 trillions USD by 2060.
Several studies stress the dramatic consequences of fine particles over health and expenditures in all countries. However, some regions such as India, China, Middle East and southern Asia are likely to take the biggest hit, with the economic and geopolitical outcomes that this situation might trigger.
If air pollution does not send you to cloud 9, let’s get back to earth
When carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and other impurities hinder your mood and get you down, you may then notice the second biggest issue that tightens the noose on humankind: waste. In 2015 in France, the Ministry for Environment and the ADEME (Agency for the Environment and Energy Management) calculated that France produces 324,5 million tons of waste per year, or 5 tons per year per inhabitant. This sum includes industrial and construction waste, without which the total would « only » reach 26 million tons per year. This appalling figure ranks France as the 7th biggest producer of domestic garbage per capita behind Denmark, USA, Switzerland, Australia, Germany and Ireland (OECD, 2013).
According to the report and like the previous years, Germany, France and the United Kingdom are responsible for 40% of the European Union waste, though composed of 28 countries. The European countries generating the most garbage per capita are Holland (7,9 tons per capita), Austria (6,5 t/c) and Belgium (5,9 t/c). However, these numbers are to be put in perspective when we consider how much of this waste is being recycled. Zero waste, biodegradable packaging will still be better than recycled waste, but we have already produced millions of tons of garbage that we could reuse and we need the investment and technology. In that respect, Belgium ranks first with the country recycling 74% of its domestic waste in 2014 when its French neighbor recycles only 64% of it. In France, landfilling activities are decreasing but still present 29% of the total waste. Energy production from incineration remains quite low (4,4% of the whole volume incinerated).
Governments better take things in hand: by 2100, it is no less than 11 million tons of waste that we will have to manage daily, according to the World Bank. This number triples what we have to handle today.
The World Bank report states that between 2010 and 2025, global waste is likely to increase up to 70% if companies and consumers don’t change their habits. This unprecedented threat comes mainly from the fast growing demographics in countries like China or India. Whilst living in a dirty environment might darken our mood, our stamina and our productivity, the countries the most likely to boost their economic growth are also the ones putting an extra effort into green energies and the principles of circular economy (see our article Circular Economy turns metal into gold).
God help us all, all at sea
Sea pollution is undoubtedly the most covered topic when it comes to the consequences of overconsumption and global pollution. Due to the many streams drifting across our oceans, it is impossible to confine our waste to one geographic zone only. The oceanic eddies create garbage islands dispatched around the world; the most famous one floating in the Pacific North and which size exceeds twice the one of Texas, US.
The seas outreach makes any initiative towards chemicals and plastic handling particularly difficult. A UNESCO overview observes that coastal populations are responsible for 80% of the world’s sea pollution. UNESCO highlights the fact that if sea transportation surely is not green, it is not the most accountable for all the plastic parts and chemicals floating around the globe. The report also sates that « Excessive nutrients from sewage outfalls and agricultural runoff have contributed to the number of low oxygen (hypoxic) areas known as dead zones, where most marine life cannot survive, resulting in the collapse of some ecosystems. There are now close to 500 dead zones covering more than 245,000 km² globally, equivalent to the surface of the United Kingdom. »
If you already have watched videos of divers swimming in a deep blue sea sprinkled with plastics of all kinds, you must now understand that this is the reality under water. Still according to UNESCO, « The United Nations Environment Programme estimated in 2006 that every square mile of ocean contains 46,000 pieces of floating plastic. » UNEP (UN Environment) noticed that in 2010 there were 3,2 millions tons of plastic waste carried away with the streams. The fast economic development of the emerging countries has pushed UNEP to reconsider these estimates: in 7 years from now, 100 up to 200 million tons of mismanaged plastic will be lost at sea. In the article « In 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans » published by Science et Avenir, the French scientific magazine relates the studies carried out by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Based on several investigations, the article condenses the most worrisome figures. Out of the 78 million tons of plastic bags produced each year, just 14% would be recycled. It is particularly low when compared to other sectors like steel, aluminum or glass, which recycle 70% to 90% of their materials. When it comes to plastic, 14% is recycled, 14% is incinerated, 40% is buried and 32% is thrown away in nature.
The problems with plastics have been identified for more than 20 years. First, a good number of plastics items are toxic due to the presence of Brome (flame retardants plastics; present in all home appliances, white and electric goods, etc.). Secondly, separating “classic” plastic scraps from the brominated ones appear to a bit challenging, even for the most advanced recycling plants. So if you buy a baby toy made out of recycled plastics, be aware of the risks on your child. Last but not least, plastics can be recycled one, maybe two times at best but they end up loosing their flexibility among other properties. Recycled plastic bottles will ever be composed of 50% of scrap plastic at best, the rest having to be manufactured from scratch. Thankfully, in May 2018, researchers at the University of Colorado have discovered a new chemical recipe for a type of plastic that would be recyclable infinitely. The biggest problem is now to convince the consumer goods sector to quickly adopt this new material, and even better: reinstate deposit systems.
However, industries will have to understand that left without money, their consumers will stop buying. As it is, the consequences of such pollution do not only spoil our mood and landscapes, they also cost A LOT. In between the deterioration of vessels, the beach cleaning, lower tourism activities and decaying fishing businesses, UNEP gauged that sea pollution has cost about 8 billions USD this year only. But again, launched at such speed, what will this figure be in 10 years?
Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed
Lavoisier would be stunned to realize that 2 centuries later, his discovery would also mean that omnipresent pollution is found in our food. When burying or burning our waste, it gets back to us one way or another. A report published by the French Senate condemns the « presence of heavy metals in the domestic waste we produce; paper, plastics, fisheries and most importantly in the « finest parts » (less than an inch), that can later be ingested by animals. So much for the country of fine cuisine!
Several studies published in the US National Library of Medicine show a growing presence of heavy metals in our diet since 1950. Their presence has serious consequences on our health and can result in severe pathologies such as neurodegenerative diseases, cancers and fetal deformities. Heavy metals can also impact our day-to-day lives with headaches, fatigue, joint pains and stomach pains.
Lately, Austrian researchers have detected plastic in the feces of European and Asian volunteers. Out of the 8 people tested, 8 responded positively to the presence of polypropylene and polyethylene, two major elements in plastic packaging.
Hence, who could blame the people to march and question the world leaders seemingly widening the gap between classes and appearing so shy when acting to ensure the greater good?
Before the world order evolves, it is however crucial for each citizen to contribute to the global effort. For instance, the key to eat healthier food starts with our garbage cans. For lack of public communication, separating often results in poor recycling. Unfortunately, when we fail to sort out our waste and a tiny piece of soiled pizza box or wrapping plastic finds itself in the recycling bin, it is the whole lot that ends up incinerated or buried. You end up serving your neighbors’ efforts on your children’s plate. Each country or state deals with their specific recycling companies; hence the recommendations may vary from a region to another. However, we invite you to make sure you organize your domestic waste nicely. And to look for the many other green options blooming in the consumer goods department.
For a few years now, the circular economy and the idea to reuse have emerged to help with this endemic waste negligence. Thirst for global influence and energy independence have led the different nations to invest in renewable energies and sustainable solutions to handle their excess. Today more than ever, these initiatives towards the environment must be implemented at a faster pace if a nation wants to prevent growing protests over the feeling that globally, our quality of life is quickly declining to profit just a handful of businessmen.
Did you know ? It is financially more interesting for companies to purchase recycled materials than raw materials. According to Chinese and Australian research, recycling materials would cost about 13 times less than the original process of extraction and transformation. The gold recovered from electronic parts cost an average price of 1.286 €/KG for recycled in 2015 against 30.708 €/kg for extracted. In that specific case, it is 24 times cheaper for the company to purchase the recycled precious metal without taking into consideration the benefits over the planet. Recycling represents a true sustainable business as extraction tends to cost more along with the decline of natural resources and recycled materials get cheaper as global waste increases. The industries have no more excuses to not involve their clients and invest in their own recycling.
Did you know ? What is most likely to result in « zero landfill » for lack of « zero waste » is the implementation of taxes. While landfilling activities remain cheaper than recycling or incinerating for energy, industries will always favor burying over any other existing solution. It is important to mention that in the OECD countries, industrial waste represents twice the volume of municipal waste. Additionally, this kind of regulation works towards generating money in the mid to long-term as it creates jobs and generates more recycled thus affordable materials. These past years, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Holland, Austria and Belgium (Wallonie) have been looking into ways to implement such taxes. When will the other countries follow? For more information on this topic, read « Waste management; towards a « zero-landfill » world » published in The Conversation.
Did you know ? France ranks 2nd out of 180 countries for its progress on environmental performances according to the EPI (Environmental Performance Index). This ranking, completed each year by the University of Yale, considers many factors such as air, land and water quality but also the determination of the government and business leaders to further invest in green technologies and sustainable businesses. In 2016, France was listed 10th behind a podium of Nordic countries. The United States of Donald Trump went backwards and now rank 27th in 2018 from 26th in 2016.
