The Arctic’s Plastic Crisis: Toxic Threats to Health, Human Rights, and Indigenous Lands from the Petrochemical Industry Report released | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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  • Report is released by Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN)
    • IPEN is a global network aiming to build a global movement for a toxics-free future.

 

  • Key Findings
    • Environmental violations by Petrochemical Industries are polluting the Arctic. 
      • It includes oil spills, release of hazardous substances etc. 
    • Moreover, plastic and Toxic chemicals from the world deposit and accumulate in the Arctic, making the Arctic a “hemispheric sink”.
      • These are transported on atmospheric and oceanic currents from lower latitudes through a process known as global distillation or the “grasshopper effect.”
      • Chemicals threaten the environment and health of Arctic People. E.g. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (cancer, heart disease), Bisphenols (obesity and cancer), etc. 
    • Rapid warming of the Arctic is causing displacement and threatening food security of indigenous people such as Aleut, Yupik, Inuit etc. 

 

  • Recommendations
    • Ending government subsidies to the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries
    • Adoption of Louisville Charter for Safer Chemicals for elimination of toxic chemicals and plastics. 
    • Integrating Just Transition framework principles in policies
    • Strengthening and ensuring strong implementation of Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutant
    • Adopting legally binding Global Plastics Treaty

 

Initiatives for Arctic Region

  • The Arctic Council facilitates cooperation among Arctic states on environmental protection and sustainable development.
    • Its members include Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States of America. 
  • UN High Seas Treaty to mitigate impacts of climate change.
  • India’s Arctic Policy- Aims to understand the impact of climate change in the Arctic on India's climate, and energy security.
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