According to Bryce Coon, the director of Climate Education Initiatives at EarthDay.org, plastic is causing harm to our well-being. EarthDay.org, which is responsible for coordinating Earth Day on April 22 globally, is promoting a petition to establish a Global Plastics Treaty. This treaty aims to reduce fossil fuel-based plastic production by 60% by the year 2040, along with other objectives.
The Fight for Racial Justice in Schools:
The petition is a related to a “Babies Vs. Plastics A report published towards the end of last year by a non-profit organization focused on Earth Day in Washington, D.C. has gathered over 100 studies and other pieces of literature that indicate potential health dangers linked to microplastics. These microplastics are formed by the degradation of larger plastic items, and the report also highlights the risks posed by the chemicals added to these microplastics.
Coon suggests that approximately 10,000 signatures are needed for the cause.Petition advocating for a worldwide agreement on regulating plastic use. have been gathered so far.
The Role of Parents and Families:
The information gathered by the end of April will be showcased at “INC-4” in Ottawa, Ontario. This is the abbreviation for the fourth meeting of the United Nations.An intergovernmental negotiating committeeA legally-binding global agreement on plastics is being planned to be finalized by the end of the year. This agreement has been referred to as a plastic version of the Paris Agreement, but organizers from EarthDay.org have higher expectations for its effectiveness.
Aidan Charron, director of End Plastics at EarthDay.org, explains that these negotiations involve UN countries collaborating to establish an agreement, where representatives gather in a room for a period of 10 days.
The Power of Hope and Resilience:
“Our role is to exert pressure on the representatives to ensure that the treaty becomes successful. We aim for enforceable directives and a decrease in manufacturing output.”
greenhouse gas emissions are not enough and that stronger, binding measures are necessary. plastic pollution The paragraph emphasizes that the current efforts to reduce plastic production and waste are insufficient. It highlights the alarming fact that from 2000 to 2019, plastic production and waste more than doubled. Furthermore, it points out that the recycling rate for plastic is only 9%.
Education, Inspiration, Solutions
But besides amassing signatures, Earth Day 2024 According to organizers, the aim is to educate a wide range of people, such as college and K-12 students.
EarthDay.org aims to engage a large number of college students, about 100,000, by the 22nd of April, primarily in the United States. This objective centers around two main actions: encouraging individuals to register for voting in the imminent presidential election and promoting a reduction in the usage of plastic within educational institutions.
According to Coon, education plays a vital role in bringing about meaningful transformation.
He emphasizes the significance of younger individuals comprehending the effects of plastic and sharing this knowledge with their parents. A set of instructional materials has been distributed to a group of 50,000 teachers in K-12 schools.
Event coordinators have highlighted that the Earth Day information and materials shared prior to April 22nd are primarily centered around motivation and remedies, such as putting a stop to the usage of plastic. in the cafeteria and rejecting so-called fast fashion.
