Security Studies
Environmental Issues
Elisa Kunz
Dr. Kyriakopoulou
Richmond the American International University in London
Content
Executive Summary
Problem statement
Three options for possible resolution
Recommendation
II. The Problem
Plastic pollution issues
Impact on the ocean’s wildlife
Impact on the Human health
III. Three policy solutions
Individuals responsibility of reducing plastic consumption
Governments and industries responsibilities
Financial action that benefit the future
IV. Recommendation
V. Summary
VI. References
To the multinational industries; Coca-cola, Nestlé and many others,
Environmental issues are a global concern which needs concrete actions on the domestic and international level. In this respect, solutions for global pollution depends on the willingness and ability of the international community to act in concert, and often through legally binding measures, individual and NGOs responsibilities. It is shared that human mass consumption activities have begun to harm the wildlife, the ecosystem and the human health; its consequences on the environment are destructive and the resolution can solely be possible with multilateral agreements among nations. The focus of this policy paper is on plastic pollution awareness and the urgent need to take action, as according to the United Nation, 8 million tonnes of plastic end into the ocean each year (UNEP, UN declares war on ocean plastic), and the emergency for taking concrete action for a better free plastic environment future.
The Problem
A major global issue is human pollution that erodes the environment is the mass consumption of goods which are mostly plastic since the industrialisation. Many of these items are single-use items that end in the bin. As a consequence, most of it ends up in the environment, for instance, the marine plastic debris. There are several other severe environmental issues where action need to be taken for the future of the planet, the ecosystem and the human health environment, but my focus is on plastic consumption due to the situation of the ocean-marine life -and the health issue that is less known by the public sphere which can cause damaging effects on the long term for human being.
Plastics is one of the major pollutions in the marine world as it causes harm to animals as they eat plastic that enters in their stomach and finally cause death. Furthermore, most of the plastic waste is spread globally as the ocean is vast and due to the wind the entire globe is concerned with plastic pollution ( Grantham Institute, Climate Change and the Environment) and has an impact on the marine life. Finally, human health is indirectly affected by plastic pollution as the toxicity is high due to the tons of plastic decomposing in the sea. Hence, there are two major issues that concern plastic pollution which is first the marine and wildlife system and the human health under threat.
According to the centre for biological diversity, billions of pounds...
