Much of the news focused on what individuals could do to reduce their carbon footprint, although some articles did also indicate the need for collective action.Single use plastics are now high on the agenda, with many people trying to do their bit to reduce usage. Despite many scientists’ misgivings about the project and its recent failed attempts to collect plastic the project is still attractive to many as it allows us to tackle the issue without having to make any major lifestyle changes.Taking a stand against plastic, by carrying reusable coffee cups, or eating in restaurant chains where only paper straws are provided, is the classic neo-liberal response.5˚C. In 2009, the concept of planetary boundaries was introduced by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, to indicate safe operating limits for the Earth from a number of environmental threats. Partly fuelled by the success of the BBC’s ‘Blue Planet II’ series, people are more aware than ever before about the dangers to wildlife caused by plastic pollution, as well as the impact it can have on human health, with industries promising money to tackle the issue.
Climate change and biodiversity loss are also considered core planetary boundaries meaning if they are exceeded for a prolonged time, they can shift the planet into new, less hospitable, stable states.Alternative products can often have different but equally severe environmental problems.This is not to distract vertical garden planters Factory from the fact that some significant steps have been taken to help the planet environmentally by reducing plastic waste. The Ocean Cleanup of plastic pollution, which aims to sieve plastic out of the sea, is a classic example. And the benefits of these small-scale consumer driven changes are often minor.Despite the importance of this message, environmental news has been dominated by the issues of plastic pollution. So it’s not surprising that so many people think ocean plastics are the most serious environmental threat to the planet. Studies on the toxicity effects, especially to humans are often overplayed. This includes longer-term and more effective solutions to the plastic problem but also extending to more radical large-scale initiatives to reduce consumption, decarbonise economies and move beyond materialism as the basis for our well-being.UK: By now, most of us have heard that the use of plastics is a big issue for the environment.These “clear and present dangers” of climate change and biodiversity loss could undermine the capacity of our planet to support over seven billion people, with the loss of homes, food sources and livelihoods.Three boundaries were found to have exceeded: biodiversity loss, nitrogen flows and climate change.
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