(I.e.Theme of the Week: Single-use plastic is back
One of the key ideas of a “green” lifestyle is the rejection of single-use plastic packaging and utensils. The new virus is changing this situation dramatically – single-use plastic is no longer evil.
2020 was supposed to be the year new restrictions on the use of plastic in different countries came into force. The European Union and many US states have already begun to impose bans on the use of certain types of plastic in 2019.
The current coronavirus situation has reminded us of why plastic has become so popular. Safety from a hygiene point of view is the main advantage of single-use packaging. Studies confirm that in 99% of cases, reusable packaging contains bacteria and can pose a risk to human health.
Moreover, during the pandemic, the amount of disposable medical waste is increasing. To protect against the virus, people began to use masks, gloves, wipes and sanitizers. At the same time, the duration of use of such protective equipment is on average several hours, after which it is difficult to dispose of them.
Medical waste should be disposed of according to a separate protocol. If a person is not just in self-isolation, but does not exclude the possibility of being a carrier of the virus, then he should stop separate collection and throw away all his waste as mixed, packing it as much as possible.
But there is also good news. This week, scientists from France discovered an enzyme in ordinary compost that recycles plastic bottles in a few hours. The resulting material can be used to make high quality new bottles. The discovery is described in a study published April 8 in the journal Nature.
Existing plastic recycling technologies produce a product that can basically only be used for the production of clothing or carpets. The new technology makes it possible to produce high-quality food-grade plastic relatively inexpensively.
Forecast: now we are witnessing a situation where, in a new reality, the concept of single-use plastic should be revised. A new balance needs to be found between environmental issues and safety and hygiene requirements.
✒One line
- Innovation not only saves, but also harms the planet: how artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency contribute to global warming
- Fear of nuclear power harms the environment. What are the arguments in favor of nuclear energy by Michael Shellenberger
- New eco-technologies in construction: “live” concrete and bricks from sewers
- What the pandemic and climate change have in common: how preparing for them saves on economic recovery after the epidemic (ENG)
- In Moscow, the air has become five times cleaner due to quarantine
- Methane emissions hit a new record in 2019 and scientists can’t explain it yet (ENG)
- Transition to a “hydrogen economy” could reduce global emissions by 34% (ENG)
- U.S. greenhouse gas emissions could fall by 7,5% in 2020 (ENG)
- Four famous brands that have abandoned the use of natural fur
- Old trees are critical to combating climate change – their contribution can be estimated at 37% by 2030 (ENG)
(I.e.Study of the Week: COVID-19 deaths are higher in areas with high levels of air pollution
Scientists from Harvard analyzed 3080 US counties and compared the level of air pollution with the death rate from COVID-19.
It turned out that areas with high levels of tiny, dangerous particles in the air, known as PM 2.5, have a higher death rate from coronavirus than cleaner areas.
For example, if a person lives for decades in an area with a high content of PM 2.5, then he has a 15% higher chance of dying from a coronavirus than a person living in an area where the content of such particles is 1 unit less.
📝Instruction of the week: another step towards a sustainable lifestyle
“A third of all the food in the world goes to the trash, at the same time, 820 million people on the planet are starving.”
Greenpeace has compiled a guide on how to reduce food waste at home, in cafes and when organizing a large event:
Plan ahead and don’t go to the store hungry
Store your purchases properly, check the instructions on the package
Create new dishes from leftover food
Invite friends over for dinner (as soon as the quarantine is over)
Study the restaurant menu before visiting – the fewer items, the less leftovers
Ask to wrap with you what you did not finish at the cafe
Support projects that offer unsold food from restaurants – for example, EatyEat, EatMe, DoggyBag
When preparing an event, think over the menu in advance and calculate the guests
????What to read
Love Your Monsters: Postenvironmentalism and the Anthropocene
The collection of essays “Love Your Monsters”, published almost 10 years ago, in a provocative way presents the thoughts of 8 famous environmental thinkers about what will happen to our planet in the next century, why we are living in an environmental crisis and what the Anthropocene era is. The essay focuses on the relationship between man and his creations – and the consequences that these relationships have in the world. The book’s editors-in-chief are Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus. The book is only available in English.
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