The Arctic plastic crisis is the growing concern over the accumulation of plastic debris in the Arctic region, which has significant and deleterious effects on the local environment, wildlife, and potentially human health. Read here to learn more.
Despite its remote location and sparse human population, the Arctic is increasingly affected by global pollution, with plastics playing a particularly troubling role.
Damage to the Arctic from the fossil fuel/petrochemical industry includes threats from chemicals, plastics, and climate.
These have combined to poison the lands, waters, and traditional foods of Arctic Indigenous Peoples, with ongoing health effects that threaten their cultures and communities.
Arctic plastic crisis
The production and use of fossil fuels are the starting point for the problems faced by the Arctic related to plastics, chemicals, and climate change.
- Plastics are made from fossil fuels and chemicals (mostly petrochemicals, chemicals derived from fossil fuels).
- More than 16,000 chemicals are used in plastics: 25% are known to be toxic and 66% lack hazard information. Chemicals and plastics are a global health and environmental crisis.
The Arctic is a hemispheric sink for chemicals and plastics that are transported on atmospheric and oceanic currents from lower latitudes through a process known as global distillation or the โgrasshopper effect.โ
- Evidence shows that climate warming exacerbates the threats to the Arctic from chemicals and plastics and accelerates the rate at which these materials move and accumulate there.
- As much of the economy begins shifting from fossil fuels to electrification, the industry is seeking to maintain and grow its operations by focusing on increasing plastics and chemical production.
- Several large oil corporations that operate in Alaska produce petrochemicals, and industry projections suggest that oil and gas used for petrochemicals will increase from less than 20% today to as much as 50% by 2050.
- The industryโs plan to increase fossil fuel operations in the Arctic is tied to their intent to focus on producing more plastics and chemicals, regardless of the harmful impacts on Arctic Peoples or the climate.
Sources of Plastic Pollution in the Arctic
- Long-Range Transport: Plastic debris reaches the Arctic through ocean currents, rivers, and atmospheric transport. The Gulf Stream, for example, is a significant conveyor of water and associated plastic waste from more populated areas to the Arctic Ocean.
- Local Sources: Activities such as shipping, fishing, and military operations in or near the Arctic also contribute directly to the accumulation of plastics. Local communities contribute as well, though to a lesser extent, due to limited infrastructure for waste management in these remote areas.
- Microplastics from the Atmosphere: Recent studies suggest that microplastics can be transported through atmospheric pathways, deposited by snow and rain, adding another layer of complexity to the problem.
Impacts of Plastic Pollution
- Wildlife: Marine and terrestrial animals can ingest or become entangled in plastic debris, leading to injury, impaired movement and feeding, and often death. Species at risk include seabirds, marine mammals like seals and whales, and polar bears.
- Ecosystems: Plastics can absorb and transport chemical pollutants, introducing them into the food web. When ingested by organisms, these toxins can bioaccumulate up the food chain, affecting overall ecosystem health and resilience.
- Human Health: Indigenous communities in the Arctic depend heavily on marine and terrestrial wildlife for subsistence. The contamination of these food sources with plastics and associated pollutants poses significant dietary and health risks.
Impact on indigenous communities
There is a long history of resource exploitation and colonization of Arctic Indigenous Peoplesโ lands and waters, including by the fossil fuel/petrochemical industry.
- More than 13 million people from over 40 ethnic groups inhabit the circumpolar north region and are at risk from plastics, chemicals, and climate change.
- Rapid warming of the Arctic is forcing climate-induced community displacement and threatening food security.
- Indigenous Peoples are being pushed out of their traditional lands and losing access to traditional foods, sacred places, and other cultural practices due to the interlinking consequences of chemicals, plastics, and fossil fuels.
- Many of the multinational oil and gas corporations active in Alaska have long track records of environmental violations.
- Air pollution in the Arctic from their operations and their oil spills and releases of hazardous substances harm the environment and threaten Arctic Peoplesโ health, yet the costs of this damage have never been calculated.
Mitigation and Response Strategies
- Global Cooperation: Addressing plastic pollution in the Arctic requires international collaboration. Initiatives like the Arctic Council work to formulate policies that mitigate pollution, but global action to reduce plastic production and improve waste management is essential.
- Research and Monitoring: Increased research efforts to better understand the sources, transport mechanisms, and impacts of plastics in the Arctic are crucial. Developing standardized methods for monitoring plastic pollution will help track progress and guide mitigation strategies.
- Local Actions: Enhancing waste management infrastructures in Arctic communities and reducing local sources of plastic leakage into the environment can have immediate benefits. Education and community engagement are also vital to changing local practices.
- Innovative Solutions: Exploring new materials that are less harmful to the environment and investing in technologies for cleaning up existing plastic pollution can also contribute to long-term solutions.
Why in the news?
A new report The Arcticโs Plastic Crisis: Toxic Threats to Health, Human Rights, and Indigenous Lands from the Petrochemical Industry was launched by Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) on April 15, 2024.
- The timing of the report is crucial as the negotiations for a Global Plastic Treaty will begin in Ottawa, Canada on April 23, 2024.
The report offers recommendations for a regenerative economy and a Just Transition, underlined by the principle that a healthy economy and a clean environment should co-exist.
The process for achieving a just transition should be a fair one that does not cost workers or community residents their health, environment, jobs, or economic assets. The report further recommends:
- Ending government subsidies to the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries and supporting clean, renewable energy and a toxics-free materials economy.
- Stopping fossil fuel and petrochemical industry expansion and accelerating the shift to a clean, renewable energy future.
- Adopting policies and practices as defined in the Louisville Charter for Safer Chemicals and eliminating the production, use, and disposal of toxic chemicals and plastics.
- Integrating the principles of the Just Transition framework.
- Strengthening and ensuring strong implementation of the international Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs Treaty) and instituting an effective, legally binding global Plastics Treaty.
Conclusion
The Arctic plastic crisis is a stark example of how global activities impact even the most remote regions.
The persistence and potential for long-term environmental harm posed by plastics demand comprehensive solutions that address both the symptoms and the sources of the problem.
Implementing robust international policies, combined with local efforts and continued scientific research, is essential for protecting the Arctic’s unique and vulnerable environment from ongoing plastic contamination.
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-Article by Swathi Satish
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