Earth Day, A Call to Action for Our Planet

April 21, 2024 / activist360

Blue Marble 2000. Credit: NASA, Image created by Reto Stockli with the help of Alan Nelson, under the leadership of Fritz Hasler. CC 2.0.

Earth Day, observed on April 22, is a global movement focused on protecting our planet. This year, as the collective acknowledgment of environmental degradation’s profound impact, we are also presented with an opportunity to champion a cause that could significantly alter the course of our environmental future—the Global Plastics Treaty.

Origins & Significance of Earth Day

Earth Day first emer ged in 1970, initiated by Senator Gaylord Nelson after witnessing the catastrophic effects of an oil spill in Santa Barbara. The first Earth Day mobilized 20 million Americans and led to the creation of significant environmental policies and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Today, Earth Day engages millions of people worldwide in activities aimed at preserving our planet, underscoring the power of collective action in tackling global challenges.

Why Earth Day Matters

Earth Day is crucial for several reasons:

Environmental Education: It raises awareness about pressing environmental issues and promotes sustainable practices.
Global Solidarity: Earth Day unites people across the globe, emphasizing that environmental stewardship is a shared responsibility.
Action and Advocacy: The day inspires individuals and organizations to engage in activities that protect the environment, from local clean-ups to global initiatives.

Earth Day 2024: End Plastic Pollution

The theme for Earth Day 2024 is the urgent need to combat plastic pollution. Plastics, particularly single-use plastics, are a severe threat to the environment, filling our oceans, killing wildlife, and disrupting ecosystems. The focus is on reducing plastic production by 60% by 2040 and eliminating single-use plastics by 2030.

The Urgent Call for the Global Plastics Treaty

In conjunction with Earth Day’s efforts, there is a significant push for the Global Plastics Treaty, a comprehensive international agreement aimed at tackling plastic pollution globally. With over 14,905 signatures, this petition calls on the United Nations and government organizations to adopt stringent measures against plastic pollution, including:

Reducing fossil fuel-based plastic production by 60% by 2040.
Holding producers accountable for environmental and health-related damages.
Banning plastic waste exports and incineration.
Promoting innovation in alternatives to plastic.

If we do not change our current habits, we will see a rise in hormonal diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular damage linked to the production and consumption of plastics. However, this bleak future is not inevitable; we have the ability to redirect our path and avoid this looming crisis.

How You Can Help

This Earth Day, let your actions speak louder than words:

Sign the Global Plastics Treaty Petition: Join the global movement to push for a binding international agreement that addresses plastic pollution head-on.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Make personal changes to minimize your plastic usage.
Participate in Community Actions: Engage in local Earth Day events that focus on cleaning up and reducing plastics and help spread the word.

Final Thoughts

Celebrating Earth Day means committing to protect our planet continuously. By supporting initiatives like the Global Plastics Treaty, we can take significant steps towards a sustainable future free from plastic pollution. This Earth Day, let’s not just celebrate our planet; let’s take concrete steps to save it. Together, we can make a difference, but only if we act now. Join the movement, sign the treaty, and be part of the solution. We have the power to change our environmental destiny and ensure a healthier planet for future generations.

Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human beings and all living creatures.
—Gaylord Nelson

Understanding PFAS: A Look at the Awareness and Impact on U.S. Drinking Water

November 25, 2023 / activist360

The presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in U.S. drinking water has emerged as a critical environmental and public health issue. Despite increasing media coverage and governmental attention, a significant gap exists in the general public’s understanding of PFAS. An exploratory study by Texas A&M AgriLife scientists and published in PLoS ONE, aimed to bridge this gap by assessing public awareness regarding PFAS and their potential impact on community health and drinking water.

Key Findings of the Nationwide Survey

Limited Public Awareness: Alarmingly, nearly half of the respondents (45.1%) were unfamiliar with PFAS. Additionally, 31.6% had heard of PFAS but lacked an understanding of what it entails.
Perception of Drinking Water Safety: A striking 97.4% did not believe their drinking water was affected by PFAS, indicating a disconnect between public perception and environmental realities.
Community Exposure as a Predictor: Awareness due to known community exposure emerged as the strongest predictor of PFAS awareness. Those aware of community exposure were more informed about PFAS sources and likely to change their product usage habits.

PFAS: An Overview

PFAS, often termed “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment and in our bodies, are resistant to water, grease, and heat and found in a range of everyday products including food packaging, clothing, cosmetics, and toilet paper. PFAS have been widely used in various industrial processes and consumer products since the 1940s. Their presence in products ranging from non-stick cookware to fire extinguishing foams raises significant environmental concerns, particularly in water sources. The resistance of PFAS to degradation leads to bioaccumulation, posing serious health risks such as cancer, hormone disruption, liver damage, weakened immune systems, and reproductive harm.

Regulatory Response and Public Health Implications

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently proposed stricter regulations to limit PFAS in drinking water, reducing the maximum contaminant levels from 70 parts per trillion (ppt) to 4 ppt. This move, coupled with significant financial settlements from major corporations for PFAS clean-up, highlights the urgency of addressing PFAS contamination. However, the public’s limited awareness and understanding hinder effective response and mitigation efforts.

The Gap in Public Perception and Knowledge

The importance of knowing about PFAS lies in the need to understand the potential health risks associated with exposure to these substances. The general public’s awareness and knowledge of PFAS have been found to be limited, with only about half of the respondents in a nationwide survey stating they were aware of PFAS as an environmental contaminant. This study underscores a critical gap in public awareness and understanding of PFAS. This lack of awareness extends to the potential contamination of their primary drinking water sources.

Community exposure was identified as the strongest predicting factor regarding the level of public knowledge and awareness of PFAS and its sources. Therefore, it is crucial to provide accurate, real-time data on PFAS exposure to empower consumers to make informed decisions and take necessary precautions. Additionally, clear labeling of PFAS products is essential to allow consumers to be aware of their exposure frequency and make adjustments in product use as desired.

The Role of Effective Communication

Government agencies, research organizations, universities, utilities, and scientific institutions must collaborate to provide clear, accessible, and actionable information about PFAS, their sources, and health implications. This effort should aim to make the information relevant and understandable to the general public, encouraging informed decision-making and behavioral changes to reduce PFAS exposure. Manufacturers should clearly label their products with the presence of PFAS. This transparency allows consumers to be aware of their exposure frequency and make adjustments in product use. Consumers may want to install point-of-use treatment devices, such as under-sink or countertop filters, in their homes to remove PFAS from drinking water. These devices often use activated carbon or reverse osmosis technology to effectively reduce PFAS levels.

Source: Berthold TA, McCrary A, deVilleneuve S, Schramm M (2023) Let’s talk about PFAS: Inconsistent public awareness about PFAS and its sources in the United States. PLoS ONE 18(11): e0294134.

The Rising Challenge of Space Debris: ESA’s 2023 Space Environment Report Highlights the Need for Sustainable Practices

November 5, 2023 / activist360

LEO - Low Earth Orbit - Credit: NASA ODPO. — *LEO stands for low-Earth orbit and is the region of space within 2,000 km of the Earth’s surface. It is the most concentrated area for orbital debris. Credit: NASA ODPO.*

Navigating the Crowded Cosmos

As the Earth’s orbital space becomes increasingly populated with satellites crucial for scientific research, communication, and navigation, the burgeoning issue of space debris poses a threat to our sustainable future in space. The ESA’s 2023 Space Environment Report casts a sobering light on the crowded and hazardous orbits, underlining the urgency for effective space debris mitigation measures.

The Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee’s guidelines set forth in 2002, aimed at reducing space debris, have become the foundation for space policy. However, with a record-breaking 2,409 new satellites launched in 2022, these guidelines are being outpaced by the sheer volume of space traffic. Many satellites remain in their operational orbits post-mission, creating potential debris clouds that could linger for years. With the rise of commercial satellite constellations in low-Earth orbits, the risk of collisions has grown exponentially, necessitating more frequent collision avoidance maneuvers.

Despite improvements in adopting debris mitigation measures, the ESA report suggests that current efforts are insufficient given the rate of satellite launches and existing debris. Over half of the 30,000 tracked debris pieces are cluttering low-Earth orbit, which doesn’t account for the countless smaller, untracked objects. The report warns that if we continue on this path, the dream of a sustainable space environment could slip through our fingers.

A Silver Lining

Nevertheless, there is a silver lining. A record number of satellites and fragments reentered Earth’s atmosphere in 2022, showing that adherence to guidelines — like vacating protected orbits within 25 years of end-of-life — is improving. Moreover, more than 80% of constellation satellites are now designed to deorbit within two years post-mission. Yet, most of these reentries are uncontrolled, posing risks of debris landing unpredictably on Earth.

ESA’s proactive steps include the novel “assisted reentry” technique, successfully demonstrated with the Aeolus satellite, and pioneering the ClearSpace-1 mission for active debris removal. These initiatives are part of ESA’s Zero Debris goal for 2030, aiming to leave no new space debris in critical orbits. By setting a precedent with the ClearSpace-1 mission, ESA aspires to catalyze a new commercial sector focused on debris removal and promote sustainable space operations industry-wide.

Time to Act

The 2023 report from ESA serves as a call to action for the global space community. The space around our planet is a finite, invaluable resource that demands our immediate attention and stewardship to prevent the dire predictions of Kessler Syndrome from becoming a reality.

…. fragments from future collisions will be generated faster than atmospheric drag will remove them.”
The Kessler Syndrome, as discussed by Donald J. Kessler, March 8, 2009

With continued focus and innovation in space sustainability, we can ensure that the benefits of space advancements are not overshadowed by the growing cloud of orbital debris. It’s time to act and safeguard our space environment for future generations.