Wild Talks
#wildtalks A citizens deliberation on the Green Transition
In Europe and around the world, industries use chemicals to make everyday things like household items, toys, clothes, furniture, and electronics. The problem is that exposure to these chemicals is increasing. Back in the 1930s, about 1 million tonnes of chemicals were produced, but now it's over 500 million tonnes. This growth is happening even faster than the global economy. By 2020, it's expected to increase by 63%. What's concerning is that the chemicals are becoming more toxic over time.
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Conversation with Deniz
Chemical pollution of the environment is one of the most problematic forms of pollution. Substances released into the environment can present serious health hazards for all living creatures in the environment, including human beings at the top of the food chain. What's more, the health effects of certain substances are poorly understood, and medicine often lacks the experience to establish causal links between exposure to a pollutant and disease. What's more, the nature of these pollutants can make them persistent in the environment, continuing to act for a long time.
In terms of political action, regulations concerning the disposal of chemical waste need to be strict for manufacturers. In addition, protecting people and their health must be an absolute priority for public authorities.
I completly agree with you. The last exemple of the eternal pollutants (PFAS) also shows that political action need to be more proactive in securing public health. But the question is what kind of concrete actions should be taken by the authorities at various levels in order to avoid such issues.
There are many solutions but we need to implement them! Reducing the use of harmful chemicals and improving waste management practices is possible. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) reduces reliance on chemical pesticides by using biological control methods, cultural practices, and resistant crop varieties. Enhancing regulations on industrial discharge and promoting the development and use of green chemistry can mitigate the impact of pollutants. Additionally, advancements in wastewater treatment technologies can help remove contaminants before they enter natural ecosystems. At the end of the day, it seems that we already have most of the solutions to our problem, but they are not implemented. We need to focus government policv to the relevant areas.
"Old varieties" in their great diversity are and were more resistant and do not need pesticides. There is an example of apples in Germany: https://www.obstbaumschnittschule.de/obst-arboretum-bielefeld/
There will not be masses of apples, but a much greater diversity.
It is important to break the "vicious circle" and apply the solutions (see also above, article with IPM).
We have negative examples of the use of pesticides and genetically modified seeds from India with the cultivation of cotton: when there were droughts, it was organic and not monoculture fields that were more resistant.
The very relevant information of the studies of www.hbm4eu.eu are hardly known by us as citizens. It should be part of the daily news and school topics.
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