FJA Shortlist 2021

Category: Excellence in Environmental Journalism

Author: Anna Geroeva (Russia)

On the Crest of a Toxic Wave

The original publication is available via the following link: https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4449056 

On the Crest of a Toxic Wave

The world is drowning in plastic waste that has become part of the human food chain

Kommersant.ru - August 13, 2020

Uncontrolled production and unrestrained consumption of plastics are the reasons for the emergence of global garbage islands in the world's oceans. Their area is growing every day, poisoning the marine fauna. People around the world eat toxic seafood. The problem is aggravated by microplastics, the remains of which scientists find in drinking water and tissues of living beings. Despite this, no radical decisions are made to eliminate toxic pollution, as well as changes in the scale of production and consumption of polymers. But even if such measures were taken now, in 20 years more than 700 billion tons of such waste would remain on the planet.

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