AS the world marks Earth Day today, it is worth pondering over the many ways in which human activity has badly affected the health of our planet. The theme selected for Earth Day 2018 — which will serve to provide countries and communities with an overarching conservation principle — is telling: end plastic pollution. Plastics have been recognised as one of the most urgent threats confronting the earth’s biodiversity and health, and if drastic measures are not taken to curtail their use, a near-uninhabitable planet could soon become a reality. Plastic takes thousands of years to break down, and large parts of the world are already drowning in a sea of plastic waste. The oceans are in particular badly affected, with entire ‘islands’ having been discovered that are comprised of compacted trash. According to the WWF, the oceans are filling up so quickly that by 2050, they could contain more plastic than fish. Apart from its habitat being poisoned, marine life also ingests plastic fragments or items such as polythene which kill it. The curse also makes its way up the food chain: microplastics have been found in treated drinking water, and nanoplastics can penetrate on a cellular level.

While some interventions have been initiated, these cannot possibly compete with the breathtaking speed at which humanity’s throwaway culture is destroying the planet. The only way out is to change consumer patterns. A few cities are considering or have enforced bans on single-use plastics such as straws and disposable cups. Entrepreneurs are looking for alternative, eco-friendly materials to replace the plastics that meet common needs. Pakistan must do much more to clean up its own act. Measures such as banning polythene bags of certain micron thicknesses look very well on paper, but are pointless unless implemented, and more importantly, until consumer patterns are changed. The West may be a greater polluter but in countries such as Pakistan, the manner in which land and water are being choked by non-biodegradable filth is visible to the naked eye.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2018