\n<\/p>\n
Good morning. Not only does plastic waste clog up waterways, beaches and strangle sea life, it also causes havoc inside the human body. Tiny fragments \u2013 invisible to the human eye \u2013 are probably swimming around your lungs, blood and liver right now.<\/p>\n
This represents a \u201cgrowing and underrecognised danger\u201d to human health, the latest report in the Lancet warns, as 10 days of tense talks kick off in Geneva today, with 179 countries due to hash out a kind of \u201cParis agreement for plastic pollution\u201d.<\/p>\n
These talks \u2013 which have been going on since 2022 \u2013 have been dogged by deep disagreements. More than 100 nations want a legally binding cap on plastic production, while petrostates want to keep things vague, and maybe promise to, errrrr, do some more recycling, perhaps? It\u2019s possible talks will collapse with no reference to cuts to plastic production.<\/p>\n
I spoke to the Guardian\u2019s environment correspondent Sandra Laville<\/strong><\/em> about why the sixth (and hopefully final) round of talks are likely to be so fraught and what a good deal could look like.<\/p>\n Weather<\/strong><\/em> | Gusts of more than 100mph from Storm Floris have brought travel disruption, power cuts and the widespread cancellation of events across large parts of the UK. Disruption to the rail network in Scotland is expected until around 4pm on Tuesday, ScotRail has said.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n UK news<\/strong><\/em> | A member of the House of Lords urged ministers to crack down on Palestine Action at the request of a US defence company that employs him as an adviser. Police are planning to arrest anyone demonstrating in support of Palestine Action this weekend.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Politics<\/strong><\/em> | The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, is not telling the truth about the \u201creal failures of 14 years of Conservative government\u201d, the former Conservative prime minister Liz Truss has said.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Tommy Robinson<\/strong> <\/em>| The far-right activist known as Tommy Robinson has been arrested by British police on suspicion of grievous bodily harm after a man was allegedly assaulted at a London railway station.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Gaza<\/strong><\/em> | More than 100 critically ill and injured children in Gaza hope to come to the UK as soon as possible after the government announced a scheme to provide those in severe need with NHS care.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n <\/span>An artwork by the Canadian artist Benjamin Von Wong entitled The Thinker\u2019s Burden, created for the plastics treaty negotiations, in Geneva.<\/span> Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The United Nations agreed to create a treaty on plastic in 2022. Since then, five separate negotiations have failed to secure an agreement. Initially, the idea was for the treaty to address the whole life cycle of plastics, but plans have since been watered down.<\/p>\n The last round of talks \u2013 held in Busan, South Korea \u2013 broke down at the end of last year. \u201cThere was some concern we wouldn\u2019t even get another meeting,\u201d says Sandra Laville. Country representatives are resuming today for 10 days of talks in Switzerland.<\/p>\n Although plastic is often seen as a cheap material, it\u2019s expensive when you factor in the cost of cleaning up the damage it causes \u2013 the latest report found it is responsible for at least $1.5tn (\u00a31.1tn) a year in health-related damages. And almost all plastic is made from fossil oil and gas. Producing all of this plastic results in greater emissions than those produced by Russia \u2013 the world\u2019s fourth-largest polluter.<\/p>\n According to the University of Oxford\u2019s Our World in Data, plastic production has increased sharply over the past 70 years. In 1950, the world was producing two million tonnes of plastic to more than 450m tonnes today. Less than 10% of the world\u2019s plastic is recycled, and more than 40% is stuck in landfill. \u201cSingle-use plastic is the big earner for lots of companies and the petrochemical industry,\u201d says Sandra.<\/p>\n There were a record 220 fossil fuel and chemic industry lobbyists at the December talks in Busan. That was far more than even the host nation\u2019s delegation of 140 and was three times the number of independent scientists. Hotel and flight costs make the treaty negotiations expensive to attend, which is why rich industrial interests can flood the talks with lobbyists while smaller countries, scientists and NGOs struggle to find the funds.<\/p>\n Why is this such a pressing <\/strong>problem for human health?<\/strong><\/p>\n Plastic is, in many ways, a wonder material, but the most rapid increase in production is for single-use plastics, things such as drinks bottles and fast-food packaging, which we sometimes use for a matter of minutes before chucking away. This sort of plastic may be a big earner for companies, but it is not essential for human wellbeing, and the drawbacks are significant.<\/p>\n The latest review, published in the leading medical journal the Lancet, was carried out by leading health researchers and doctors. They found plastics cause disease and death from infancy to old age because they are laced in more than 16,000 chemicals such as fillers, dyes, flame retardants and stabilisers which have been known to damage human health.<\/p>\n The most vulnerable in society are the most at risk. The analysis found that foetuses and infants were subject to harms such as increased risks of miscarriage, stillbirth, birth defects, impaired lung growth, childhood cancer and fertility problems later in life.<\/p>\n What are delegates going to achieve?<\/strong><\/p>\n There are two groups battling it out in Geneva. One is comprised of more than 100 countries \u2013 including the EU \u2013 which support legally binding global reductions in plastic production and the phasing out of single-use plastic products. The other camp are countries with large fossil fuel industries, such as Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iran, who say they don\u2019t want any suggestion of tackling plastic production.<\/p>\n The latter group want the agreement to focus on better management and recycling of waste, and for countries to implement voluntary or national measures. \u201cCountries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, and China have moved the discussion away from production towards, \u2018Oh we just need to manage the waste better, oh we just need to recycle more\u2019,\u201d says Sandra.<\/p>\n Since 2022, these divisions have become more entrenched. Countries such as Egypt and Malaysia have plastic industry representatives in their national delegations. Meanwhile, the 100 high-ambition countries are not going to fold \u2013 the evidence shows we have to reduce plastic production to reduce pollution. \u201cThat\u2019s why it all collapsed in Busan in December,\u201d says Sandra.<\/p>\n The nature of any agreement is still up the air \u2013 it\u2019s possible a meaningful treaty will be agreed, or they have further meetings, or some countries agree to pursue a \u201ccoalition of the willing\u201d treaty outside the UN. Greenpeace is calling for at least a 75% reduction in plastic production by 2040.<\/p>\n But if an agreement can be reached, it would be the equivalent of getting the Paris agreement for climate negotiations. \u201cYou can argue the Paris agreement hasn\u2019t done much, but there has been an agreement, and we just haven\u2019t had one on plastic pollution. So this is the kind of vacuum that needs to be filled,\u201d says Sandra.<\/p>\n What does this say about international environmental diplomacy?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI think there was this real optimism in 2022 when the idea of a treaty was agreed,\u201d says Sandra. Scientists were saying that getting a good agreement could be a gamechanger for cutting plastic pollution. But the winds appear to have changed. \u201cBy last November that optimism had all gone.\u201d<\/p>\n The US \u2013 which is the world\u2019s second-largest producer of plastic after China \u2013 has flip-flopped positions during negotiations, but now appears to be aligned with other major fossil fuel producers and is supporting the least ambitious option. China and Iran are also among the countries looking for less ambition, an option they describe as \u201crealistic\u201d. It comes as the Trump administration in the US rolls back environmental policies, including a longstanding finding on greenhouse gas emissions endangering health.<\/p>\n Andr\u00e9s del Castillo, senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), a non profit providing legal counsel to some countries attending the talks, said oil states were questioning even basic facts about the harm to health caused by plastics. \u201cWe are in a moment of revisionism, where even science is highly politicised,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Hopes for a \u201clast-chance\u201d ambitious global treaty to curb plastic pollution are looking dim \u2013 but a weaker agreement still shows international diplomacy functions. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel as if the world is ready to address any of this,\u201d says Sandra. \u201cI do think that any treaty \u2013 as long as it\u2019s not really<\/em> weak \u2013 is a good thing to hold up.\u201d<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/p>\n Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what\u2019s happening and why it matters<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: <\/strong>Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.<\/span><\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n <\/span>Kemi Badenoch, left, with MP Sarah Bool in Northamptonshire. <\/span> Photograph: Paul Marriott\/PA<\/p>\n Nels Abbey is compelling in this column on Kemi Badenoch<\/strong>\u2019s \u201ccomedic, but sadly revealing\u201d rejection of her Nigerian heritage \u2013 not least, he writes, because her life \u201chardly describes the general Black experience\u201d. Charlie Lindlar, acting deputy editor, newsletters<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Someone in Teesside has (or had) been sharing their house with a rat the length of a carry-on luggage bag. Rats<\/strong> are getting bigger and bolder as cash-strapped local authorities can\u2019t deal with pest control. Quite a memorable read \u2013 if only for the picture at the top. Phoebe<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Some strong takes here in Michael Hogan\u2019s list of TV characters<\/strong> so bad they ruined shows. Emily from Friends (\u201cunfunny wet blanket\u201d) gets a rough go of it, but Ted Lasso\u2019s Nate Shelley deserves even deeper condemnation. Charlie<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Millions of people are in line for payouts after the launch of a compensation scheme for those affected by the car finance scandal<\/strong>. This is a useful explainer on who is eligible and what you need to do. Phoebe<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Forget something to read, how about something to cook? Rukmini Iyer\u2019s baked feta tacos<\/strong> with pink onion and pineapple salsa is a fun, fuss-free dinner that, she promises, \u201ccomes together in minutes\u201d. Charlie<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/span>Everton are in talks to sign Chelsea\u2019s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.<\/span> Photograph: Andrew Boyers\/Action Images\/Reuters<\/p>\n Football<\/strong><\/em> | Everton have raised their bid for Tyler Dibling to about \u00a340m and opened talks with Chelsea over signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (pictured above) as they attempt to ease David Moyes\u2019s transfer frustrations.<\/p>\n Formula One<\/strong><\/em> | Lewis Hamilton gave a remarkably downbeat response after a 12th place finish in the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, prompting questions about his future. The former world champion suggested he was in turmoil and that he would \u201chopefully\u201d return when F1 resumes after the summer break.<\/p>\n Football<\/strong><\/em> | Fifa is facing a multibillion-pound claim for compensation from a group of former players after last year\u2019s ruling by the European court of justice that its transfer rules are unlawful.<\/p>\n <\/span> Photograph: Guardian<\/p>\n The Guardian<\/strong> leads with \u201cPolice warn of mass arrests at Palestine Action protest\u201d. The Mirror<\/strong> reports on Nigel Farage under the headline \u201cFanning the flames\u201d. The i<\/strong> reports \u201cHome Office to detain small boat migrants for deportation to France in days\u201d. The Times<\/strong> has \u201cPM and police at odds over migrant suspects\u201d.<\/p>\n The Telegraph<\/strong> reports \u201cParents pay \u00a3500m to beat school VAT raid\u201d. The Financial Times<\/strong> says \u201cTesla awards Musk $30bn of stock to keep billionaire focused on business\u201d.<\/p>\n <\/span>David McPherson sits on his property in Lowndes County, Alabama, where he continues to live without a working septic system.<\/span> Photograph: Andi Rice\/For The Guardian<\/p>\n How the Trump administration made a sewage crisis \u2018woke\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n How did the Trump administration upend a landmark civil rights victory for environmental justice? Nina Lakhani<\/strong> reports.<\/p>\n <\/span> Illustration: Stephen Lillie\/The Guardian<\/p>\n A bit of good news to remind you that the world\u2019s not all bad<\/em><\/p>\n <\/span>Waste not \u2026 Chiara Wilkinson cooking in her kitchen.<\/span> Photograph: Sarah Lee\/The Guardian<\/p>\n Last year, Chiara Wilkinson (pictured above) felt increasing guilt about getting to the end of a week and facing a fridge full of wilted ingredients. A long commute and grand ideas about what she had the time and energy to cook meant that a lot of food got chucked in the compost bin.<\/p>\n But last summer, while auditing her overall spending, she also started growing a few vegetables. \u201cIt was as if a switch had been flicked in my mind \u2013 as if it had taken the idea of growing my own food to truly understand the value and timescale of food production,\u201d she writes. She committed to using up every scrap of uneaten food and became more flexible about following recipes. Apples in a curry? Yes, please. Leftover roast potatoes with spaghetti? Delicious. <\/p>\n It hasn\u2019t been without what she terms \u201cflavour disasters\u201d, but she has found the challenge has made her less ambitious but more creative. \u201cBest of all,\u201d Wilkinson writes, \u201cI\u2019ve rediscovered what I loved about cooking in the first place: the joy of making something delicious out of almost nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday<\/strong><\/p>\n And finally, the Guardian\u2019s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Good morning. Not only does plastic waste clog up waterways, beaches and strangle sea life, it also causes havoc inside the human body. Tiny fragments \u2013 invisible to the human eye \u2013 are probably swimming around your lungs, blood and liver right now. This represents a \u201cgrowing and underrecognised danger\u201d to human health, the latest<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14137,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[5520,1043,4448,7780,921,614,6387,362,3394,1456,6538],"class_list":{"0":"post-14136","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-agreement","9":"tag-briefing","10":"tag-bring","11":"tag-fraught","12":"tag-paris","13":"tag-plastic","14":"tag-plastics","15":"tag-pollution","16":"tag-reach","17":"tag-talks","18":"tag-tuesday"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14136"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14136\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Five big stories<\/h2>\n
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In depth: 10 days, 179 countries and one critical quest to reach a global treaty on plastic<\/h2>\n
What else we\u2019ve been reading<\/h2>\n
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Sport<\/h2>\n
The front pages<\/h2>\n
Today in Focus<\/h2>\n
Cartoon of the day | Stephen Lillie<\/h2>\n
The Upside<\/h2>\n
Bored at work?<\/h2>\n