United Nations Environment Programme. Topics: Ocean Pollution. Deforestation

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Logan Williamson
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1 United Nations Environment Programme Topics: Ocean Pollution Deforestation

2 Topic 1: Ocean Pollution Background Oceans are the point at which planet, people, and prosperity come together, is a powerful quote that embraces the importance of our ocean water on Earth. Contamination from multiple sources, land and sea, are knowingly polluting the oceans. Harmful effects from chemicals, agricultural, industrial, and residential waste cause 80% of the ocean pollution from land. In the past three centuries, degradation, mainly of shoreline areas, has increased immensely because of the increase of coastal cities and farms sending runoff and industrial discharge into oceans. Common man-made pollutants that affect the ocean include herbicides, plastics, detergents, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, sewage, oil and other human products. This toxic waste all adds up on the ocean floors at all depths, where the bottom feeding marine animals mistake them for food. Larger fish feed on them and now greater toxicity continues to be introduced at higher levels of the food chain, all the way up to humans. Marine litter from foam, plastic bags and other solid waste are dumped into the oceans from ships or by land almost daily and are frequently consumed and cause fatal effects to marine mammals and birds. There are areas of the ocean called Dead Zones because the sedimentation has damaged coral reefs by blocking the oxygen and light needed for growth through photosynthesis of new coral. There are also places in the ocean that have currents that push all decomposing plastic and other forms of trash into giant garbage patches that build up more and more with time. There is a garbage patch in the North Pacific Ocean known as the Pacific Trash Vortex, and it is nearing the size of Texas. Lastly, plastic waste also negatively impacts the

3 ocean waters themselves through photodegradation, that releases toxins from the plastic into the surrounding waters. Urban runoff of sewage and fertilizers make up a substantial portion of the toxins that pollute our oceans. Elevated levels of sewage and fertilizers in the ocean cause eutrophication due to the extra nutrients in the water. Eutrophication destroys other marine life because of the excessive amount of algal blooms that deplete the water s dissolved oxygen; therefore, leaving the water nearly impossible for any marine life to survive and thrive in. This type of ocean pollution can also lead to risk disease and cause illnesses to arise in marine animals and/or humans and; therefore, lead to many beaches and shorelines being closed to public use. Today scientists have discovered that some pharmaceuticals ingested by humans that have not been fully digested and processed are in the sewage being dumped and being found in fish that we eat. Oil and petroleum based products entering our oceans is one of the largest causes of damage to our oceans. From the land, oil comes from rivers and drains as runoff from many cities and machines. From the sea, oil pollution is the result of accidental spills from massive tanker ships down to discharge of oily engine waste from small sport fishers or recreational vehicles. In addition to watercraft, oil entering the ocean each year from offshore oil rigs or platforms is a significant part of the ocean pollution issue. Oil slicks can drift over large areas of the ocean with the help of waves and wind, that contaminate anything in its path from open ocean to coastal areas. It has been determined that fatal chemicals are consciously being let into the oceans by a variety of different countries. Some countries may not understand the impact or they potentially may not care if there is a financial benefit for the polluting activity. For many years until the

4 1970s, oceans have been the number one place for dumping waste, including even such extreme pollutants as radioactive waste and chemical weapons. It is key to control what enters our oceans now that we better understand the consequences. Plastic based litter, urban runoff of sewage and fertilizers along with oil pollution can no longer be discarded in the earth s oceans otherwise our partnership with the planet, people, and prosperity will not be successful. UN Involvement The United Nations recognizes the pressing issue of ocean pollution and is making many efforts to protect marine life and prevent further pollution. In 1972, the London Dumping Convention banned toxic materials from being dropped into oceans. In 1982, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea put forth a comprehensive system of law and order for the oceans. They created a set of rules to govern uses of the ocean and its resources centered on the notion that all problems of ocean space are similar and must be addressed as a collective. Also taking a similar route, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro focused on taking initiatives to increase the protection of the marine habitat, decrease the harsh influence ocean pollution has on climate change and prevent overfishing. Their goal is to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Target which is by 2020, to have conserved 10% of coastal and marine areas. The United Nations Environment Programme has implemented a three year multi-million dollar project that was created to target the elimination of Western Indian Ocean pollution by strengthening cooperation of pollution regulations regionally and internationally. More recently, the United Nations declared war on ocean plastic by introducing the #CleanSeas campaign at the Economist World Ocean Summit in Bali. They called upon governments to approve and pass policies on the reduction of plastic and other ocean pollution, target companies to reduce the

5 amount of plastic packaging and plastic products, and in general drive people to transform their typical habits. The efforts being made by the Cleans Seas project keeps pace with the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals 14, which focuses on the necessity for clean use of the ocean habitats. To further learn about and help with the reduction of environmental impacts on the oceans, eight environmental organizations (FAO, WMO, UN, IAEA, UNEP, IMO, UNESCO-IOC) now co-sponsor and have nominated experts to work on an advisory body known as GESAMP. GESAMP was first established in 1969 and its main focus is to give scientific recommendations on ocean pollution issues to these sponsoring agencies and to the IOC (Intergovernmental OceanOgraphic Commission). For example, GESAMP began a series of reviews on the meanings of pollution and contaminants for the ocean environment in 1982, 1990, 2001a, 2001b. These reports helped provide information to the agencies as to the critical issues that exist around marine environmental protection and it targeted the public and decision-makers. Working alongside GESAMP, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA 2005) focuses on the consequences on the effects of the changes of the ecosystem on overall human well-being and established scientific based actions to further help prevent ocean pollution.

6 Questions to Consider What are the main sources of ocean pollution and how can these be prevented? What can we do to prevent toxic urban runoff from polluting our oceans? Where in the world is ocean pollution most prevalent and how does it affect marine habitats and human well-being worldwide? What is plastic s effect on the marine life and ocean safety worldwide? Work Cited ut-of-oceans-and-marine-life/

7 Topic 2: Deforestation Background: Deforestation dates back to when humans first inhabited the Earth. Forests cover about 30% of earth s surface, however, plots the size of half of England are lost every year. Fire was the first source of this problem as it was used to bald the land. Not only is deforestation a harmful to the environment, but many people depend on logging to make a living. Trees provide individuals many with resources such as shelter, food,wood for fire, and personal items. During the industrial age, timber was a common material for shipbuilders causing the detrimental effects of deforestation to rise. Timber was and still is frequently used in construction as well as pottery. The current demand for space for growing businesses is one of the main reasons why deforestation is escalating. Recently cleared forests also provide nutrient soil, allowing for farmers to convert the land to grow crops. These farmers utilize the slash and burn method, which involves the clearing of a few acres for crops and burning the remaining trees. As a result, the land produces for only a few years and then must be abandoned and new patches of forest are then burned. Fire is a common method used for land conversion to clear forests in Southeast Asia, tropical Africa, and the Americas for permanent oil palm plantations. Out of the 15 million square km of cropland in the world, close to 90% of it is deforested land. Clearing does not require any high level technology which makes it easier for companies to do and at an affordable price. Selective logging, fires, and forest clearing all intertwine with each causing a detrimental impact on our planet. Selective logging causes drier forests, therefore increasing the overall level of flammability. The burning of trees results in high levels of carbon dioxide, a harmful greenhouse gas. Trees are then no longer abundantly available to remove the carbon dioxide by

8 converting it into oxygen for all plants and animals affecting the overall health of all of earth s inhabitants. Deforestation also decreases diversity, causes habitat destruction, and can cause the extinction of many species. At today s rate, deforestation will have eliminated all of the world s rainforests within 100 years. Eighty percent of Earth s land animals and plants adapt in forest areas, and many are unable to survive deforestation. Unintentional deforestation is also possible. This is caused by a combination of human and natural factors like subsequent overgrazing and wildfires, which prevent the growing of young trees. Current forest soils are damp, but without protection from tree cover, they will completely dry out. Trees also help continue the water cycle by returning water vapor to the atmosphere. Without trees to fulfill these roles, many current forest lands will transform into barren deserts. Deforestation ranges from areas that are hot and wet year-round to forests that are merely humid and moist, to those in which trees lose their leaves in the dry season, and to dry open woodlands. On top of this, many areas are planted as monotypic plantations for paper or lumber production. These are commonly plantations of eucalyptus or fast-growing pine and almost all species are unable to adapt to these plants and the atmosphere facilitated. As of 2009, 2/3 of the world forests are located in the countries of : 1) Russia, 2) Brazil, 3) Canada, 4) United States, 5) China, 6) Australia, 7) Congo, 8) Indonesia, 9) Peru and 10) India. The world annual deforestation rate is estimated as 7.3 million hectares a year, which is equal to the size of Greece. The five main causes of deforestation are known to be agricultural expansion, logging, overpopulation, livestock ranching, and industrial expansion. The destruction caused by these actions reduces a country s overall GDP. The lack of wood available also affects those who rely on it for cooking and heating. The conversion of forests to agricultural fields leads to the loss of long term income and long term biological productivity.

9 Deforestation depletes countries sources of renewable resources due to replacing valuable land with useless grassland. In addition, Governments are losing up to 5 billion in revenues due to illegal logging. Illegal logging takes away from the potential income generated by legal logging. Many rely on illegal logging to survive yet threatens many others livelihood. Forest products play a major role in developing countries, responsible for about 120$ billion dollars. UN Involvement: The annual rate of deforestation estimated by the FAO has slowed minimally in certain places during the the last decade as a result of advanced forest management practices and recent establishment of nature preserves. In 2013, the United Nations Forum on forests put forth a new initiative utilizing new and improved monitoring system called the Global Forest Watch 2.0 which incorporates satellite technology to share data worldwide. This initiative hoped to promote increased forest management. The New York Declaration on Forests is a non-binding agreement that explains various countries hopes to decrease deforestation by 50% over the following 10 years. Over 350 million hectares are expected to be restored if the agreement is followed and accepted. The amount of carbon emissions is also hoped to be cut by 50% contributing to the fight against climate change. Many popular businesses and companies have announced pledges to make their products forest friendly which will contribute to the effort to stop deforestation. On September 7th, 2015, the FAO stated that while earth s forests continue to disappear as population sizes increase and land is converted to agricultural use, over the past 25 years, the rate of net global deforestation has slowed down by more than 50 per cent. In 2008, the United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries was launched and strengthens the convening

10 capacity and technical expertise of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The UN REDD program (reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation) involves incentives for changing the way forest resources are utilized. It brings forth a new way of curbing CO2 emissions by paying for actions that prevent forest loss or degradation. These transfer methods include carbon trading or paying for forest management. Funding rewards good forest management in developing countries and in result, makes poor forest management, such as unenforced logging, less profitable than the legal method. The source of this funding can result from carbon trading, where actors in industrialised countries offset their own emissions by transferring funds as carbon credits to poor developing countries. The UN-REDD Programme advocates nationally led REDD+ practices and encourages participation of all stakeholders, including inhabitants and forest-dependent societies, in the implementation of REDD+ ideas. Questions to Consider: 1. What are the main causes of deforestation globally? 2. What areas are impacted by deforestation the most? 3. What impact does deforestation have on our global community? (economically, physically, etc) 4. If deforestation rates are decreasing, why is it still a prominent global issue? 5. How does deforestation affect the inhabitants of the area? 6. What are alternative sources to deforestation? What materials can be utilized instead of trees?

11 Works Cited:

OCEAN DEFENDERS. A little more help for your research!

OCEAN DEFENDERS. A little more help for your research! OCEAN DEFENDERS A little more help for your research! OCEANS Humans both depend on it and threaten it with their activities OCEANS Water covers nearly ¾ of the Earth s surface More than 50% of the world