Climate change and plastic pollution make each other WORSE
Politicians focused on tackling are being urged to not forget the world is in the midst of a global marine plastic pollution crisis. Researchers from the Zoological Society (ZSL) and Bangor University analysed data on global climate change and marine plastic pollution, finding that they act to exacerbate one another, creating a larger overall problem for the planet. The impact of climate change on ocean ecosystems is widely studied, as is the impact of plastic pollution, but this is the first to look at how they act together. Plastic manufacturing adds greenhouse gas emissions, they said, and in turn extreme weather events caused by climate change further They say so much energy is being spent on policies to reach net zero and to minimise carbon dioxide emissions, that the plastic problem risks being ignored. Instead, the experts say governments should treat both issues at the same time. As part of the study, the team identified three significant ways that the climate crisis and plastic pollution are connected. The first is how plastic contributes to global greenhouse gases throughout its life cycle, from production through to disposal. The second demonstrates how extreme weather, like floods and typhoons associated with climate change will disperse and worsen plastic pollution. Finally, the third examines the marine species and ecosystems that are particularly vulnerable to both climate change and plastic pollution. While climate change is a major headline issue, plastic pollution is having a devastating impact on marine biodiversity, the researchers warned. From individual animals mistakenly ingesting plastic bags to entire habitats polluted with microplastics, it is a problem that seems to be getting worse. Mainly sourced from fossil fuels, and with global demand set to rise, production of plastic from 2015 to 2020 was responsible for emitting 56 billion megatons of CO2. While the figure isn't finalised, based on estimates, the ZSL team say it accounts for between 10 and 13 per cent of the entire global carbon budget. Climate change is already causing more extreme weather events including storms and flooding, increasing the dispersal of waste between land and sea, the team said. In addition, sea ice is a major trap for microplastics which will be released into the ocean as the ice melts due to warming, potentially entering global food chains. Awareness and coverage of both issues has risen exponentially over the years, but studies show that they are often approached as separate, even competing issues. Professor Heather Koldewey, Senior Technical Specialist at ZSL, a director at #OneLess, and the senior author on the paper says that integrated solutions to mitigate against both crises are possible and must be considered. 'Climate change is undoubtedly one of the most critical global threats of our time,' Professor Koldewey explained. 'Plastic pollution is also having a global impact; from the top of Mount Everest to the deepest parts of our ocean. 'Both are having a detrimental effect on ocean biodiversity; with climate change heating ocean temperatures and bleaching coral reefs, to plastic damaging habitats and causing fatalities among marine species. 'The compounding impact of both crises just exacerbates the problem. It's not a case of debating which issue is most important, it's recognising that the two crises are interconnected and require joint solutions.' The study demonstrates how vulnerable species and habitats which are impacted by climate change are also threatened by plastic pollution. It says that further research is needed to determine these links, their roles in our natural environment, and how both issues interact to negatively impact ecosystems. Professor Koldewey said: 'The biggest shift will be moving away from wasteful single-use plastic and from a linear to circular economy that reduces the demand for damaging fossil fuels.' Helen Ford, PhD researcher at Bangor University who led the study and focuses her research on coral reefs, said she sees daily how vulnerable marine ecosystems are to a changing climate. 'I have seen how even the most remote coral reefs are experiencing widespread coral death through global warming-caused mass bleaching. Plastic pollution is yet another threat to these stressed ecosystems,' she said. 'Our study shows that changes are already occurring from both plastic pollution and climate change that are affecting marine organisms across marine ecosystems and food webs, from the smallest plankton to the largest whale. 'We need to understand how these threats to ocean life will interact as they build and encourage policy-makers to act to address these global threats.' The recognition that global environmental crises are intrinsically linked is increasing, according to the ZSL team, who found in a study last year that climate change and the biodiversity crisis must also be tackled in unison. ZSL is urging world governments and policy makers to put nature at the heart of all decision making in order to jointly tackle the combined global threats of climate change, marine plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. The findings have been published in the journal .