UN ensures that plastic affects the most vulnerable and more environmental news

Bees warn of the presence of microplastics in the environment

A recent report carried out by the Universities of Alcalá, Autónoma de Madrid and Almería and the Danish Association of Beekeepers , says that bees, and other insects, have contact with microplastics. This study, along with others, shows that these materials have the ability to reach various ecosystems, such as oceans, rivers, soils, and the air.

For the study, the Danish Association of Beekeepers, gave access to "a series of samples of the bees last spring. Afterwards, we evaluated the presence of the microplastics that arrived attached to the insects in a series of hives located in nineteen locations of Copenhagen and surroundings " says the report.

As a result, multiple and diverse microplastics were found in all the hives that were sampled. According to the report, "remarkable quantities have also been found in suburban and even rural regions. They come from nearby urban areas, which are the main source of this pollution."

This study is innovative, as it is the first of its kind to show that high plastic pollution affects even insects, and it also shows that bees, through their activities, can help us understand how pollution is affecting the world.

Survey says that the biggest challenge for the global community is climate change

According to a survey carried out by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 67% of the world's population considers that "the most important challenge we face is climate change and the loss of biodiversity ".

This survey, called The World in 2030, was carried out in an open online questionnaire between May and September 2020, it was carried out in 25 languages and shows the concern of young people throughout the world, since "57% of the respondents were under 35 years old, and 35% under 25 ". Likewise, other challenges that were taken into account for the survey were "violence and conflict, also selected by 44% of them; discrimination and inequality, selected by 43%; or the shortage of food, water and housing , which also worries 42%. In total, respondents could select from 11 challenges of universal nature ".

It should be noted that the survey also thought about possible solutions to this challenge, and education was the solution chosen by the majority of respondents.

UN ensures that the plastic used during the pandemic affects the most vulnerable

In the most recent report of the United Nations Environment Program and the NGO Azul, it is assured that the excessive use of plastics during the COVID-19 pandemic "affects the most vulnerable and marginalized and the communities that live or they work near the production and disposal sites of this material. " This is due to the excessive waste of medical materials made of plastic, the evident increase and consumption of the material and the interruptions in the recycling processes.

Also read: What is the relationship between zoonotic diseases and animal exploitation?

The UN news page assures that "the pandemic could reverse any progress made in reducing the consumption of single-use plastic, with a staggering increase in the use of disposables such as masks and face shields, gloves, bottles of disinfectant for hands, protective scrubs, test kits, take-out containers, delivery packages and many other products that have become ubiquitous. "