The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supports large-scale industrial farming. In classic neocolonialist style the Gates Foundation shifts property ownership from Africans, into the hands of big Western corps.

In the last 17 years the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has spent nearly US$6 billion in their quest to “improve agriculture” in Africa. For an underfunded sector you can pretty much call them the royalty of African agriculture.

Research was published by GRAIN, a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. They have uncovered all of the Gates Foundation’s interests in Africa.

GRAIN created a database of the Foundation’s grants in the area of food and agriculture from 2003 through to 2020. The database reveals a total of 1130 grants for food and agriculture, worth nearly $US6 billion of which almost US$5 billion is supposed to service Africa; there was no shift to try and reach groups in Africa directly, no refocusing away from the narrow technological approach, and no moves to embrace a more holistic and inclusive policy agenda; and that the Foundation’s Trust Fund, which manages the Foundation’s endowment, has big investments in food and agribusiness companies, buys up farmland, and has equity investments in many financial companies around the world.

Almost half of the Foundation’s grants for agriculture went to four big groupings: the global agriculture research network of the Consortium Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR); the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA, set up in 2006 by the Gates Foundation together with the Rockefeller Foundation); the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF, a technology centre pushing Green Revolution technology and GMOs into Africa); a number of international organisations (World Bank, UN agencies, etc.). The remaining money ended up with hundreds of research, development and policy organisations across the world. The Gates Foundation claims that 80 percent of their grants are meant to serve African farmers, but of the funding to these hundreds of organisations a staggering 82 percent was channelled to groups based in North America and Europe while less than 10 percent went to Africa-based groups.

The single biggest recipient of grants from the Gates Foundation is the CGIAR, a consortium of 15 international research centres launched in the 1960s to promote the Green Revolution with new seeds, fertilisers and chemical inputs. The Gates Foundation has given CGIAR centres US$1.4 billion since 2003. Another priority for the Gates Foundation through its funding is to support research at universities and national research centres in Europe and USA. Together, all this research gets almost half (47%) of the Gates Foundation’s funding.

The Gates Foundation heavily funds AGRA, a high-profile advocacy organisation. The Gates and Rockefeller Foundations launched AGRA in 2006 as a “farmer-centered” and “African-led” institution. AGRA coordinates and promotes networks of pesticide and seed companies and public agencies to sell and supply agriculture inputs to farmers across Africa. It also actively lobbies African governments to implement policies that favour seed and pesticide companies, such as patents on seeds or regulations that allow for GMOs.

The Gates Foundation has given AGRA a whopping US$638 million since 2006. But AGRA’s results are underwhelming to say the least. In the countries where AGRA is active, yields of staple crops increased only 18% over the past 12 years- far short of AGRA’s goal of doubling yields. Meanwhile, undernourishment (as measured by the FAO) increased by 30% in those countries.

Recently Bill and Melinda launched “Gates Ag One”, an initiative that claims to speed up the development of new seeds and chemicals and get them to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia more quickly. Where will the institute be based? Not in Ethiopia or Sri Lanka but in St. Louis, home of Monsanto and other GMO and pesticide giants.

Of course, AGRA itself is also actively pushing the African policy agenda. AGRA is among the key conveners of the annual Africa Green Revolution Forum (AGRF). Partners include some of the main global agrochemical corporations, such as Bayer, Corteva and Yara, and of course the Gates Foundation itself.

GRAIN’s conclusion was that the Foundation provides no funding to support farmer seed systems, which supply 80 to 90 percent of all the seeds used in Africa. The Gates Foundation instead provides a lot of funds to initiatives that destroy them. Furthermore, the Gates Foundation props up biofortification as a solution to malnutrition, taking funds and attention away from much more practical and culturally appropriate efforts to improve nutrition by enhancing on-farm biodiversity and people’s access to it. Over the past decade, the Gates Foundation has given over US$70 million to biofortification initiatives that essentially seek to artificially pack nutrients into single crop commodities.

GRAIN has not been the only org to notice the Foundation’s discrepancies and hypocrisies. In 2020 a report from Tufts University concluded that the Foundation’s work in Africa completely failed to meet the objectives that it had set itself. The African Centre for Biodiversity published a string of reports denouncing the Gates Foundation for pushing GMOs and other harmful technologies onto Africa. The US Right to Know collective started a “Bill Gates Food Tracker” to monitor the multiple initiatives that Gates is involved in to reshape the global food system.

What seems clear is that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s involvement in Africa is a clear neo-colonialist endeavour. It maximizes profits in the West by destroying a local food system, replacing it with an industrial food system that we know does not work. Don’t be fooled by their “saving the world” rhetoric, it is killing biodiversity, local culture, and sustainable food systems in pursuit of pure profit.

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For years (and we mean many years), the ocean helped us mitigate the early effects of human emissions by absorbing greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and heat, from the atmosphere. As a result, more than 90 percent of the warming that happened on Earth between 1971 and 2010 occurred in the ocean. A selfless act by Mother Nature, but it’s catching up to us.

Climate change, which describes long-term changes to temperature and typical weather, is accelerating at an alarming pace—and the impacts are hard to ignore. Let’s take a look at some changes to our ocean.

How whale poo can alleviate climate change

3 Ways Climate Change Affects Our Ocean 

Rising sea levels

Sea levels are rising at the fastest rate in 3,000 years. From 2018 to 2019, the global sea level rose to 6.1 millimeters. Sure, a few millimeters doesn’t sound like a lot, until you hear that the average, since 1993, has been 3.2 millimeters per year. That means that last year we doubled the global average from the past twenty years! The same report shares that the U.S. East Coast’s average is actually three to four times the global average. The ocean is rising, and it’s rising fast.

UN Ocean Conference 2022

The two major causes are thermal expansion (warm water expands), and melting glaciers and ice sheets. Why should we care? Rising sea levels increase the amount and severity of floods and shoreline erosion. It may also destroy wildlife habitats on the shoreline, interfere with coastal farming, and contaminate potable water sources.

Ocean acidification

Ocean acidification is a chemical imbalance that stems from large amounts of carbon dioxide. Put simply, it increases the concentration of hydrogen ions and reduces the amount of carbonate ions. Shellfish and other sea life rely on carbonate ions to grow their shells and thrive. But with fewer carbonate ions, shells become thin and brittle, growth slows down, and death rates increase. Since the Industrial Revolution, ocean acidity has increased by 30%. With large shellfish die-offs, the whole marine food chain is affected—not the best news for the multi-billion dollar fishing industry.

Extreme weather events

With more heat in the atmosphere and warmer ocean surface temperatures, the world is experiencing an increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. For example, research suggests that the number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes—characterized by higher wind speeds and more precipitation—is steadily increasing. To make matters worse, sea-level rise and a growing population along coastlines will exacerbate their impact. We’re predicting that coastal engineers and planners will be busy in the coming years.

Mitigating These Effects With Data

As demonstrated above, after years of emitting greenhouse gases, the effects of climate change are very evident. It’s time to collectively mitigate and reduce our carbon footprint.

We’re going to come out and just say it—we believe it starts with better data.

The current scale, pace, and practice of ocean scientific discovery and observation are not keeping up with the changes in ocean and human conditions. Current data is siloed and inaccessible—hindering a unified knowledge base for strategies and policy making.

Here are some ways that data needs to improve:

Affordability:

According to the Global Ocean Science Report (compiled by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission) ocean research is currently led by a small number of industrialized countries. Why? Because they can afford investments in data technology. Many coastal nations are not involved in building this knowledge base simply because they can’t afford the tools. Research is expensive.

By providing real-time information in actionable forms, this technology is incredibly useful for driving innovation. In order to accelerate the co-creation of knowledge and strategies, these tools need to be accessible to developing countries as well. Affordability and accessibility is the driving force behind Sofar Ocean’s Spotter buoys, which you can read more about here.

Open data sharing:

A major stumbling block to universal data synthesis is ownership. Government agencies, research, and private companies are all key players in ocean data collection and management, keeping these insights locked away for their own specific purposes.

Data tagging, federated data networks, and data lakes should be combined to create a new era of open and automated ocean data access. Governments can lead the way by declassifying and sharing data that are relevant to ocean science and management. They can also incentivize companies and researchers to share data by making it a condition for access to public resources, such as funding for ocean research, permits for coastal development, or licenses for oil exploration or fishing.

Making Waves Requires Momentum

A molecule of CO2 emitted in India or China has the same effect on the climate system as a molecule emitted in the United States. No matter where we are, climate change affects us all the same. Transformative changes require a unified approach. And we believe that starts with data.

This article is originally posted on Sofar Ocean and written by: Ayesha Renyard

The post Mitigating Climate Change: It Starts With Better Ocean Data appeared first on eco-nnect.

Experiences

1. Music concert tickets
2. Symphony/Orchestra/Ballet/Opera tickets
3. Escape Room
4. Movie tickets
5. Dinner date
6. Paragliding
7. Skydiving
8. Canyoning
9. Trampoline afternoon
10. Yoga retreat
11. Forest Bathing

A Green Guide: 5 Ideas to Have More Sustainable Holidays this Year

Classes

1. Dance class
2. Cooking class
3. PADI certification for Scuba Diving
4. Home Brewing
5. Permaculture Design course
6. Groundwork: natural business course
7. Painting/Art lessons
8. Guitar lessons
9. Coding course
10. Mushroom foraging class

Journey to zero-waste

1. Zero-waste master pack
2. Composting bin
3. Wild Deodorant
4. No-tox oral bundle
5. A mushroom-grow kit

Memberships

1. Carbon off-setting membership
2. Art museum membership eg. the Tate
3. Heli Alpha Pass
4. Your local zero-waste store
5. WGAC toilet paper subscription
6. Organic & ugly vegetable baskets

Consumables

1. Mezcal
2. Wine
3. 10L barrel of Olive Oil
4. Wunder Workshop’s Trio Gift Box
5. 10kg of grounded coffee

Knowledge

1. Books
2. Recipe books
3. How-to-books: eg. how to: grow vegetables/grow mushrooms/compost/go zero waste/align your business with nature etc..

The post 40 thoughtful gifts for a greener Holiday season appeared first on eco-nnect.

Following a plant-based/vegetarian/vegan diet during the festive season is harder than at any other time of the year. So here’s easy, filling and cosy recipes that will make all the carnivores jealous!

The post 7 scrumptious plant-based festive recipes for this Holiday Season appeared first on eco-nnect.

Book Review: The Precarious Future of American Farming

October 2, 2020 by Jason Plautz

More than a decade ago, Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” challenged Americans to think deeply about the global forces behind each meal. Pollan urged readers to “vote with your fork,” opting out of foods linked to animal abuse or pollution, instead replacing them with fresher food grown more locally and sustainably.

In his new book “Perilous Bounty: The Looming Collapse of American Farming and How We Can Prevent It,” Tom Philpott argues things have grown “considerably bleaker” since then. An individual’s shift to a vegan diet or shopping at a farmers market can’t stand up to the macro forces that shape industrial agriculture, from government subsidies to the consolidation of agrochemical firms. This incisive and detailed account shows how these business and political trends have strained resources and left farmland at risk from the accelerating effects of climate change.

6 Countries that are making their destination eco-friendly

“If the current ecological unraveling proceeds apace,” he writes, “it will trigger social and ecological disruptions that ‘voting with your fork’ won’t protect you from.”

Philpott, the food and agriculture correspondent for Mother Jones and a former farmer, centers his reporting on California’s Central Valley and the Midwest Corn Belt. Both have been fertile growing spots for centuries: California supports more than a third of the nation’s vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits and nuts, while the rich soil of the Midwest produces the majority of the nation’s corn and soybeans, crops that in turn fuel the nation’s meat markets.

But both juggernaut regions have been overworked to the point of unsustainability. The warming climate that has fueled the West’s record-breaking heatwave and brutal wildfire season has also plunged the region into a two-decade drought that scientists have deemed the worst of the modern era. For farmers, it’s drained the snowpack that should feed their fields; the average amount of snow captured in the Sierra Nevada mountains dropped up to 20 percent between the 1980s and 2000s, and is forecast to decline another 60 percent by 2050. The underground aquifers that are meant to act as a backup in dry years are also no help, as farmers have drained them so much that the ground is literally sinking beneath their feet.

Philpott notes that climate change isn’t just making droughts more severe. It is also increasing the likelihood of California’s other “Big One,” a megaflood that could wipe out wide swaths of the state’s crops. The state is typically due for one every 100 to 200 years (the last was more than 150 years ago), and climate change has only raised the odds, as warmer oceans mean more seawater evaporates into the atmosphere to fall over California. A University of California Los Angeles study found that a megaflood is “more likely than not” by 2060, and even without one, the “precipitation whiplash” of dry seasons followed by especially rainy ones makes California’s conditions more unreliable.

Regenerative Farming

In short, Philpott says, this “apparent triumph of comparative advantage is like the sight of water in a sunbaked desert: a mirage, and a dangerous one for U.S. eaters.”

Philpott’s tour of the Corn Belt — where crops cover an area almost the size of California — is equally worrisome. Pushed by federal subsidies, farmers there have largely moved away from planting traditional “cover crops” that shield the land from heavy spring rains. The result has been a steady and rapid erosion of the most fertile topsoil, which is swept as far away as the Gulf of Mexico. The same region was in the headlines in August after a powerful storm known as a derecho wiped out millions of acres of corn and soybean.

As is sometimes the case with climate science, “Perilous Bounty” can feel overwhelmingly head spinning. (To say nothing of the economic forces Philpott traces; a single chapter on California manages to rope in the Chinese nut market, the investment fund TIAA and Harvard University’s endowment.) But the book is grounded in the stories of farmers living through these challenges, and they also offer some measure of hope.

With particular empathy to the mid-sized farms most vulnerable to industry consolidation, he profiles the seemingly common-sense conservation work that is already showing results. The book spends time with Tom Frantzen, an Iowa farmer described as a “Corn Belt outcast” for mixing in rye crops with his normal soy and corn rotation. Even though the idea is simple and elegant — diversity on land once prized for it — Philpott paints it as far too rare.

The conversation Pollan started a decade ago linking food to climate change has been slow to develop. A July poll from the Yale Center on Climate Change Communication found that nearly a quarter of Americans did not think that beef or dairy products contributed to global warming, and nearly two-thirds said they “rarely” or “never” seek out information on the environmental impact of their food. Most consumers are still priced out of organic produce. Often the discussion around sustainable food focuses on headline-grabbing fad diets or meat replacements, like that covered in this summer’s “Billion Dollar Burger,” Chase Purdy’s chronicle of the efforts to create lab-grown beef.

“Perilous Bounty” has little interest in those trends; Philpott even points out that the popular plant-based Impossible Burger, the climate-friendly beef alternative on some fast food menus, relies on soy protein concentrate that comes from the Corn Belt. “The revolution we need likely will not come through the drive-through window at Burger King,” he writes.

Instead, “Perilous Bounty” makes the case for systemic change. That means a political discussion that recognizes how severely climate change is imperiling farmers. It means industry-wide shifts that distribute growing to new regions, instead of consolidating them in a handful of states. It also requires an administration that promotes policies incentivizing farmers to grow what’s best for the land, rather than squeeze ever-lower profits from subsidized crops.

Philpott is grim about the Trump administration, but notes encouragingly that the proposed Green New Deal would “eliminate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture sector” through support of family farms and sustainable land use practices. He also writes approvingly of plans by former presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to crack down on big agribusiness and reform the industry through supply side policies.

Philpott’s book was finished before Joe Biden became the Democratic nominee, but even the former vice president has talked up policies he might approve of. Biden’s $2 trillion climate plan includes language on sustainable agriculture, including funding research on precision agriculture and new crops, and a new market that would reward farmers for sequestering carbon on their land and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Outside of the Midwest, those incentives may not move elections. But Philpott’s book should make climate-concerned voters take a second look, and bring “voting with their fork” to an even bigger stage.

Jason Plautz is a Colorado-based reporter covering energy and environment policy.

This article was originally published on Undark. Read the original article.

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Over 20 months ago, a Venezuelan oil tanker —Nabarima—carrying 55 million gallons of crude oil was abandoned off the north of Venezuelan’s coast in the Gulf of Paria, near the island-state of Trinidad and Tobago (That is 5x the amount of crude oil in the Exxon Valdez spill). The ship is now sinking, yet if the cargo starts to leak it could cause a major ecological disaster in its Caribbean waters.

The Nabarima is flying under a Venezuelan flag, it is operated by Petrosucre company, the Petroleos of Venezuela (PDVSA), and the Italian oil giant Eni. In January 2019 Trump imposed sanctions on the Venezuelan controlled PDVSA. Petrosucre reacted by stopping its extraction operations and by abandoning the ship off the coast of Venezuela.

According to the Miami Herald and Reuters:“Eventually, the ship fell into a state of disrepair. A person familiar with the matter reported that it was undergoing repairs.”

What happens now?

This week, finally, there has been some action. Trinidad and Tobago’s energy and foreign ministers will dispatch a team of experts to investigate the situation whilst PDVSA has recently claimed that it will engage in a ship-to-ship transfer to offload the crude oil using tugboats.

The post Venezuelan oil tanker operated by Eni and the Venezuelan government threatens to spill 1.3 million in Trinidad & Tobago appeared first on eco-nnect.

There is a natural intelligence that flows through everything on Earth. It powers plants to grow, animals to mate, and microorganisms to multiply. This same ancient intelligence runs through your veins too.

But in today’s fast-paced modern world, it’s easy to forget this. Most people operate as if they’re separate from nature. This disconnection is at the root of all physical, mental, emotional and spiritual problems today.

Groundwork represents the reunion between people and nature.

When we remember our natural place in the ecosystem, we can sync into harmony with nature instead of continuing to fight against it.

This is how it’s meant to be. Getting back into flow with the natural rhythm of the world allows us to create with clarity, ease and purpose.

We come alive, and our businesses come alive too.

Here a list of 100 ways we could fix our world for a healthier and greener future

The post Groundwork, aligning business leaders with nature appeared first on eco-nnect.

This week marks the official start of fall, but longer nights and colder days can make it harder to spend time outdoors. Luckily, there are several inspiring environmental films that can be streamed at home.

1. Kiss the Ground

Streaming On: Netflix

Premiere Date: Sept. 22

Between wildfires devastating the U.S. West Coast and storms battering the Gulf, the impacts of the climate crisis can feel overwhelming right now. Kiss the Ground offers an alternative to all of the bad news by focusing on solutions.

The film, directed by Josh and Rebecca Tickell and narrated by Woody Harrelson, explains how we can heal the Earth through “regenerative agriculture,” farming practices that draw carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and into soil as a way to restore soil health, which in turn boosts ecosystems and food supplies.

“Kiss the Ground shows how feasible it is to make these changes at a grassroots level immediately and make a truly substantive impact with low cost and easy to implement solutions,” Executive Producer RJ Jain said in an email. “This is why I got involved.”

2. Public Trust: The Fight for America’s Public Lands

Streaming On: YouTube

Premiere Date: Sept. 25

This award-winning documentary tells the stories of Indigenous activists, journalists, whistleblowers and historians working to protect America’s public lands. The film focuses on three political struggles: the shrinking of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, the mining of Boundary Waters Wilderness in Minnesota and the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to fossil fuel exploration.

Public Trust was directed by David Garrett Byars and produced by Jeremy Rubingh. Patagonia Films, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and actor Robert Redford are executive producers. It will be released on YouTube in time for National Public Lands Day.

“Our country is fortunate to have millions of acres of public lands, including National Parks, Monuments, Wildlife Refuges and Wilderness set aside for future generations,” Redford said. “Sadly, these lands that belong to you and me are under unprecedented threats from the greed of big corporations, eager to weaken restrictions in the pursuit of profits. Many of our current politicians are also to blame. Public Trust tells the story of citizens who are fighting back. It’s a much-needed wake-up call for all of us who want to preserve our unique and wild cultural heritage.”

It will be released on YouTube at 2 p.m. EDT Friday in time for National Public Lands Day

3. David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet

Streaming On: Netflix

Premiere Date: Oct. 4

Beloved nature broadcaster David Attenborough has spent his career introducing viewers to the wonders of our planet. In recent years, his footage of albatrosses swallowing plastic in Blue Planet II has been credited with helping to ramp up the global fight against plastic pollution. Now, in this World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-produced documentary, he reflects on the defining moments of his career and the devastating changes he has witnessed.

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet, which was also produced by Silverback Films and directed by Alastair Fothergill, Jonnie Hughes and Keith Scholey, features an intimate conversation between Attenborough and Sir Michael Palin as the broadcaster reflects on his life and a career that took him to every continent on Earth. In addition to streaming on Netflix, the movie will be available in select theaters starting Sept. 28.

“For decades, David has brought the natural world to the homes of audiences worldwide, but there has never been a more significant moment for him to share his own story and reflections,” WWF executive producer Colin Butfield said in a statement. “This film coincides with a monumental year for environmental action as world leaders make critical decisions on nature and climate. It sends a powerful message from the most inspiring and celebrated naturalist of our time.”

Originally published on Ecowatch by Olivia Rosane

Sep. 24, 2020 12:56PM EST

The post 3 New Environmental Docs to Watch This Fall appeared first on eco-nnect.

Remember you are wild.

This documentary by Craig Foster recounts an unbelievable tale of a free diver falling head over heels for a wild octopus in the mesmerizing kelp forests of South Africa. I have to admit this documentary hits home. It reminds us that we are part of nature too, we can blend in, we can understand it, but most of all we can empathize with it.

Octopi have similar levels of intellect as cats and dogs, often they are dubbed as “alien” due to their distinct form of intelligence—most of their nervous system is spread out across their tentacles and they have 3 hearts! Their curious and playful ways resemble any loyal companion, whereas their deceit and cunning make them master escapists and intrepid hunters.

2 documentaries to watch on rainforest conservation

Craig’s commitment and fascination with the octopus truly engross you, bringing you ever so closesly to your wild side. This seemingly simple documentary stirrs deep existential questions. What truly makes us happy? When you’re diving aimlessly underwater you feel a sense of peace and awe. When you’re perched on the side of the mountain, stress leaves you and you enter a meditative mode. When a wild octopus trusts you, you feel like you belong. Is that real happiness?

Few are the lucky people who have had close wild encounters, and even less are those who win a wild animal’s full acceptance. Craig successfully reminds us of the simplicity of life, of the ease of pure natural joy.

It’s time we all got in touch with our wild side.

I could not recommend this documentary more! Find it on Netflix

If you want to learn more about this awesome species I recommend reading “Other Minds” by Peter Godfrey-Smith as well and delving into Craig’s NGO Sea Change Project.

By: Isabella Cavalletti

Netflix is going green, sets target net zero by 2022

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This past May, the European Union Parliament’s passed a “single-use plastic ban by 2021” to be enforced by each member state through domestic policies. Germany is the first EU nation to follow through on the commitment. The German government recently agreed to ban the sale of single-use plastics, such as plastic cutlery, straws, cotton balls, and food containers, by July 3rd, 2021.

Earlier this summer, Germany’s Federal Environment Minister, Svenja Schulz, gave a public statement about plastics’ implications on the planet, our oceans, and the atmosphere:

“Many disposable plastic products are superfluous with no sustainable use of resources. In addition, plastics end up too often in the environment or in the oceans. We are taking an important national step in the fight against the plastic flood.” —Svenja Schulz

According to a study made by the German Association of Local Communities, 10-20% of plastic waste is discarded in parks, public places, and streets. Whilst the majority of plastic use is in the form of food delivery packaging. Food packaging is commonly made out of polystyrene and styrofoam–two of the most polluting plastics in the world.

Notpla: The Edible Plastic Alternative!

In the last decade, Europe has seen a 13% increase in plastic pollution. Each year Germany produces 3 million tons of plastic in packaging. It may come to a surprise to find out that only 48% of Germany’s plastic is actually recycled. A country well-known for its recycling processes and high technology. In 2017 Germany even was nominated “recycling champion”, the title was awarded by the World Economic Forum.

Recycling can be very tricky, many materials are recycled differently, and many citizens do not know how to classify it. Besides, many products come with other materials, such as labels or caps, that should be classified in different categories.

Finally, a country showing that top-down is the way forward: faster, effective, and placing the responsibility where it should be: on the plastic producers = the corporations.

Germany’s journey as a sustainable leader does not end with its ban on single-use plastics; the government has also agreed to phase out coal by 2038 and focus on renewable energies instead.

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