Improper consumption is approaching an environmental disaster. How Russia and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug Fight It
Ecologist Rybalchenko: plastic pollution is approaching reality
If people do not reconsider the culture of consumption, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Viktoria Abramchenko believes. The problem has long attracted the attention of Russian ecology, but without the support of saving the world from disasters, it is almost impossible. What environmental projects have been implemented in Russia and in the YNAO – Yamal-Media understood.
Change of habits
There are 10 million tons of plastic in the ocean every year. If nothing happens, in 27 years there will be more than fish in the ocean, said in an interview with RIA News” Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Victoria Abramchenko.
Photo: Ajin K.S./Unsplash
Abramchenko stressed that the task of the state is to encourage businesses to invest in the consumption stage. So far, only waste sorting projects are being carried out in the regions, but with the creation of waste disposal capacities. It sends people to change the culture of consumption.
Businesses are ready to invest in new environmental projects. According to Abramchenko, only last year it was possible to conclude an agreement on the construction of 44 waste production facilities.
close to disaster
Due to the accumulation of plastic in the oceans, an island with a huge waste has formed, which exceeds the size of Japan, Ilya Rybalchenko, an expert of the All-Russian Popular Front and a scientific expert of the Russian Ecological Movement, told Yamal-Media. People believe that this phenomenon is harmless: the abodes of the sea are not found, there is plastic and over time it will decompose.
“This plastic, decomposes and turns into microplastics. This is the main scourge of our time. You can’t do anything with it, you can’t even filter it, it passes like water covers your fingers through any filters.the expert explained.
Photo: OCG Ocean Rescue/Unsplash
And if whole packs of fish are not eaten, then they swallow microplastics with the remains. So he comes to us for food. Microplastics with dangerous tissue inflammation, immunity and other places. According to Rybalchenko, these wastes are even found in bottled water.
This is a trace from the fact that we launched it, we [пластик] rather poorly utilized. With what is in the world’s oceans, it is imperative to fight. This is the general problem of the earth. If we don’t do this, we will literally die out.
Ilya Rybalchenko
scientific expert of the Russian movement
What are they doing in Russia
In Russia there is a project “Frolov’s Gun”. It allows processing plastic in any fuel without burial in production and disposal, the specialist said.
According to him, the government has now taken up these developments. Moreover, Russia is a global stimulus in terms of the prospects for the development of technologies to reduce the size of plastic, including marine.
“There are physical processes in Russia, for example, the process of detonation steam generation, which is not found in anyone in the world,” — said Rybalchenko.
Photo: Zoltan Tasi/Unsplash
The country is also planning preferences from 28 types of single-use plastic goods in 2024. The list includes disposable tableware, coffee capsules, cotton swabs, opaque and colored PET bottles, and much more. About it TASS said the head of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia Alexander Kozlov. All things will find an alternative that can be easily recycled.
YaNAO example
In addition to state projects, the regions themselves launch environmental campaigns, connect with these entrepreneurs and volunteers. Yamal does not exclude. 2022 in the countybecame the Year of Ecology. During this time, 100 thousand cubic meters of garbage were removed, more than 50 trees were planted, and 6.5 thousand events were held.
Every third inhabitant of the region has contributed to the elimination of waste and landscaping. Perhaps, on this occasion, it was possible to overfulfill twice.
In the past year, projects for waste sorting facilities were developed in Yamal. The construction of three such complexes will begin this year. Large waste sorting enterprises appear in Salekhard, Novy Urengoy and Muravlenko.
Such “Years of Ecology” as in Yamal should be introduced in other regions as well. You are great. This activity, which organizes ecologists, is of great importance. There is the prospect of a delayed environmental catastrophe.
Ilya Rybalchenko
scientific expert of the Russian movement
Photo: OCG Ocean Rescue/Unsplash
Without help
After the garbage collection was entrusted to a special company, there was less waste separation, Rybalchenko noted. According to his conclusion, at present, despite the detention of the sorting tanks, the garbage is judged and sent to the landfill.
“The state has simply forgotten that a private entrepreneur is always looking for the cheapest solution. It maximizes profit he added.
The state needs to make sure that businesses take out the garbage and do not forget about environmental requirements and waste filtration. This must be tightly controlled, and sometimes even the expenses of the expert must be paid.
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