The Senator representing Abia Central Senatorial District , Senator Austin Akobundu has lamented the damage plastic pollution is doing to the world and called for concerted efforts to put an end to it.
The Senator stated this in his speech Thursday, 5th June, at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) on the occasion of World Environment Day celebration with the theme, “Ending Plastic Pollution” organised by the College of Natural Resources and Environmental Management of the institution.
Senator Akobundu who was the Chief Guest of Honour took the gathering down memory lane on how the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in a bid to curb the menace that plastic wastes have become to our world today, initiated the World Environment Day in 1972 and was officially celebrated in 1973 with the theme “Only One Earth.” Fifty Three years after the UNGA established the Day, and with the menace plastic has become to the world, Senator Akobundu asked if the world still has Only One Earth.
“Fifty Three years since it was established, the question we need to ask ourselves is, do we still have “Only One Earth,” or is our Earth now being taken over by such man-made products like plastics which are unfortunately reputed to have taken over a high percentage of the earth surface. In fact, a study by an Australian Organisation led by paleontologist Jan Zalasiewicz, claims that the amount of plastic wastes on the Earth is enough to cover the entire planet with plastic.
“Having started producing plastic since the onset of the 20th Century, the earth is now recorded to have produced a whopping 8.3 billion tons of plastic with 6.3 billion tons of it becoming wastes. With 40 per cent of the ocean surface said to be already covered by plastic wastes and about 79 per cent of plastic wastes filling up the landfills and environment worldwide, with the health hazards they pose to us since plastic also enter our bodies in the form of microplastic through foods, water and packaging, one is compelled to refer to the theme of the first official celebration of the World Earth Day by the United Nations General Assembly, and ask, do we still have “Only One Earth” or has our Earth been snatched away from us by plastic?”
He said he was going to leave the answers to the panelists and discussants at the event whom he charged to “shine their light for us on the way forward.”
Senator Akobundu who was represented at the event by a former Chairman of Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, Chief Stephen Mpamugo, commended the organisers of the event led by Prof. Princewill C. Ogbonna, the Dean of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, and the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe and his management team for their leadership. He reminded his audience that “the task to ‘End Plastic Pollution’ is that of all of us. We must therefore take deliberate steps to ensure it is pushed back, at home, in school, in the office, and everywhere,” he concluded.
The World Environment Day is celebrated every 5th of June.
