The environment needs urgent focus

The two-week long Conference of Parties (COP26), a major global event, concluded recently in the United Kingdom. This annual event is among those that would have profound impact on the well-being of mankind and indeed of this planet for all time to come. The outcome was mixed.
The nearly 200 countries present adopted an outcome document which, in the words of UN Secretary-General, “reflects the interests, the contradictions, and the state of political will in the world today”. He said in a statement at the close of the meeting, “It is an important step but is not enough. We must accelerate climate action to keep alive the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.” There were several elements such as ending fossil fuel subsidies, phasing out coal, putting a price on carbon, protecting vulnerable communities, and the $100 billion commitment by rich countries towards climate finance. The UN Chief added, “We did not achieve these goals at this conference. But we have some building blocks for progress,” as he noted, “We are in the fight of our lives, a fight that must be won.” One hopes for further all-round rapid progress at the global level so we are able to ward off the biggest threat as yet to our civilization.
This issue of Urban Update focuses on another pressing environmental issue, namely the scourge of plastic waste. The humungous quantity of plastic waste being generated all over the globe has now acquired alarming proportions; it has permeated all dimensions of the ecology, including our oceans, putting ocean life and the entire underwater ecosystem to great threat. No wonder there are urgent calls all around to find lasting solutions to the plastic menace. While many have called for efficient collection and recycling of the material, many say that we must find alternate materials and do away with plastic altogether. But this is easier said than done. As we all know, plastic is a very versatile material. It is light, durable, rust proof, resilient to shocks (unbreakable), and above all, inexpensive. No wonder we see plastic all around us – from the humble water bottle to our office computer and printer, our television set, and so on. Just see the amount of plastic in our cars, motorcycles and even in aircrafts. Plastic is indeed the wonder material. Polymer science is able to craft its composition to meet varying requirements – from the ordinary kitchen vessel to the high-end spacecraft component (engineering plastics). The problem with plastic is related to its end-of-life disposal. In other words, plastic is a great friend while in use but an enemy of the planet once it turns into waste.
Therefore, the solution could be to keep plastic items in use for longer. Polymer science must develop varieties of the material that remain robust, resilient, and retain their properties for longer while also keeping the material affordable. So we could see much lower amount of plastic waste generation. As a corollary, single use plastic must surely be removed from our lives and many of its forms must be banned.
We trust that the articles in this issue can provide greater insights and generate more informed debate on the subject.