Latest news with #EnvironmentalProtectionAct
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Health
- Business Recorder
Pakistan's plastic challenge
EDITORIAL: Plastic pollution has become one of the most pervasive and damaging environmental threats of our time, choking ecosystems, endangering wildlife and infiltrating every corner of the planet. Pakistan is no exception here, generating over two million tonnes of plastic waste annually, amounting to more than 8kg of waste per capita per year. Alarmingly, 86 percent of this waste remains unrecycled and unmanaged, clogging waterways, polluting urban spaces, and leaching toxins into food systems, soil and the sea. In fact, this crisis has become so severe that Pakistan now ranks among the top 10 plastic-polluting countries in the world. These distressing details were revealed by the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) on World Environment Day that was commemorated on June 5. In its statement, the WWF-P highlighted the serious environmental and health impacts of single-use plastics in particular, which offer short-term convenience but inflict long-term damage. Billions of these disposable items are discarded daily, with around 14 million tonnes ending up in the world's oceans each year, endangering marine life and fragile ecosystems. Even more troubling is the spread of microplastics, tiny particles formed as plastic breaks down. Traces of these have been found in seafood, drinking water and even human blood, raising major public health concerns. Research links plastic exposure to hormonal imbalances, reproductive issues and increased cancer risk. Adding to the crisis, plastic production and disposal also emit greenhouse gases, worsening climate change. Most dangerously, the all-pervasive use of plastic packaging generates constant waste at both household and commercial levels, making it one of the hardest pollution types to regulate and eliminate. Plastic packaging is made from stubbornly non-biodegradable materials, like polyethylene and polystyrene, synthetic polymers that resist natural decomposition and can persist in the environment for centuries, which means that almost every piece of plastic ever produced still exists today. Pakistan's efforts to tackle plastic pollution have largely been piecemeal and reactive, relying on city- or province-specific bans on plastic bags and sporadic public awareness campaigns. Legislations like the Environmental Protection Act and the Solid Waste Management Act include provisions that aim to improve waste management, while in June 2023, media reports referenced a proposed 10-year strategy aimed at cutting plastic use, boosting recycling and minimising waste. Most recently, in April, the government introduced the National Action Roadmap to Reduce Plastic Pollution, which lays out a comprehensive plan to curb mismanaged plastic waste, at least on paper. However, huge enforcement gaps and the lack of a unified, nationwide policy to ensure coordination and consistency across provinces have hindered efforts to combat plastic waste. The fact of the matter is that the plastic industry enjoys huge economic relevance in Pakistan. Given this economic significance, a comprehensive policy framework that gradually reduces the plastic industry's dominance by promoting the production and use of environmentally friendly alternatives is essential. Banning plastic usage alone will be inadequate; authorities must also create the conditions for eco-friendly alternatives, such as biodegradable cloth or jute bags to become both widely available and affordable. This requires robust collaboration between the public and private sectors, along with targeted financial and technical assistance to help local manufacturers transition towards the production of sustainable plastic alternatives. Without viable alternatives, the public cannot be expected to comply with bans, nor can plastic producers feasibly shift to greener options without risking economic loss. Addressing plastic pollution effectively, therefore, requires a balanced approach that aligns environmental goals with economic realities to create lasting change. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hamilton Spectator
02-06-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Nipissing First Nation leads rally against Ontario's Bill 5
About 70 people gathered before MPP Vic Fedeli's office on North Bay's Main Street today to protest the province's proposed Bill 5. Nipissing First Nation (NFN) organized the event. Bill 5, the Unleashing Our Economy Act, is designed to fast-track economic development and holds many amendments to the Environmental Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. NFN is concerned that this expedited process will reduce opportunities for consultation between the province and First Nations. 'Bill 5 is new legislation that could harm our land, weaken environmental protections, and ignore our Treaty rights. It was created without proper consultation with Indigenous peoples. This is not right and we must speak out,' NFN explained in a release. The demonstration was part of a larger day of protest, as many First Nations throughout the province took part. See: Ontario PCs to limit debate on controversial Bill 5, among other legislation NFN's Chief, Cathy Stevens, attended a rally against the Bill at Queen's Park, so she could not attend the local protest. In a statement, Chief Stevens said, 'The changes proposed in Bill 5 threaten not only our rights but our identity.' The chief continued, 'The land holds the stories of our ancestors, reaching back over 13,000 years. This Bill does not protect Ontario. It protects profit. If Ontario truly values its past and its future, it must remove these exemptions and work with First Nations to protect what cannot be replaced.' Vic Fedeli, the Minister of Economic Development, was not at his North Bay office this morning. However, in an email to BayToday, Fedeli emphasized the importance of Bill 5 to keep Ontario competitive. He wrote, 'Now more than ever, it is important for Ontario to remain competitive in the global race to attract and maintain job-creating investments. If projects are going to take ten years to get shovels in the ground, Ontario will lose out on billions of dollars of new investment to other jurisdictions.' Fedeli continued, 'The proposed legislation is about unlocking Ontario's true economic potential, not overriding Indigenous rights, environmental safeguards, or existing labour laws.' See: Ford government's plan for 'Indigenous-led' zones under Bill 5 'too late,' leaders say Cameron Welch, the Director of Lands, Natural Resources, and Economic Development for NFN, is concerned that unlocking that economic potential will come at great cost to the environment, and relations between the province and First Nations. Welch said, given the current climate with tariff threats from the US, 'I'm concerned the provincial government is using some of that uncertainty and people's anxiousness to really gut important safeguards in provincial legislation.' 'I wonder if they are using this [economic] uncertainty, and these difficult times to advance their own interests, at the expense of not only the environment but also the Treaty relationship,' Welch added. For Welch, the danger of Bill 5 is that it creates special economic zones, 'And within these zones, as we understand it, the safeguards in terms of calling for environmental review, and all of those pieces that go along with project approval, will be essentially removed.' If those zones are created, 'At what stage during that process does the consultation and accommodation of Indigenous rights come in? We're concerned that this might strike at the very basis of the Treaty arrangement, where you have one side of the Treaty unilaterally declaring we're going to go ahead with this project.' Yvette Bellefeuille, an NFN councillor, agreed with Welch that the province is taking advantage of an opportunity. 'They are overreaching. They're not including consultations with First Nations in the development of this Bill, and it impacts them. A lot of the lands the Ontario Government is trying to grab is First Nation land.' David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Time of India
Police launch crackdown on spurious seeds trade across Telangana
Hyderabad: Telangana Police has launched a comprehensive campaign against the illegal trade of spurious and substandard seeds across the state. A joint task force, comprising police officials, agriculture department representatives, and seeds corporation personnel, has already been established at the district level to combat this growing menace. The crackdown targets various offenses, including the sale of substandard seeds, expired seeds, unlicensed sales, and the distribution of banned herbicide-tolerant (HT) cotton seeds. Offenders face severe penalties under multiple acts, including the Seeds Act and the Environmental Protection Act, with punishments extending up to seven years imprisonment. In recent operations, authorities in Vikarabad,and in commissionerates of Rachakonda, Warangal, and Ramagundam have seized significant quantities of spurious seeds. The DGP said that the state has adopted a zero-tolerance policy, implementing the Preventive Detention Act against the offenders. He appealed to farmers to purchase seeds only from authorized dealers and report any suspicious activities to local police stations.
The Hindu
31-05-2025
- The Hindu
Police crack the whip on sale and distribution of spurious seeds
Telangana Police have launched a state-wide crackdown on sale and distribution of spurious seeds, including the banned herbicide-tolerant cotton varieties, amid concerns over the impact on farmers' livelihoods and crop productivity. According to Director General of Police (DGP) Jitender, a joint task force comprising police personnel, agriculture officials and seed corporation officials has been activated at the district level to identify and prosecute those selling fake, substandard, or expired seeds. The offenders are being booked under multiple laws, including the Seeds Act, Environmental Protection Act and even the BNS Act. Police are also targeting vendors peddling illegal B.G. III (herbicide tolerant) cotton seeds, which are banned under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. 'These sellers are playing with the lives of innocent farmers. When crops fail due to spurious seeds, farmers pay a heavy price,' the officer said, referring to the rise in farmer suicides linked to poor yields. The offences range from selling low-germination seeds to passing off grains as seeds, relabelling expired stock and operating without licences. Some have been caught distributing seeds in torn or unlabelled containers, while others have diverted government-subsidised seeds for private sale. Cases under relevant laws, some carrying prison terms of up to seven years, are being registered. As a deterrent, authorities are seizing assets used in the manufacture and sale of these fake seeds by invoking provisions of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police are also not hesitating to invoke the Preventive Detention Act in severe cases. In recent weeks, raids in Vikarabad, Gadwal, and the commissionerates of Rachakonda, Warangal and Ramagundam, have led to significant seizures of illegal seeds and pesticides. Farmers have been urged to procure seeds only from authorised dealers and report any suspicious activities related to seeds, fertilizers or pesticides, to the nearest police station.
Spectator
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Scotland's Ecocide Bill is pure moral posturing
Here we go again. The Scottish parliament risks embarking on yet another exercise in legislative virtue signalling: the Labour MSP Monica Lennon's emotively titled Ecocide Bill. The Scottish government is reportedly looking favourably on this legislation, which would make destroying the environment a criminal offence punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Needless to say, destroying the environment – intentionally or recklessly – is already illegal under numerous statutes: the Environmental Protection Act, the Wildlife and Countryside Act, and the Climate Change Act, to name but three. But, like the ill-fated Named Person Act, the Gender Recognition Reform Bill or the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act, this Ecocide Bill is designed to 'send a message'. That message being: damaging the environment is a really, very bad thing indeed and should be opposed by all right-thinking people. Much like those earlier legislative missteps, the unintelligible Ecocide Bill, if it goes the distance, will repealed, ignored, or, most likely, ruled ultra vires – beyond the powers of the Scottish Parliament.
