STOPPING THE POPs: Part 3
Alternatives
Support POP research in developing countries. Help such countries to make the shift to more acceptable alternatives. Provide financial and technological assistance to meet these goals.
Insist that industry does rigorous testing on all chemicals to determine toxicity. Ensure these test are not only for individual chemicals but commonly occurring combinations of chemicals.
Such processes must include adequate public participation and timely access to relevant government and private sector data as of right.
Even this is not enough
If the above actions are followed, it will make the elimination of POPs a global priority. It will not solve the problem however. The full support of governments, industry, consumers and pressure groups is essential to achieving these goals. Some companies have already taken voluntary actions to change their production processes eg.Scandinavian paper mills, who have introduced chlorine-free production. Other companies still seek management alternatives to total elimination. There are no such alternatives. Some POP chemicals like dioxin are produced when other chemicals are burned or break down. In order to eliminate this risk as well, all disposal processes should be monitored in terms of dioxin releases.
What You Can Do?
- Go to The Greenpeace Toxic site and click on "What You Can Do" to discover how to help with their campaign.
- Click on the "Hotspots Map" at the same site to find the areas in the world most contaminated by POPs.
- Go to the Indigenous Environmental Network to learn more about how POPs are affecting indigenous tribes and the actions they are recommending to their own people.
- Check which toxic products may already be in your kitchen
Other Articles in this Series
STOPPING THE POPs
STOPPING THE POPs: Part 2
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