Plastic Proliferation Threatens the Climate on a Global Scale

CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW.

A crab trapped in a plastic cup.

The plastic pollution crisis that overwhelms our oceans is also a significant and growing threat to the Earth’s climate. At current levels, greenhouse gas emissions from the plastic lifecycle threaten the ability of the global community to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C. With the petrochemical and plastic industries planning a massive expansion in production, the problem is on track to get much worse. Story here.