Pollution by states and companies is contributing to more deaths globally than COVID-19, a UN environmental report published on Tuesday last week said, calling for “immediate and ambitious action” to ban some toxic chemicals.
The report said pollution from pesticides, plastics and electronic waste is causing widespread human rights violations and at least 9 million premature deaths a year, and that the issue is largely being overlooked.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused close to 5.9 million deaths, according to data aggregator Worldometer.
Photo: Reuters 照片：路透
“Current approaches to managing the risks posed by pollution and toxic substances are clearly failing, resulting in widespread violations of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment,” the report’s author, UN Special Rapporteur David Boyd, concluded.
Due to be presented next month to the UN Human Rights Council, which has declared a clean environment a human right, the document was posted on the Council’s Web site on Tuesday last week.
It urges a ban on polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl, man-made substances used in household products such as non-stick cookware that have been linked to cancer and dubbed “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down easily.
Photo: AFP 照片：法新社
It also seeks the clean-up of polluted sites and, in extreme cases, the possible relocations of affected communities — many of them poor, marginalized and indigenous — from so-called “sacrifice zones.”
That term, originally used to describe nuclear test zones, was expanded in the report to include any heavily contaminated site or place rendered uninhabitable by climate change.
UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet has called environmental threats the biggest global rights challenge, and a growing number of climate and environmental justice cases are invoking human rights with success.
Chemical waste is set to be part of negotiations at a UN environment conference in Nairobi, Kenya, starting on Monday next week, including a proposal to establish a devoted panel, similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
(Reuters)
聯合國上週二發布的一份環境報告指出，各國與企業造成的污染，在全球所導致的死亡人數超過死於COVID-19的人數，因此呼籲「立即採取大刀闊斧的行動」禁用一些有毒化學品。
該報告說，農藥、塑膠及電子廢棄物所造成的污染，造成大規模人權侵犯，每年至少有九百萬人過早死亡，而且此問題多半被忽視了。
根據資料整合網站Worldometer之數據，冠狀病毒大流行已造成近五百九十萬人死亡。
該報告作者、聯合國特別報告員大衛‧波伊德總結道：「目前對污染及有毒物質的風險管理方法顯然是失敗的，導致我們擁有清潔、健康及永續環境的權利被廣泛侵犯」。
該報告已於上週二發佈在聯合國人權理事會網站，將於下月送交理事會──該理事會宣示擁有潔淨環境為人權。
該報告敦促禁用多氟烷基和全氟烷基，這些人造物質用於家用產品例如不沾廚具，這些物質與癌症有關，且被稱為「永久化學品」，因其不易分解。
它還呼籲清理被污染的地方，在極端情況下，可能將受影響的社區──其中許多是貧困、社會邊緣人及原住民──搬離所謂的「犧牲區」。
「犧牲區」這術語原指核子試爆場，此報告將其定義擴及任何因氣候變化或嚴重污染而不適人居的地方。
聯合國人權事務負責人蜜雪兒‧巴舍萊將環境威脅稱為全球最大的人權挑戰，越來越多援引人權的氣候與環境司法案件取得成功。
化學廢棄物問題將納入二月二十八日起在肯亞奈洛比舉行的聯合國環境會議中談判，包括建立一個類似「政府間氣候變化專門委員會」之專門小組的提案。
（台北時報林俐凱編譯）
What comes to mind when you think of a “mermaid”? For some, it may simply be a mythical creature, but being a professional mermaid is a real and fascinating career. This unique job not only involves creativity but also demands dedication and skill. Professional mermaids amaze audiences with breathtaking underwater performances. Whether they are gracefully swimming alongside marine creatures or educating spectators about manatee ecology, their movements evoke a sense of magic and wonder. But their work doesn’t stop there. Many mermaids engage directly with visitors, taking memorable photos or guiding them through unique experiences, such as “mermaid for
A preliminary finding into last month’s Air India plane crash has suggested the aircraft’s fuel control switches were turned off, starving the engines of fuel and causing a loss of engine thrust shortly after takeoff. The report, issued by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on Saturday last week, also found that one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) asking the other why he cut off the fuel in the flight’s final moment. The other pilot replied he had not done so. The Air India flight — a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner — crashed on June 12 and killed
A: A mint Labubu doll was sold for a record 1.08 million Chinese yuan — or about US$150,300 — at an auction. B: That much for a doll? That’s insane. A: The character of toy company Pop Mart has sparked a global frenzy thanks to celebrity endorsements, like pop diva Rihanna and Blackpink member Lisa. B: Where can we admire all the Pop Mart dolls? A: The world’s third Pop Mart flagship store is located in Taipei’s Ximending area. Let’s go together. A: 一個薄荷色的「拉布布」玩偶在拍賣會上，拍出108萬人民幣天價、高達15萬美元！ B: 一個玩偶？這也太瘋狂啦。 A: 這個泡泡瑪特玩具公司旗下的角色正在全球掀起狂熱，而這都要感謝天后蕾哈娜、Blackpink的Lisa等名人的加持。 B: 哪裡可以看到泡泡瑪特推出的公仔啊？ A: 全球第三家泡泡瑪特旗艦店就在台北西門町，我們去逛逛吧。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
A: What are some of the hottest auction items other than the Labubu doll? B: NBA player Stephen Curry’s basketball card, actress Jane Birkin’s Hermes “Birkin bag,” and Princess Diana’s dresses also attracted robust bidding recently. A: How much can a trading card cost? B: Curry’s Paris Olympics autograph card was sold for US$518,500, or NT$15.3 million. A: Wow, it broke the record held by MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani’s baseball card. That’s amazing. A: 除了 「拉布布」玩偶以外，還有哪些熱門拍賣品？ B: NBA球星史蒂芬柯瑞的球卡、女星珍柏金的原版愛馬仕「柏金包」、戴安娜王妃的禮服最近都引發競標。 A: 一張卡片能有多貴啊？ B: 哈這張印著柯瑞在巴黎奧運的簽名卡，拍出51萬多美元天價、高達台幣1,530萬！ A: 哇他打破了MLB球星大谷翔平球卡的紀錄，真是令人驚奇。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
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