Hindi English Translation || Editorial || A cut in time: On the plastic pollution problem

A cut in time: On the plastic pollution problem

Economic costs of ban on plastic must be seen with its ill-effects on health

Despite a week of wrangling (झगड़ना, बकझक करना), an ambitious (महत्त्वाकांक्षी) endeavour piloted by the United Nations Environment Programme to phase out (धीरे-धीरे समाप्त करना, बंद करना) plastic turned out to be a failure. The Global Plastics Treaty is the result of a resolution by member-countries of the United Nations, passed in 2022, to ‘end plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.’ Over the next two years, countries met five times, including the latest (billed as the final one), to create a broad framework agreement. The UN resolution of 2022 was deemed (समझना, मानना) historic as it gave the impression that the world was unanimous (सर्वसम्मति से) that plastic pollution could only be addressed through globally coordinated action. However, it is the solution to the problem that has proven to be divisive (विभाजनकारी). Of the nearly 170 countries gathered at the fifth round of meetings in Busan, roughly half — led by the European Union and supported by Pacific island-nations — were of the view that despite the usefulness of plastic and its significant role in enabling mass consumption through the modern era, its relative indestructibility (अविनाशिता, अपराजेयता) was now an environmental hazard. It had begun to seep into the bodies of animals, both of the land and sea, and had progressed to be much more than an eyesore in the form of litter (कचरा फैलाना, कूड़ा फेंकना) flowing out of overwhelmed municipal recycling systems.

The claim that better recycling and re-use will redeem the situation, these nations believe, is a pipe dream and, therefore, imposing gradual cuts on the source of plastic, virgin polymer, was the only effective route to ending plastic pollution. However, many of the large developing countries, and those with economies premised on the extraction (निष्कर्षण) of oil and petrochemical refining, baulk at such a proposal. They view calls to cut plastic production as trade barriers masquerading (Pretending to be someone or something else) as environmentalism. They view the framing of the plastic pollution problem as one that requires regulating production as something that goes beyond the intent of the 2022 resolution. While talks have stalled, it is likely that countries will reconvene next year — possibly with a fresh perspective — and get beyond the impasse (गतिरोध, जटिल स्थिति) more creatively. India has chosen to side with the countries that are averse (विरोधी, नापसंद) to production cuts; yet, it must acknowledge that its capacity to recycle plastic is only about a third of the plastic that is annually introduced. The indispensability of plastic to the economy cannot be a permanent excuse to delay action on evaluating its health impacts on people in India, its ecology and marine environment. A planned exit is always better than finding oneself on the wrong side of history. 

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Wrangle (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - झगड़ना, बकझक करना
English Meaning - To argue or quarrel noisily or persistently.

2.Ambitious (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - महत्त्वाकांक्षी
English Meaning - Having a strong desire for success or achievement.

3.Phase out (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - धीरे-धीरे समाप्त करना, बंद करना
English Meaning - To gradually stop using or producing something.

4.Deem (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - समझना, मानना
English Meaning - To regard or consider in a specified way.

5.Unanimous (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सर्वसम्मति से
English Meaning - Fully in agreement by everyone involved.

6.Divisive (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विभाजनकारी
English Meaning - Tending to cause disagreement or hostility between people.

7.Indestructibility (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - अविनाशिता, अपराजेयता
English Meaning - The quality of being impossible to destroy.

8.Litter (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - कचरा फैलाना, कूड़ा फेंकना
English Meaning - Trash, waste, or debris scattered in a place.

9.Extraction (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - निष्कर्षण
English Meaning - The process of removing or obtaining something.

10.Impasse (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - गतिरोध, जटिल स्थिति
English Meaning - A situation where no progress is possible.

11.Averse (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विरोधी, नापसंद
English Meaning - Having a strong dislike or opposition to something.

12.Masquerading (Verb)

English Meaning - Pretending to be someone or something else.