Tag: Pollution

Journalist Sharon Lerner: “How the Plastics Industry Is Fighting to Keep Polluting the World”

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Democracy Now! speaks to journalist Sharon Lerner about how corporations in the United States are refusing to turn to more sustainable materials, with most of the country’s plastic waste ending up in landfills or scattered around the world. According to her investigation, in 2015, the United States only recycled 9% of its plastic waste, and since then, that figure has dropped even lower. Lerner is a health and environment reporter at The Intercept and a reporting fellow at Type Investigations. Her series “The Teflon Toxin” was a finalist for a National Magazine Award.

David Attenborough, Greta Thunberg and Jane Goodall Want to Talk to You about Climate Change

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From disappearing species to plastic pollution and our disastrously weak attempts to recycle it, here’s what the top voices on climate change – from Sir David Attenborough to Jane Goodall to Greta Thunberg – have to say about the planet’s escalating biodiversity crisis.

“We’ve stolen our children’s future – and we’re still stealing it.” –Jane Goodall.

Sir David Attenborough, Jane Goodall and Greta Thunberg are joined in this global call for action by Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, the United Nations’ Cristiana Pasca Palmer, Daniela Fernandez of Sustainable Ocean Action, Brune Poirson, Malek Sukkar and Heather Koldewey.

Turning Toxic: The Bayer-Monsanto Merger

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwllBdC0Iww&feature=youtu.be
A year after Germany’s Bayer Group took over Monsanto, and it’s struggling to deal with the US seed giant’s controversial reputation. Now Bayer is also liable for Monsanto’s legal bills – which are starting to mount alarmingly.

Roundup, a herbicide containing glyphosate sold worldwide by Monsanto has long been suspected of causing cancer. A California court has just awarded more than $2 billion in damages to a couple who had claimed that their use of the pesticide caused them to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma . Bayer’s share price halved last year, and the consequences are already making themselves felt in the company itself: Around 12,000 jobs worldwide are to be cut in the next few years, a considerable proportion of them in Germany. CEO Werner Baumann, who pushed for the merger, is coming under increasing pressure. Voicing criticism, a majority of shareholders voted against absolving Baumann and other managers of their responsibility in the merger. Bayer is in the midst of its greatest crisis.

The film traces the effects of the merger and investigates potential new health hazards emanating from glyphosate. How has Monsanto tried in the past to influence politicians, scientists and public opinion? Did the Americans actually play down or ignore the dangers? And does Bayer really distance itself from these practices?