WC132 SeptOct 2023 - Magazine - Page 7
Getty Images, Wasteshark
$450M for Green
Climate Fund
FRESHWATER NOT IMMUNE TO
PLASTIC ACCUMULATION
STEVEN GUILBEAULT, Minister of
Environment and Climate Change, announced
a $450-million contribution to the Green
Climate Fund (GCF), a 50 per cent increase
from Canada’s 2019 pledge. This contribution
is part of Canada’s $5.3-billion climate
finance commitment and supports the Paris
Agreement.
The funds will assist developing countries
in their transition to clean energy and
climate-resilient sustainable development.
This could advance clean energy projects
in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, helping
transition from coal-fired power. This marks
Canada’s commitment to the 1.5 degrees
Celsius climate target and forms a key
element of its Indo-Pacific Strategy.
TRENT UNIVERSITY’S Dr. Julian Aherne
and Ph.D. student Brittany Welsh have
contributed to a pioneering study on
microplastics in freshwater systems as part
of the Global Lake Ecological Observatory
Network.
The report, examining water samples
from 38 global lakes, found microplastics
equally or more prevalent in freshwater
than in oceans. Aherne says that largescale projects like this help understand
global environmental problems, adding
that this research provides insight into
the fate of plastic waste. Lakes with the
highest plastic debris concentrations
were Lake Maggiore (Italy), Lake Lugano
(Switzerland), and Lake Tahoe (USA).
Unexpectedly, microplastics were found
even in pristine lakes, indicating that
their presence is not exclusively linked to
anthropogenic activities. Residence time
of microplastics in these systems could
be up to a decade. Brittany emphasizes
that identifying where plastic resides
helps inform policy decisions for cleanup
efforts, especially given freshwater
systems’ use for drinking water and
recreation.
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WATER C AN ADA • SEP TEMBER/OCTOBER 2023
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