toxics

The world's industries continue to manufacture and release thousands of dangerous chemical compounds every year even though it is widely accepted they pollute the environment, can interfere with the body's chemistry and cause serious diseases in humans and wildlife. In most cases, research into the likely impacts of these chemicals is not conducted before they are released.

Greenpeace seeks to protect the environment and health of the earth's living organisms by stopping the manufacture, use and disposal of all hazardous substances. It is particularly concerned by substances that no not break down easily in the environment and are building up the food chain and in the fatty tissues of every living organism on earth (bio-accumulative substances), passing from one generation to the next.

Historically, industries have tried to prevent legislation that would stop them manufacturing and releasing hazardous substances. Instead, they have attempted to 'control' their releases.

Greenpeace believes an industry should have to prove a substance is harmless before releasing it into the environment. If there is scientific doubt, or a substance has not been tested, it should not be released. This is what is often referred to as the 'precautionary principle'.

Highlights
May 2001: an extremely significant victory. Greenpeace is instrumental in assuring the adoption of the Stockholm Convention. The convention aims to stop the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), some of the world's most dangerous environmental pollutants. Governments have agreed to start by eliminating a priority list of 12 POPs and to identify and eliminate others. They have also agreed to prevent industry from producing and marketing new chemicals with POPs characteristics.

Challenges for the future
Greenpeace will keep the spotlight on sources of persistent organic pollutants and ensure governments act on their words to stop industries manufacturing and releasing them. This will mean stopping waste incineration and preventing industries using chlorine as part of their production processes.

In addition, Greenpeace will campaign for the many materials commonly used around the home and release POPs when they are manufactured or destroyed, such as PVC plastic, to be substituted with cleaner, non-hazardous alternatives.

Greenpeace's campaign to ensure hazardous substances from rich countries are not dumped in the developing world will continue. In particular, Greenpeace will campaign to stop shipowners exploiting lax environmental standards and working conditions to dispose of their vessels in Asian scrapyards without first removing the hazardous waste inside.