Page 5 - The Shores of Jupiter - November '20

The Shores, Page 5
Solving Ocean Plastic Pollution Won’t Be Easy,

But We Have No Choice

New Global Commitments who in 2016 – the year which we used as our baseline – were

Building Momentum; Recent responsible for about 60 percent of global plastic recycling.
In addition, governments must double mechanical recycling
Report Can Supply Guidance capacity with those in middle- and low-income countries
expanding their waste collection rates and restrict plastic
By Simon Reddy waste exports, except where the exported waste can be
Complex problems rarely have simple solutions. That’s recycled effectively and with safe working conditions.
definitely the case when it comes to the challenge of reducing Lastly, action including new regulations and systemwide
the flow of plastic into the ocean, a torrent that’s harming innovation is needed to address the flow into the ocean of the
marine life and damaging habitats with major repercussions chief sources of microplastic pollution, such as tires, pellets,
for the billions of people who rely on a healthy marine textiles, and personal care products.
environment. reduce the flow of plastic into the ocean and help restore the This is all a lot to ask. But it pales in comparison to the
On Monday, Sept. 28, heads of state from 64 countries ocean’s health and balance. In fact, “Breaking the Plastic Wave” many benefits we derive from a healthy ocean: sustainable
signed a Leaders’ Pledge for Nature, committing to work found that the volume of plastic pollution entering the ocean sources of food, jobs for millions of people, clean air, carbon
together to put ecosystems – land, ocean, and freshwater – each year from land could be cut by more than 80 percent within absorption for the planet, and productive ecosystems from the
on a path toward sustainability and highlighting 10 urgent a generation using existing technologies and approaches. coasts to the high seas. This week’s announcements signaled
actions to be taken, which included “eliminating plastic To do so will require both upstream (production and the intent; now the action must begin.
leakage to the ocean by 2050.” design) and downstream (use and recycling) changes in the Simon Reddy directs The Pew Charitable Trusts’
Two days later, the United Nations Summit on Biodiversity life cycle of plastic. And these efforts must be deployed international environment initiatives.
brought together heads of state and other government together, with government and industry each doing their part.
representatives under the theme of “Urgent action on Some efforts are underway: Over the past few years,
biodiversity for sustainable development.” Leaders reinforced some governments and industry leaders have stepped up with
the need to make changes in eight key areas, among them policies and voluntary initiatives, from banning plastic bags
moving toward “sustainable fisheries and oceans” which to dialing back the use of plastic straws. But by themselves,
necessarily includes reducing sources of plastic waste in these commitments would likely reduce the annual flow of
order to achieve the aimed-for levels of marine protection plastic pollution by only 7 percent by 2040.
and restoration. Getting to 80 percent reduction, the Pew-SYSTEMIQ
The two events mean that a group of leaders has committed analysis found, starts with eliminating avoidable plastic use Decanting Wine …
to transformative change of our land and sea and to collective and implementing refill systems and new delivery models
action at key international events over the coming months – moves that would yield a nearly 33 percent drop in waste Just For Special
and years. To work on cutting annual flows of plastic to the generation. At the same time – and where sustainable –
ocean and meeting the 2050 target, the leaders can look to a manufacturers must shift to alternative materials, such as
recent modeling analysis and report by The Pew Charitable paper and compostable substances, which would eliminate Occasions?
Trusts and SYSTEMIQ, “Breaking the Plastic Wave,” the one-sixth of projected plastic waste generation.
technical underpinnings of which were published in a peer- The analysis also found that manufacturers and
reviewed paper in the journal Science. governments should move to ensure that products and By Laura Berrio,
The report warns that unless governments, industry, and packaging are designed for recycling, a move that could Freelance Writer/Blogger
others act, the amount of plastic entering the ocean by 2040 more than double the share of economically recyclable Let’s uncork the mystery
will nearly triple from 11 million to 29 million tons per year. plastic. That change would benefit recyclers and improve the surrounding decanting.
However, decisive and immediate action could significantly livelihoods of more than 11 million waste pickers worldwide, Why do we decant wine?
Many people decant to
simply separate wine from
sediment. The majority of
wine drinkers decant to
aerate the wine. Decanting
exposes wine to air, which
oxygenates the wine. In
this process a chemical reaction occurs that releases flavors
and aromas. Young wines that have tightly closed structures
open after decanting. With these young wines, you can decant
multiple times to expose the wine to more air. Even very
inexpensive wines taste measurably better after this process.
The basic definition of decanting is the process of
pouring the contents from one vessel into another. As simple
as it sounds, this part of the wine experience can be very
intimidating to many wine drinkers.
To begin, decant your bottle of wine just before serving
it. If it is a particularly tannic wine, such as Bordeaux or
Chateauneuf-du-Pape, two hours before is ideal. Wines that
I prefer to decant are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet blends,
Syrah, and Syrah blends.
There are unlimited shapes, sizes, styles, and prices of
decanters to choose from. Some decanters look like a basic
glass pitcher while others are pieces of art unto themselves.
Experiment with different decanters and different wines to
find what you enjoy the most.
For me, I enjoy the ritual of pouring my glass of wine from
a beautiful decanter. Part of the fun of wine is creating the
ambiance for your special moment to relax
and enjoy.
~ Cheers.
~ Let’s keep the conversation going
and the wine flowing!
Follow the Vine at: www.
VineVibeUncorked.com.

Licensed and Insured

Captain’s was established in 1980 servicing
Palm Beach County and is a privately
owned and managed company.
Captain’s is committed to providing
dependable, reliable and professional
ground transportation to and from all
South Florida Airports and Seaports. PBCVH212
To reserve your vehicle:
561-798-2180 or 800-634-7890 www.captainsairport.com