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Even rainwater now has toxic chemicals

Even rainwater now has toxic chemicals

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Toxic chemicals in our environment threaten our rivers and lakes, our air, land, and oceans, and ultimately ourselves and our future.

The production, trade, use, and release of many synthetic chemicals is now widely recognised as a global threat to human health and the environment.

Yet, the world's chemical industries continue to produce and release thousands of chemical compounds every year, in most cases with none or very little testing and understanding of their impacts on people and the environment.

Scientists estimate that due to the presence of effluents in our rivers, toxic waste dumps in our fields, poisons in our groundwater, in the air we breathe, in the food we eat, all living species today carry at least 700 man-made chemical contaminants in their bodies. These chemicals are implicated in effects in living beings ranging from the gory to the subtle -from gross effects like cancers, deformed sex organs and hermaphroditism to hidden consequences such as falling sperm counts, aggressive behaviour and diminished intelligence.

Greenpeace India has been campaigning to highlight issues related to toxic products and processes (Chlorine Industry) toxic legacies (Bhopal), toxic trade (shipbreaking), toxic waste management and disposal, (Vapi, Eloor, Patancheru), and Corporate accountability (Kodaikanal). Our campaign strategy has focused on community concerns for environmental health of rivers (Periyar), lakes (Patancheru), forest (Kodaikanal), oceans (Alang) and health  (toxic hotspots).

Using scientific analysis, epidemiological health studies, a strident communications strategy, non-violent direct actions, and lobbying the concerned authorities, Greenpeace India has successfully played a crucial role in informing society, building pressure on corporations and assisting the state and the judiciary in recognising the extent of the toxic problem and forced them to act.

Electronics companies have poor policy to combat climate change: Greenpeace's latest ranking guide

Out of the 22 electronics companies, only Sony-Ericsson and Sony score above 5/10 in the latest version of the Greenpeace Ranking Guide to Greener Electronics, while the overall score on global scale has plummeted as Greenpeace tightens requirements on electronic waste (e-waste)and toxic chemicals, and adds new requirements for evaluating companies’ impact on climate change. HCL continues to lead Indian electronics companies.

Illegal e-waste exposed

A container of electronic waste (e-waste) from Port of Oakland in the United States was intercepted in Hong Kong by Greenpeace activists. After months of research, we determined that the container was destined for Sanshui district in mainland China meaning that - under Chinese law - the import was illegal. Activists boarded the YM Success, pitched a tent on top of the containers and prevented the illegal e-waste from being offloaded.

Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics

The Guide to Greener Electronics ranks major Indian and global manufacturers of mobile phones, game consoles, TVs and PCs on their green performance. This Guide rates company on their policies and practice on eliminating harmful chemicals and on taking responsibility for their products once they are discarded by consumers. Four leading Indian computer manufacturers have been ranked on the basis of information provided publicly, and are compared to the global rankings. The ranking shows that most Indian companies have yet to be at par with global brands. Not just that, while Zenith and HCL have moved up, PCS and Wipro are still languishing where they were last year. Click here to download Version 2 of the Guide, released January 2008.

Hiding behind the poor

There is now little doubt that climate change will hit the poor hardest, particularly in Africa and Asia. Being unable to afford any better, poor people are forced to settle in areas that are highly vulnerable to the affects of climate change.

E-waste: Industry, NGOs and researchers agree on need for action, will government pay heed?

Though they might have deferred on the strategies and methods, all participants at Greenpeace’s seminar on Extended Producer Responsibility in an Indian Context were agreed that quick and effective measures were need to check the e-waste crisis. Industry leaders such as HP, Wipro and HCL, together with industry associations MAIT and ELCINA and recycling companies agreed on the need for legislation to both phase out toxic components in electronics and also on the need to a legislation that made producers responsible for their products during the entire lifecycle.

Apple Greener, Nokia regains lead in electronics ranking

The fourth edition of the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics is out now. Apple moves up as a result of Steve Job's "Greener Appple" pledge to phase out PVC and other chemicals from their product line. But Nokia is on top because they've already phased out PVC, and met or exceeded a wide set of benchmarks we've laid down to reduce the amount and toxicity of electronic waste piling up in Asia and Africa.

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