VARIOUS: U.S. backs call for global treaty on mercury use/U.N. warns food shortages will continue

Record ID: 362075

  • Title: VARIOUS: U.S. backs call for global treaty on mercury use/U.N. warns food shortages will continue
  • Date: 18th February 2009
  • Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (FEBRUARY 17, 2009) (REUTERS) NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ACHIM STEINER SAYING "If we are going to be able to feed -- as you have just heard -- 8-9 billion people on this planet at a time when our agricultural systems are already depleting the very eco-systems that actually sustain
  • Embargoed: 5th March 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA1FYRG9PTMU8TI4YRK41R3I73V
  • Story Text: The United States has shifted its stance to call for a legally-binding global treaty to phase out deadly mercury use that threatens the health of hundreds of millions of people worldwide, officials said on Tuesday (February 17).
    The new policy was unveiled at a major U.N. gathering of environment ministers in Nairobi from February 16-20.

    "There is a chance here at this governing council for environment ministers of the world to literally lift a health threat, a serious health threat, from the lives of hundreds of millions of people," said United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) spokesperson Nick Nuttal..

    "We have discussed UNEP with governments for seven years on what to do and there is a note of optimism in the air, here at the governing council that indeed, the United States will change its position, the European Union with its position, that other governments are prepared to come together by Friday and agree to negotiate a legally binding international treaty to deal with this poisonous toxic threat."
    About 6,000 tonnes of mercury -- a heavy metal known for more than a century to damage the human nervous system -- enter the environment every year. Mercury's other effects include liver damage, memory loss or disturbances to vision.
    Of the total, 2,000 tonnes is from coal burned in power stations and homes. Increased coal use in Asia means emissions may be rising, UNEP experts fear.
    Hopes had been high ahead of the conference that the new Obama administration in Washington would support the European Union's calls for an international treaty to ban mercury. Some other states favour a voluntary approach but the US and the EU have already backed export bans.
    UNEP director Achim Steiner also warned that the growing world population could be facing even more severe food shortages if countries do not adopt environmentally sustainable food production methods and continue to use chemicals and pesticides that harm the environment.

    "If we are going to be able to feed 8-9 billion people on this planet at a time when our agricultural systems are already depleting the very eco-systems that actually sustain us, at a time when water is becoming more scarce and when environment degradation including climate change becomes an additional shock to the system that could take 25 percent of today's production out of our production, we have a very serious problem on our planet," said Steiner.
    High on the agenda for more than 100 environment ministers gathered in Kenya this week will be how to draw attention to "green" issues amid job losses and worldwide financial turmoil.
    In a speech read at the opening session of the meeting, UN. secretary general Ban Ki-moon said soaring food prices had brought intense focus "not just on the agriculture and trade issues, but on the inflationary role of biofuel production".
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