Bob Dylan, Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Mumford and Sons, Maroon 5, Pharrell Williams and Beck, are among the array of international artists that have contributed to Artists Project Earth’s (APE) “Plastic Oceans Album”.
Artists Project Earth (APE) launched their Plastic Oceans Album yesterday (20 February) at the Ocean Plastics Crisis Summit in London. The album is the sixth in the Rhythms Del Mundo Series and brings together performers, including Ed Sheeran, Bob Dylan and Coldplay, each of whom have donated a song for the cause. 100% of album revenues and donations will help tackle the ocean plastic crisis.
Ocean plastic pollution isn’t just harming marine, it’s also a clear violation of international law, according to one of two new reports that were also launched yesterday at the event.
“Stopping Ocean Plastics” was published by Prof Edward Kosior and Irene Crescenzi and looks at practical action that can be taken to stop plastics escaping to rivers and actions everyday people can take; and “International Law and Marine Plastic Pollution: Holding Offenders Accountable”, was authored by Oliver Tickell – a veteran environmental journalist and a former editor of The Ecologist magazine.
“There are dozens of international laws, some applying globally, others to specific areas of sea and ocean, that require nations to protect the oceans from pollution and protect marine wildlife.”
Oliver said: “Amid all the discussion and hand-wringing over ocean plastic pollution, the fact that it is illegal has scarcely been mentioned. There are dozens of international laws, some applying globally, others to specific areas of sea and ocean, that require nations to protect the oceans from pollution and protect marine wildlife.
“Most of these refer specifically to pollution originating from land, to the problems of ‘marine debris’ and to waste plastic – and impose legally binding obligations on the states that have signed up to them.
“Sadly, very few states are in compliance with these obligations they have committed to.”
Bianca Jagger, president and chief executive of the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation, said: “I was appalled to learn that there are some 150m tons of plastic waste in the oceans today – billions water bottles, plastic bags, discarded fishing nets.
“We dump the equivalent of a large garbage truck of plastic into the oceans every minute – 8m tonnes a year. By 2050, without significant intervention, this plastic debris could weigh more than all the fish in the sea. And there is no way to retrieve most of these plastics and micro-plastics once they reach the ocean.
“Is it acceptable that we defer action until the damage is irreversible? When it is already a flagrant breach of international law for states to allow this global contamination of our oceans to take place?”
