On February 10th local time, Trump signed an executive order aimed at restoring the use of plastic straws, attempting to reverse the Biden administration's previous plan to gradually phase out the use of plastic straws within the federal government. This move has sparked widespread controversy, with supporters viewing it as a protection of consumer freedom, while opponents point out that the excessive use of plastics can lead to serious environmental and health issues.
Meanwhile, on February 10, Global Times reported that researchers from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with international partners, have made new achievements in the study of the ecological effects of microplastics on land. The relevant research results have been published in the international journal Trends in Plant Science. Microplastics, which usually refer to plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters, are a new type of environmental pollutant that has been widely found in all corners of the world, posing a threat to both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
The study found that micro and nano plastics are widely present in terrestrial ecosystems, accumulating in terrestrial plants and key organisms associated with them above and below, and spreading between trophic levels through a variety of potential pathways. The researchers called for a comprehensive assessment of the ecological effects of micro and nano plastics in the, the formulation of effective strategies to mitigate their adverse effects, and strengthened regulation of micro and nano plastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystems. These two pieces of news reflect that the industry is facing policy changes while also facing increasingly serious environmental challenges. How to balance development and environmental protection has become an urgent problem that needs to be solved.
