Published: 13 Oct 2011
Dealing with large quantities of unwanted
(and sometimes toxic) waste is often difficult
– but it becomes even more complicated when
people live in isolated communities, in
extreme environments hundreds of kilometres
from the nearest treatment plant. This is
the subject of a new film considering waste
management in Greenland,
entitled ‘Mission Greenland – for a cleaner
future’.
Themes Environment and health Waste and
material resources Specific regions
The short film was produced
by the European Environment Agency (EEA).
It focuses on the management of household
waste - including hazardous materials -
demonstrating how even small efforts by
local people can make a big difference in
waste management and protecting the environment.
Only 25 % of household
waste in Greenland is delivered to recycling
stations, so the EEA hopes its new film
will inspire residents, in particular youth
and children in Greenland and across the
Arctic region to change their behaviour.
The film will also be supplemented with
some educational material for schoolchildren.
The 12 minute film was introduced by EEA
Executive Director Prof. Jacqueline McGlade,
and Hon. Anthon Frederiksen, Minister of
Domestic Affairs, Nature and Environment
in Greenland.
Waste management challenges
Sound waste management in remote areas like
the Arctic is always going to be costly.
Large-scale modern waste management systems
cannot just be copied wholesale from elsewhere
in Europe or North America. Greenland, with
its harsh natural environment and dispersed
population requires unique solutions tailored
to the country’s context.
Because the huge distances and costs involved,
much of the waste in Greenland has been
(and in many cases continues to be) tipped
into landfills just outside city or settlement
limits. And without waste separation, household
waste is often mixed with more hazardous
waste types like batteries, leftover paint,
nail polish or other chemicals.
These hazardous materials can affect the
health of the local population when they
enter the air through incineration or seep
out of landfills which often lack protective
layers to avoid leakage. Chemicals can seep
down towards the coastal waters where Arctic
people catch the fish, shrimp and sea mammals
which make up a large part of their diet.
However, there are also some positive stories.
For example, 99 % of all plastic and glass
bottles used on the west coast of Greenland
are returned to recycling plants, making
country an inspiring example to the rest
of the world.
The film considers this complex situation,
proposing solutions which allow Greenlanders
to manage waste without damaging their natural
environment. Greenland is famous for its
awe-inspiring natural landscapes, but this
environment is extremely fragile, making
the case for better waste management even
more urgent.
The film is available in English, Danish
and Greenlandic language versions.
+ More
Building better environmental
policy by looking into the future
Document Actions
Published: 21 Oct 2011
As we prepare for a future yet unwritten,
a cascade of uncertainty presents itself
- the future structure of our society and
economies is uncertain; the environmental
changes that may result are uncertain; and
how we might react or adapt to such environmental
changes is also uncertain. Against the backdrop
of these and many other uncertainties, long-term
analysis can help create more robust environmental
policy and the space for innovative thinking.
A new report from the
European Environment Agency (EEA), entitled
‘BLOSSOM – Bridging long-term scenario and
strategy analysis: organisation and methods’
summarises the results of a three-year project,
that examined to what extent foresight studies
underpinned environmental policies in 12
EU Member States. It shows several successful
examples of how European countries are giving
increasing attention to using long term
approaches, such as scenario building, when
formulating environmental policies.
The natural environment though is very complex
and problems often develop slowly over time.
As policy makers look further into the future,
uncertainties multiply, and the possibility
grows of unexpected surprise events. At
the same time, electoral cycles are short,
so longer term objectives are often ignored
and short-term objectives may be prioritised,
particularly when there is a lot of pressure
to do so from external organisations and
lobbyists.
Some countries have attempted to address
these challenges by setting up new institutional
arrangements. For example, Portugal has
integrated the Department for Foresight
and Planning (DPP) in the Ministry responsible
for Environmental Affairs, while the Finnish
government has created the Parliament Committee
for the Future and the Government foresight
report.
The report notes the environment public
sector is increasing its capacity for futures
thinking and striving to make futures studies
more relevant in policy. Governments in
Europe - and beyond - could also go further
in exchanging information on their approaches.
A network on futures thinking in environmental
policy could help national governments strengthen
their work, the report says.
