1. CHAPTER 6 Curtailing Mercury’s Global Reach Linda Greer, Michael Bender, Peter Maxon, and David Lennett

2. “The Arctic is the barometer of the health of the planet, and if the Arctic is poisoned, so are we all” -Sheila Watt-Cloutier Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference

3. The residents of Quaanaag, Greenland are among the most chemically contaminated people on earth. 650 residents, blood mercury levels 12 times recommended by U.S. guidelines A result of the seafood they eat which has been contaminated by the industrialized world.

4. Governments across the world are recommending restricting intake of certain fishes. For more than a billion people seafood is the primary source of protein Restrictions result in substitution of less healthy types of food Experts estimate 44% of children in France, and 630,000 babies born in the U.S. each year are at risk of mercury poisoning.

5. Threats from Mercury are not Limited to the Food Supply People are exposed from: Work Consumer Products Waste Disposal Health Care Products

6. Human health is compromised by very small concentrations of mercury It interferes with brain functions and the nervous system It interferes with development of the nuron connections in the brain crucial to a healthy nervous system. Prenatal and infant mercury exposure can cause mental retardation, cerebral palsy, deafness, or blindness.

7. Mercury is a Classic Global Pollutant When released from a source it may be dispersed globally. It will deposit far from its original source Enters distant food supplies. It evaporates in warm temperatures & condenses as temperatures decrease. It is highly persistent.

8. How has the Arctic Become so Heavily Contaminated? Three Factors: It condenses in colder climates as it circles the globe in gaseous form. Polar sunrises trigger a petrochemical reaction. Seabirds transport significant quantities via their dung.

9. Other Major Causes of Contamination Batteries Mercury in batteries is not normally released during use. It is released during manufacturing and disposal in large quantities. Gold Small scale miners separate trace amounts of gold from soil or sediment by using elemental mercury It is heated which allows the more volatile mercury to to escape into the atmosphere and leave the gold.

10. Mercury Trade 80% of mercury is used in developing countries Imports of mercury to China has decreased since 2000 but been replaced by mining and smuggling The E.U. is the major exporter in the world China and India are responsible for 50% of global mercury demand

11. Because mercury is globally traded as a commodity, the mercury problem cannot be solved only on a state, local, or national level. It requires the cooperation of all levels. Even at the current, extremely high prices, companies trading mercury will find buyers for it regardless of the local or global health and environmental consequences.

12. Major sources of mercury supply are relatively small in number across the globe. A well-considered strategy could focus on a handful of key sectors. The industrialized world has largely made the transition to mercury-free technologies and products. Transfer and implementation of these technologies via governments to the developing world would reduce demand. Supply and Demand

13. The global need for energy is expanding rapidly and an aggressive mercury control strategy is needed for coal power plants International action should focus on installing best available technology for mercury emission controls Significant emission reductions can be achieved at coal fired power plants at a reasonable cost through pre-combustion control techniques, and the deployment of activated carbon injection.

14. UNEP In 2001 the UNEP governing council comprised of 58 countries was empowered to make environmental decisions initiating a global assessment of mercury pollution. The initiative produced a comprehensive evaluation showing mercury had caused “significant adverse impacts on human health and the environment throughout the world”

15. UNEP established a program to provide: Capacity building for developing countries. Workshops and developing guidance material Invited proposals for further measure to be considered at it’s next meeting in 2005 Encouraged countries to take their own mercury reduction measures.

16. As a result of the 2005 meeting, the E.U. nations called on other governments to reduce supply and demand by: Prohibiting the introduction into commerce of excess mercury supplies Phasing out primary mercury mining Phasing out mercury cell chloralkali facilities by 2020 Establishing maximum mercury content standards for batteries Eliminating mercury in products Implementing a global strategy for reducing mercury in small scale gold mining

17. Of the countries bringing various proposals discussed in the 2005 UNEP meeting those mentioned in the previous slide proposed by the nations in the E.U. plus Norway and Switzerland were the most proactive about the need for an aggressive global program to address the mercury problem.

18. In order to create a healthy and equitable living environment for future generations, we must stop the circle of poison that mercury use, trade, and pollution perpetuate.