Programa de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Atlántico, Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia.
Department of Geology, Grand Valley State University, The Seymour K. & Esther R. Padnos Hall of Science 213A, Allendale, MI, USA.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2023 Sep;194(Pt A):115359. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115359. Epub 2023 Aug 4.
The Anthropocene, defined by human-induced environmental transformations, presents a critical challenge: plastic pollution. This complex problem, particularly prominent in coastal and marine environments, requires integrated and adaptive responses. This opinion paper examines global efforts across policy interventions, scientific innovations, and public education, highlighting both advancements and hurdles in managing this problem. These include enforcement limitations in policy implementation, scalability and cost issues in scientific innovations, and challenges in effecting large-scale behavioral change through public education. The complexities inherent in managing plastic litter in coastal and marine environments are further discussed, emphasizing the necessity for an integrated approach. This approach involves interdisciplinary collaboration, adaptive management, stakeholder engagement, policy integration, sustainable financing, resilience building, capacity enhancement, technological innovation, policy reform, ecosystem-based management, disaster risk reduction, and advocacy. The management of plastic pollution in the Anthropocene requires strategic planning, innovative thinking, and unified global efforts, ultimately providing an opportunity to redefine our relationship with the planet and steer toward a more sustainable future.
人类世是由人类引起的环境变化定义的，它带来了一个关键挑战：塑料污染。这个复杂的问题在沿海和海洋环境中尤为突出，需要综合和适应性的应对措施。本观点文章考察了全球在政策干预、科学创新和公众教育方面的努力，强调了在管理这一问题方面的进展和障碍。这些障碍包括政策执行中的执法限制、科学创新中的可扩展性和成本问题，以及通过公众教育实现大规模行为改变的挑战。还进一步讨论了在沿海和海洋环境中管理塑料垃圾所固有的复杂性，强调了采取综合方法的必要性。这种方法涉及跨学科合作、适应性管理、利益相关者参与、政策整合、可持续融资、弹性建设、能力增强、技术创新、政策改革、基于生态系统的管理、减少灾害风险和宣传。在人类世管理塑料污染需要战略规划、创新思维和全球统一努力，最终为我们重新定义与地球的关系并走向更可持续的未来提供了机会。
