Page 32 - bon-dia-aruba-Sept 2 2020

A32 WORLD NEWS
Diaranson 2 september 2020

Oil companies accused of wanting to dump plastics in Africa

By CARA ANNA and protections afforded in envi-
TOM ODULA ronmental laws for the pur-
Associated Press pose of encouraging trade or
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — investment.”
The oil industry has asked Kenya’s government via mul-
the United States to pressure tiple ministries did not com-
Kenya to change its world- ment. But Kenyan trade min-
leading stance against the ister Betty Maina in com-
plastic waste that litters Afri- ments published Tuesday by
ca, according to environmen- the local Star newspaper said
talists who fear the continent Kenya will negotiate with
will be used as a dumping the U.S. “guided by Kenyan
ground. laws” and talks continue.
The request from the Ameri- Kenya banned plastic bags in
can Chemistry Council, 2017, inspiring similar bans
whose members include in other African countries
major oil companies, to the whose streets, waterways and
Office of the United States even trees have long been
Trade Representative came choked with the tattered bags.
as the U.S and Kenya nego- The idea that Kenya’s gov-
tiate what would be the first ernment might weaken or
U.S. bilateral trade deal with do away with its ban under
a country in sub-Saharan Af- pressure from the U.S. or oil
rica. In this Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018 file photo, a man walks on a mountain of plastic bottles as he industry has upset the coun-
That deal is expected to be carries a sack of them to be sold for recycling after weighing them at the dump in the Dandora try’s vibrant environmental
a model for others in Africa, slum of Nairobi, Kenya. community, which rallied
and its importance helped Associated Press support that also led to this
lead to Kenyan President Uh- year’s ban on other single-
uru Kenyatta’s White House trade, Ed Brzytwa, seen by has forced companies to national commitments un- use plastics such as bottles in
visit with President Donald The Associated Press, urges seek new places to send it, der the Basel Convention,” national parks, beaches and
Trump this year — a rarity the U.S. and Kenya to pro- but other countries includ- a global agreement which as other protected areas.
for an African leader during hibit the imposition of do- ing African ones increasingly of January will make it much “They want Kenya to reverse
this administration. mestic limits on “production are saying they don’t want it, more difficult to ship plastic its strict limits on plastics, in-
Kenya three years ago im- or consumption of chemi- either. Plastic waste meant waste to poorer countries. cluding 2017 plastic bag ban!
posed what was praised as cals and plastic” and on their for recycling has piled up in Nearly 190 countries have It’s a NO!” tweeted James
the world’s strictest ban on cross-border trade. dumps in Kenyan cities. agreed to it, but not the U.S. Wakibia, who pushed hard
the use, manufacturing and “We anticipate that Kenya Meanwhile, oil companies The council added: “In fact, for Kenya’s plastic bag ban.
import of plastic bags, part of could serve in the future as a are under pressure as more ACC never mentioned Ke- He is now campaigning for
growing efforts around the hub for supplying U.S.-made countries, notably Kenya, nya’s approach to single use all East African countries to
world to limit a major source chemicals and plastics to oth- aim to shift away from fossil plastic bags even once in our ban “all unnecessary single-
of plastic waste. Environ- er markets in Africa,” the let- fuels for their energy needs. comments.” use plastic.”
mentalists fear Kenya is now ter says. It was first obtained The American Chemistry The Office of the United Griffins Ochieng, who leads
under pressure not only to by Unearthed, an affiliate of Council in a statement to the States Trade Representative the Center for Environmen-
weaken its resolve but to be- the Greenpeace environmen- AP said “it is well understood did not respond to a request tal Justice and Development
come a key transit point for tal organization. The council that a bilateral trade agree- for comment. A U.S. sum- in Kenya, said any attempt to
plastic waste to other African repeated its request in a pub- ment between the United mary of negotiating objec- change the laws on plastics
countries. lic commenting session in States and Kenya will not tives issued in May included would be hazardous. “Africa
The April 28 letter from the June. override Kenya’s domestic this: “Establish rules that will is looking like a new dump-
American Chemistry Coun- China’s ban on imports of approach to managing plastic ensure that Kenya does not ing ground, we are not going
cil’s director for international most plastic waste in 2018 waste or undermine its inter- waive or derogate from the to allow that,” he said.q

Cuba closes off Havana to stamp out spread of coronavirus

By ANDREA RODRÍ- order to prevent people from strictest phase of lockdown
GUEZ moving around the city. Gas in July, public transportation
Associated Press stations cannot sell gas to pri- restarted and people returned
HAVANA (AP) — Cuban vately owned vehicles, anoth- to work. Cases began to
authorities launched a strict er measure meant to reduce climb, and the capital prov-
15-day lockdown of Havana mobility. Police stationed on ince returned to phase zero
on Tuesday in order to stamp every road leaving Havana last month.
out the low-level but persis- are charged with stopping But the measures failed to
tent spread of the novel coro- everyone who doesn't have brake the rise of coronavi-
navirus in the capital. a special permit to travel, rus, as authorities bemoaned
Aggressive anti-virus mea- meant to be issued only in widespread violations of re-
sures including closing down extraordinary circumstances. quirements including wear-
air travel have virtually elimi- Some provinces that saw no ing face masks, avoiding large
nated COVID-19 in Cuba new cases for weeks have be- gatherings and maintaining
with the exception of the gun detecting them in recent social distance.
capital, where cases have days, often linked to travelers Residents get their temperatures taken amid the new coronavirus The government announced
surged from a handful a day from Havana. pandemic at a police checkpoint set up on the border of the last week that for at least
to dozens daily over the last The island of 11 million has province of Havana, Cuba, Monday, Aug. 10, 2020. 15 days the capital would
month. Starting Tuesday, reported slightly more than Associated Press be placed under the strict-
Havana is under a 7 p.m. to 4,000 cases and fewer than est measures to date. They
5 a.m. curfew. Most stores 100 deaths since the start of obligatory in the early stages fined and even jailed people include fines of more than
are barred from selling to the epidemic, one of the low- of its pandemic response for violations. That stance $80 per violation, more than
shoppers from outside the est rates in the region. The and in the first months of slackened somewhat as Ha- double the average monthly
immediate neighborhood, in country made face masks the crisis police aggressively vana moved out of the first, wage. q