| Montreal, 18/05/2001 – As environment ministers from around the world head to Stockholm to sign the POPs treaty, one of the most infamous POPs of all, DDT, has already been virtually eliminated from the environments of Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The poison is highly mobile and tends to travel northward toward colder climes through repeated cycles of evaporation, migration with the winds, condensation and precipitation. Though DDT was banned in Canada and the US years ago, it has continued to be in use in Mexico in combating mosquitoes that carry malaria.
Working together through the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation, the three NAFTA partners launched a North American Regional Action Plan (NARAP) in 1997 aimed at phasing out Mexico's use of DDT by 80 percent by 2000. Efforts focused primarily on employing alternative methods of controlling mosquitoes and, in fact, achieved 100 percent reduction in the use of the pesticide by the target date.
The success of the NARAP on DDT was due in large measure to Mexico's bold yet prudent leadership in the face of malaria, a major killer in many tropical regions. North America is well on the way to being essentially a DDT-free zone, putting it ahead of its commitments under the POPs treaty.
For more information on the success of the North American Regional Action Plan on DDT, please consult:
History of DDT in North America to 1997
Questions and answers on DDT North American Regional Action Plan
DDT already eliminated in North America as world prepares to sign POPs Treaty
Historic Stockholm treaty and NAFTA experience show way toward healthier world |
