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May 23, 2024

Maritime Tribunal Issues Ruling Holding Governments Responsible for Ocean Pollution
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In environmental news, an international maritime tribunal issued a
ruling that says greenhouse gases are pollutants that can cause
irreversible harm to the marine environment and that governments must
"adopt laws and regulations to prevent, reduce, and control" them.
Though the ruling is nonbinding, small island nations on the frontlines
of the climate crisis hailed it as a "groundbreaking victory," and it's
likely to lead to more cases against the largest polluters. The decision
affects 165 countries that ratified the U.N. Convention on the Law of
the Sea - the United States is not one of them.


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