Plastic bags are the modern environmental scourge — piling up in landfills, polluting the oceans and choking wildlife. Now, Hawaii has taken a stand by becoming the first U.S. state to ban plastic bags at checkout counters. Hawaii has always valued the land, or “Aina,” so the step isn’t too surprising. Four of the state’s five counties … [Read more…]
As the world becomes ever more environment conscious, many have taken to increasingly creative ways to reuse plastic; and with experts predicting that plastic bags will take up to 500 years to decompose, the need to get creative with plastic is more apparent than ever. Check out our inspiring guide on the top 10 creative … [Read more…]
In 2011, the U.S. generated 32 million tons of plastic waste, accounting for near 13 percent of the nation’s total garbage, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This waste included nearly 14 million tons of plastic packaging and containers, roughly 11 million tons of durable goods such as household appliances, and almost seven million tons … [Read more…]
Bottled water found to contain over 24,000 chemicals (NaturalNews) Widespread consumer demand for plastic products that are free of the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) has led to some significant positive changes in the way that food, beverage and water containers are manufactured. But a new study out of Germany has found that thousands of other … [Read more…]
Plastic Water Bottles Causing Flood of Harm to Our Environment Author: Norm SchrieverAuthor, humorist, cultural mad scientist, and enemy of the comfort zone. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ I remember the first time I saw a bottle of water for sale, thinking it was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever encountered. Who the heck would actually PAY to drink … [Read more…]
San Francisco on Track to Become Zero Waste City Each year, Americans throw away about 250 million tons of garbage. That’s roughly four pounds per person per day. You can find all manner of trash in a landfill, old bent music stands, plastic bags, and a lot of items that could have been recycled, like … [Read more…]
How a Sea Captain’s Chance Discovery Launched a Determined Quest to Save the Oceans Plastic Ocean: How a Sea Captain’s Chance Discovery Launched a Determined Quest to Save the Oceans In 2009, a U.N. joint commission estimated that 6.4 million metric tons of plastic waste currently pollutes the oceans. The U.N. also estimates that 5 … [Read more…]
The MIDWAY film project is a powerful visual journey into the heart of an astonishingly symbolic environmental tragedy. On one of the remotest islands on our planet, tens of thousands of baby albatrosses lie dead on the ground, their bodies filled with plastic from the Pacific Garbage Patch. Returning to the island over several years, … [Read more…]
As you all know, I am an avid supporter of Plastic Pollution Coalition. I do my part by buying as little plastic as possible, I do not drink bottled water, and all the plastic that we do use in our home, gets recycled (at least I pray it is, when the city picks up our … [Read more…]
There were meaningful plans brewing for America’s most iconic national park before Coca-Cola stepped in to protect its own interests. The National Parks Service was weeks away from finalizing plans that would have eliminated the sale of plastic water bottles in the Grand Canyon when Coca-Cola, who sells water under the Dasani name, stepped in … [Read more…]
LOS ANGELES — The California attorney general’s office on Wednesday sued three companies over allegations they misled consumers by marketing plastic water bottles as biodegradable. The lawsuit – said to be the first government action to enforce the state’s environmental marketing law – accuses ENSO Plastics of Mesa, Ariz., of falsely claiming their bottles would … [Read more…]
Glacier Water Services, the largest seller in California and the U.S. of filtered water from vending machines, claims its machines dispense chemical-free drinking water. But the first statewide tests of vended water for chemical contaminants found that one-third of Glacier machines sell water that fails state health standards, and two-thirds fail to live up to … [Read more…]
Plastic is forever Plastic creates toxic pollution at every stage of its existence: manufacture, use, and disposal. Plastic is a material that the Earth cannot digest. Every bit of plastic that has ever been created still exists, including the small amount that has been incinerated and has become toxic particulate matter. Plastic poisons our food … [Read more…]
Michael Fishbach, co-founder of The Great Whale Conservancy (GWC), narrates his encounter with a young humpback whale entangled in local fishing nets. At first, the animal appeared to be dead, yet Fishbach investigated and quickly discovered that the poor creature was tangled in a fishing net. The humans had to act fast; what began as … [Read more…]
Plastic – A Cancer In Our Environment- Florida Keys Wildlife Rescue Silently spreading, leaching toxins, maiming and killing, plastics, the darling of modern society because of their versatility and heretofore low cost, are beginning to show their true colors. Derived from chemically-altered petroleum and often combined with toxic additives, plastics are no longer inexpensive to … [Read more…]
The world’s oceans are degenerating far faster than predicted and marine life is facing extinction due to a range of human impacts – from overfishing to climate change – a report compiled by international scientists warned Tuesday. The cumulative impact of “severe individual stresses,” ranging from climate warming and sea-water acidification to widespread chemical pollution … [Read more…]
Contestant #1 in our blog contest: Article by Jay Glasgow 60+ Million Plastic Bottles enter our Oceans, Bays & Rivers every year! Monday, February 21, 2011 Jay Glasgow Drinking Water Containers – Fashionable & Eco-friendly? You would think there’s not a decent source of water for thousands of miles, considering the billions of dollars we … [Read more…]
A VERY interesting article hit cyberspace this week on http://www.wowowow.com/, identifying a class of chemicals in your water that can make you fat! On May 11, the White House announced it was targeting a new threat to America’s health and security. It wasn’t some rogue nation or terrorist organization, or a newfound disease or environmental … [Read more…]
The Perils of Plastic Young children are subjected to plastics in their every day life such as eating utensils, plates, bowls that might contain dangerous toxins. Since World War II, production of industrial chemicals has risen rapidly, and the U.S. generates or imports some 42 billion lb. (19 billion kg) of them per day, leaving … [Read more…]