Friday, 28 June 2019
Marine Debris Cleanup on Alaska’s St. Paul Island Takes Teamwork and Stamina
Marine debris is a huge problem on Alaska’s remote St. Paul Island. This photo blog documents how Ocean Conservancy joined with the local community to remove nearly 10 tons of trash during a week-long cleanup in May 2019. Click below to learn more!
The post Marine Debris Cleanup on Alaska’s St. Paul Island Takes Teamwork and Stamina appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy https://ift.tt/2LquLOa https://ift.tt/2xhIGO3
Thursday, 27 June 2019
What We Love about Save Our Seas Act Version 2.0
When President Trump signed the Save Our Seas (SOS) Act into law last October, we noted that it wasn’t “the end of the fight; it’s just the beginning. Ocean Conservancy is already working with our partners and allies on Capitol Hill to identify opportunities for further action to address the growing marine debris problem.”
As you may recall, the law reauthorized the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program through FY2022 at the longstanding level of $10 million annually. As Kevin Allexon, Senior Manager of Government Relations at Ocean Conservancy, said in a statement, the legislation represented a “modest but important step forward in addressing the growing, global threat of ocean plastic. It’s also an unmistakable recognition of the work that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program does to combat it.”
The legislation also called on the Administration to engage the State Department in addressing the marine debris problem globally—an important move given the global scope of the marine debris crisis.
Well, we weren’t kidding about it being the start of the fight! On Wednesday, after many months of work and consultation with us and other ocean experts and stakeholders, Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced Save Our Seas Act 2.0.
Save Our Seas Act 2.0 builds on the original legislation in substantial ways. Here’s what we love about the new bill:
- SOS Act 2.0 proposes a variety of new measures to bolster international engagement and cooperation to research and address the marine debris crisis.
- It commits resources to scientific research to better understand and address the root causes of plastic pollution, both here in the U.S. and around the world.
- The bill also proposes a host of new efforts here at home to improve our waste management system, particularly our recycling infrastructure. For example, the bill creates a loan program for states to support trash wheel and litter trap technologies.
Ocean Conservancy strongly supports Save our Seas Act 2.0 and applauds the clear recognition that there is no single solution to the marine debris crisis. The bill aims to address the crisis from a number of angles. Of course no bill is perfect on arrival, and there will be much debate in the next few months. Our hope is that additional measures will be added to address the impact of unnecessary plastic products and reduce their usage, and promote alternative non-plastic, sustainable materials that do not create additional negative impacts on our environment.
Still this is amazing news for our ocean and we couldn’t be more proud to work with these ocean advocates in Congress. In fact, our CEO sent a letter to the Senators saying just that. Stay tuned!
You can TAKE ACTION here to tell your Senator to join the fight against plastic pollution!
Sign up for our emails!
The post What We Love about Save Our Seas Act Version 2.0 appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy https://ift.tt/2J3j9xq https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Wednesday, 26 June 2019
Tuesday, 25 June 2019
voyager
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post voyager appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2Netaxf https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
White sands beach hotel
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post White sands beach hotel appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2KBmtDh https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
English point
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post English point appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2N8QVGW https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
milele beach
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post milele beach appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2KDiFBE https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
shanzu beach
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post shanzu beach appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2NcXIiM https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Tamarind beach
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post Tamarind beach appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2KDiDtw https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Mombasa beach
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post Mombasa beach appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2Ncd6vQ https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Kenyatta public beach
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post Kenyatta public beach appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2KDiBBU https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Bahari beach
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post Bahari beach appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2NfE85E https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Sunrise hotel
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post Sunrise hotel appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2KDBpkw https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Diani Resort
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post Diani Resort appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2KBuJ6r https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Chale island
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post Chale island appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2NbEXMJ https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Baobab Resort
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post Baobab Resort appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2KEJAwT https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Tudor creek
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post Tudor creek appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2NbEU3v https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Diani Reef Hotel
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post Diani Reef Hotel appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2KCj4UC https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Leisure Lodge Resort
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post Leisure Lodge Resort appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2NbEQRj https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Msambweni beach
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post Msambweni beach appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2KDNPZo https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Nomad Sand Beach
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post Nomad Sand Beach appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2NmXp50 https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Neptune Hotels
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post Neptune Hotels appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2KzB6qE https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Papilion Lagoon Reef hotel
Please contact the cleanup organizer for more details on this event.
The post Papilion Lagoon Reef hotel appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2NbELgt https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Monday, 24 June 2019
OC Overview for the week of 24 June 2019
To Save the Whales, Crab Fishers Are Testing Ropeless Gear
https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/to-save-the-whales-crab-fishers-are-t...
Climate change will cost Washington $24 billion in ‘high tide tax,’ report says
https://www.knkx.org/post/climate-change-will-cost-washington-24-billion...
from OpenChannels News http://bit.ly/2ZJrmxy https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Friday, 21 June 2019
Thursday, 20 June 2019
Wednesday, 19 June 2019
OC Overview for the week of 17 June 2019
Arctic could face another scorching annus horribilis
https://phys.org/news/2019-06-arctic-annus-horribilis.html
Whale Watchers Accused Of Loving Endangered Orcas To Death
from OpenChannels News http://bit.ly/2x7SlXe https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Good News in the Fight Against Plastic
If you’re reading this, odds are you already know about the dire threat facing our ocean in the form of plastic pollution. Nearly every day brings a new media report about a marine mammal with stomach filled with plastic trash. Thankfully, we have some good news to report in the fight against plastic pollution:
Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) recently called on President Trump to develop a national research and response plan to address to the growing problem of mismanaged plastic waste that gets into our ocean. In a letter to the President, Sen. Udall and Rep. Lowenthal make the case for a coordinated effort across all relevant federal agencies to address the gaps in our scientific understanding of the problem, and mobilize a federal response to the problem. Text of that letter can be found here.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude plastic pollution, but small moments like this are worth noting and celebrating. A comprehensive federal effort is just what’s needed to improve our understanding of the problem and help inform the actions we can and should take to address it.
Sign up for our emails!
With an estimated eight million metric tons of plastic flowing into the ocean every year, we are on a pace for there to be a pound of plastic for every three pounds of fish in the ocean within the next decade. More than 800 species of marine animals are demonstrably affected by plastic, from the smallest plankton to the largest whales.
As a material, plastics persist in the environment for a very long time—maybe forever. They break up into smaller and smaller pieces. And plastics are found everywhere! Plastic—be it large pieces or tiny microplastics—has been found in the deepest reaches of the Marianas Trench and on the some of the highest mountain peaks. Plastic has been found in 59% of sea birds, in 100% of sea turtle species, and more than 25% of fish sampled from seafood markets around the world. We are increasingly finding it in our food supply and our drinking water.
We applaud the effort of Sen. Udall and Rep. Lowenthal. It’s a small but needed step. We encourage you to contact your senators and congressional representatives and urge them to support a mobilized federal response to this extraordinary challenge.
Looking for more ways you can help? Pledge to Skip the Straw or sign up to volunteer at the International Coastal Cleanup.
The post Good News in the Fight Against Plastic appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2ITk8QN https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Finding Innovative Solutions to Marine Debris on St. Paul Island
Today’s guest blog comes from Lauren Divine, Director of the Ecosystem Conservation Office at the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island. She also represents the Tribal Government of St. Paul Island through the Aleut International Association on the Arctic Council Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) Marine Litter Expert Group.
Historically, members of the tribal community of St. Paul Island, Alaska, would walk the shorelines of our island to remove debris such as driftwood and bones from the beaches, ensuring that the summer homes of laaqudan (Unangan), or northern fur seals, were clean and accessible. More than half of the world’s population of northern fur seals gathers on our shorelines to breed during the summer, and these cleanup efforts were part of how the community of St. Paul served as stewards and protectors of the seals. More recently, rocky and sandy shorelines alike have become the constant end points for man-made debris such as plastic fishing nets and lines, and cleanups have become more difficult. But the community has continued to find innovative solutions to the marine debris issue, thus conserving the habitat of our cherished wildlife.
Since 1998, the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island (ACSPI) Ecosystem Conservation Office (ECO) has organized and conducted shoreline marine debris cleanups to mitigate negative impacts to wildlife, such as laaqudan (Callorhinus ursinus), endangered qawan or Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), isuĝin or harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and millions of san or seabirds. Over the past two decades, cleanups have been possible due to strong partnerships and support from federal government (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program), Central Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association (CBSFA), Ocean Conservancy, the city of St. Paul, Sitka Sound Science Center and Trident Seafoods, Inc.
Now in our 21st year of cleanup efforts, we continue to look for new ways to approach the problem, expand awareness and build support. This year, in addition to Ocean Conservancy and other traditional partners, we worked with the Ocean Media Institute (OMI) to combine marine debris removal with a hands-on, storytelling and film production camp for St. Paul Island’s youth. The students were taught storytelling techniques and how to use video equipment. They then documented student-led cleanup efforts on one day of the larger cleanup. In addition to working with students, OMI shot video and did interviews with community members, staff and others to document the larger cleanup.
Sign up for our emails!
The cleanup crew included 11 members of the St. Paul community in addition to staff from ECO and Ocean Conservancy. Together, we tackled the rocky shorelines and sandy beaches that comprise northern fur seal critical breeding and resting habitat in areas that are most vulnerable to accumulated debris. All told, we removed nearly 20,000 pounds of debris from four separate locations around our island. This volume may seem staggering, but it is typical of the amount of debris our crew is able to pick up in a week’s time. After the cleanup was complete, we flew surveys over some of the beaches so that there is a visual record of the cleaned areas. We hope to continue to monitor the rates of accumulation on our beaches using drones and simply walking our shorelines.
In 2020, we hope to expand our efforts to a Pribilof Islands-wide, coordinated cleanup in partnership with the St. George Island Traditional Council, the city governments of St. George and St. Paul, the local fishing associations for the Islands (Aleutian Pribilof Islands Community Development Association and Central Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association), Trident Seafoods, Ocean Conservancy, Net Your Problem and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The cleanup will include St. Paul, St. George and, for the first time ever, Otter Island, a small uninhabited island six miles southwest of St. Paul where abundant marine mammals and seabirds breed and rest.
You can see the shore from any place on St. Paul. Keeping the shorelines clean is important to the community and for the wildlife on which we depend. We look forward to continuing partnerships for cleanups and to looking for policy solutions that stop debris from getting to our islands.
The post Finding Innovative Solutions to Marine Debris on St. Paul Island appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2XZ0oS2 https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
No really – it is an actually job!
Our newest Marine Educator Flora reflects on her first month or so as a WiseOceans Marine Educator
Working for WiseOceans is a great change of pace for me. Having come from the Maldives, as both a resident marine biologist and a dive instructor, I spent more time that I would have liked on the dive instructing side of life. Here I can forget all about that and move onto doing the dreamy job of a full-time marine educator.
I think one of my highlights so far has been taking a privately guided snorkel with a ten-year-old boy from Europe. He was so nervous before we got in and by the end of our hour session, he was hooked! In fact, he came back every day of his holiday to either go snorkelling again or sit with us and play the awesome Marine Match game and discuss any and all ocean facts.
The team on the beach has been amazingly easy to integrate with. They are completely knowledgeable and so happy to pass on all the local know-how to each incoming team member, as well as guests. So far, I have managed to have great fun every day on the beach and can’t wait for the coming months to keep the ocean joy rolling!
Now, the hardest part of the job… probably persuading my friends and family back in the UK that ‘yes- I do actually work hard, it’s just doesn’t feel like it as I love it!’
from WiseOceans blog – WiseOceans http://bit.ly/2Ip2uWe http://bit.ly/2XZzUjm
Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Monday, 17 June 2019
Guest Blog: Sea Watch Foundation – National Whale and Dolphin Watch 2019
The National Whale and Dolphin Watch is a unique opportunity for anyone in the UK to get involved in a nation-wide data collection event. Researcher, boat operator, wildlife enthusiast or citizen scientist, we urge everyone to get involved!
Running from Saturday 27th July – Sunday 4th August, this event aims to get a “snap-shot” of marine life in British and Irish waters, with special focus on whales, dolphins and porpoises.
We will be sending an observer pack, including all the sighting forms and instructions for use, to every registered event.
The event is in its 18th year, and with over 1600 sightings recorded in 2018, we hope for just as many this year!
To get involved, all you need to do is get in touch with us at nwdw@Seawatchfoundation.org.uk or calling 01545 561227. We’re happy to help you plan your watch and will send an observer pack your way. Then you’re good to go! Fingers crossed for good weather and lots of sightings!
– – –
Read the Interview with WiseOceans featuring Sea Watch Foundation’s Sightings Officer Assistant/National Whale and Dolphin Watch Assistant Charlotte Andrews.
from WiseOceans blog – WiseOceans http://bit.ly/2XhLAkG http://bit.ly/2ZrmxJa
World Oceans Day 2019
WiseOceans celebrated World Oceans Day across the globe – trying to pack in as much help for our oceans and marine education as possible. Here is a summary of what our teams got up to.
Wales, UK
For our first World Oceans Day celebrations in Wales, we joined forces with Sea Trust to arrange a fun day dedicated to raising awareness of our incredible oceans at the Ocean Lab in Goodwick, Pembrokeshire. It was a brilliant opportunity to get together with local organisations and meet with people from all over the country to chat all things marine. People of all ages had the opportunity to join in our games: matching marine life to their habitats and young, identifying their sounds and learning how long our everyday household items could remain in our oceans. Throughout the day we had had many other activities for attendees to get involved with including tours of Sea Trust’s local marine life aquarium, as well as a beach clean, seashore safari, quizzes, face painting and of course a nibble on some marine-themed cakes!
Seychelles (Mahé)
Seychelles (Desroches)
Together with the Island Conservation Society (ICS) team, we organised a beach clean-up of the whole island. We are extremely thankful to Four Seasons Resorts at Desroches Island and the Island Development Company (IDC), Blue Safari staff members as well as guests who helped us to collect a total of 284.6 kg of waste in just a couple of hours.
Plastic bottles and flip flops were the main constituents of the waste collected but it was quite astonishing to collect some intact electric bulbs, couple of mooring buoys and a small gas cylinder.
The outcome of this clean up was not only to get a temporary clean beach but also to remind people that waste can be carried over long distances and end up in areas where we would never think they would be. The amount of plastic bottles collected is another reminder of the urgent need to move to other alternatives.
With the arrival of the peak nesting season for green turtles, we plan to carry out a monthly clean-up of Desroches!
Mauritius
We organised a beach clean-up at the GRSE public beach. It went fantastically with Marine Educators Rick and Bernard facilitating it. With volunteers from Terrocean, Indigo Divers and Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita we were able to collect about 12 bags of rubbish leaving the beach very clean. A special thanks to the Four Seasons for all the logistical support!
#TogetherWeCan
from WiseOceans blog – WiseOceans http://bit.ly/2WPHoco http://bit.ly/2MSOqIS
Friday, 14 June 2019
Webinar June 27: “Developing Ecological and Oceanographic Insights for Decision-makers on Changing Ocean Chemistry”
Thursday, June 27 at 2:00 PM ET/11:00 AM PT
Join us at the Lenfest Ocean Program for a webinar on “Developing Ecological and Oceanographic Insights for Decision-makers on Changing Ocean Chemistry” featuring Tessa Hill, University of California, Davis, Ana Spalding, Oregon State University, and Jessica Kauzer, California Ocean Science Trust to discuss a new project to:
from OpenChannels News http://bit.ly/2XVwcao https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Thursday, 13 June 2019
Wednesday, 12 June 2019
What works to reduce marine plastic pollution? What we know and what we need to do
“[Ocean plastic] isn’t a problem where we don’t know what the solution is. We know how to pick up garbage. Anyone can do it. We know how to dispose of it. We know how to recycle.”
Editor’s note: Marine plastic has a profound impact on marine ecosystems – entangling and killing wildlife, spreading disease and non-native species, and even impairing the oceans’ creation of oxygen. Managing marine ecosystems will need to include managing the marine plastic problem. Last month the Skimmer reported on the impacts of marine plastic on the Blue Economy, including on tourism, fishing, and ecosystem services. This month, in the second half of our plastics coverage, we examine which policies to reduce marine plastic seem to work best.
There is an abundance of information out there on how to reduce one’s personal plastic consumption, with the ultimate goal of reducing the amount of plastic that is polluting marine (and terrestrial) ecosystems. There are also numerous great reports (examples here and here) on government and industry interventions for reducing marine plastic pollution. But what do we know about the efficacy and level of impact of these activities? Are we lumping actions which are likely to have relatively little impact on the problem with actions that potentially have huge impacts? Of course, the ideal is to eliminate all plastic pollution – marine and terrestrial – but in this article, we attempt to:
- Provide perspective (by way of lots of numbers) for what actions are most likely to make the biggest difference in marine plastic pollution
- Provide information on what has been shown to work to reduce marine plastic pollution.
from OpenChannels News http://bit.ly/2WFFVFz https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Ecological connectivity between the high seas and coastal waters: Why coastal communities need to care about what happens on the high seas
Editor’s Note: For this article, we interviewed Ekaterina Popova, a global ocean modeller with the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, United Kingdom, about her new article "Ecological connectivity between the areas beyond national jurisdiction and coastal waters: Safeguarding interests of coastal communities in developing countries" published in Marine Policy in June 2019.
The Skimmer: In this study, you found that coastal regions of some least-developed countries (LDCs) are connected to areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) through larval dispersal and the potential dispersal of pollutants. These findings suggest that protecting ‘source’ areas in the ABNJ could help promote sustainable livelihoods for coastal regions that depend on larval supply from these regions (and don’t want to receive pollutants from these regions...) Can you briefly describe some of these connections?
Popova: Our study showed that connectivity between the ABNJ and coastal waters of different countries varies considerably. How tight the connectivity is, depends on the prevailing direction, timescale and variability of ocean currents. Sometimes, the shape of the adjacent Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) also has an effect. The complex ways these various factors interact means that close geographical proximity, or ‘adjacency’, of coastal waters to ABNJ is not always a good indicator of strong connectivity and some countries are much more exposed to the influence of ABNJ than others. The world’s most ABNJ-impacted LDC is the Federal Republic of Somalia. Its strong connectivity is shaped by three powerful currents: the South Equatorial current, the East African coastal current, and the seasonally reversing East Somali current. The most tightly ABNJ-connected stretch of the Somali coastline can be impacted by the upstream ABNJ waters on a time scale of just over a month. In contrast, the Republic of Senegal is one of the world’s least connected LDCs. Its most tightly ABNJ-connected coastline stretch is impacted by upstream ABNJ on a time scale of more than seven months.
from OpenChannels News http://bit.ly/2WCHZZQ https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Latest News and Resources for Ocean Planners and Managers
- New long-term data set shows clear changes in El Niño patterns
- Global assessment finds humans driving a million species to extinction
- Warming waters changing compositions of global plankton communities
- Productivity of North Atlantic phytoplankton declining as ocean warms
- New report documents climate change impacts on deep ocean habitat, fish, and fisheries
- New reporting on how weak governance undermines South America’s ocean ecosystems
- US government and fishing industry to collaborate on offshore wind research and processes
- EU releases 2019 Blue Economy report
- New paper describes approaches and tools for achieving multi-objective MSP
- Global Fishing Watch makes data available/easier to use in other applications
- Free service helps nonprofits create ArcGIS StoryMaps
- Input requested on content/main uses of new marine conservation planning database
- Major newspaper switching from “climate change” to “climate crisis”
from OpenChannels News http://bit.ly/2WFl8BR https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
From the Archives: “Start where your audience is, not where you want them to be”: What EBM and MSP practitioners can (and should) learn from marketing (MEAM Feb 2016, Issue 9:4)
Editor’s Note: From the Archives calls attention to past Skimmer/MEAM articles whose perspectives and insight remain relevant.
To some in conservation and resource management, marketing can seem like a bad word. But marketing is inherently about getting people to change their behavior, whether it is buying a product, recycling, or supporting a new approach to management. Marketing techniques bring together elements of psychology, sociology, economics, and graphic design. Learn from three experts how to use conservation marketing to make marine conservation and management processes more effective.
from OpenChannels News http://bit.ly/2WyJGHK https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Tuesday, 11 June 2019
Monday, 10 June 2019
OC Overview for the week of 10 June 2019
Glorious pictures of pristine marine protected areas around the world
https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/photography/2019/06/glorious-pictur...
To save the oceans, we must first empower women
https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/08/opinions/rebecca-loy-oceans-day-intl/inde...
from OpenChannels News http://bit.ly/2F2eevH https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Saturday, 8 June 2019
Friday, 7 June 2019
Is Recycling Broken? Yes
On World Oceans Day 2019, we celebrate all that is wonderful about the ocean while not losing our focus on the challenges facing the ocean—especially ocean plastic pollution.
Ocean Conservancy has witnessed impacts from ocean plastic firsthand over our 45-year history. We have a bold goal to stop the flow of plastic into the ocean by 2030. This is critical for the ocean, and in our fight against climate change.
Approximately 6,300 million metric tons of plastic waste has been generated since the creation of plastics in the 1950’s. Only 9% of this plastic waste has been recycled, with the remainder incinerated, landfilled or left in the natural environment. Of the roughly 9% that has been recycled, only 10% of that has been recycled more than once; this means that only 1% of all plastic produced has been recycled more than once. This is a massive scourge for our ocean; roughly 150 million metric tons of plastic waste now pollutes our ocean with an additional 8 million metric tons (and growing) spilling into the marine environment from land every year.
Plastics are a contributor to the climate crisis as well. New research from the University of California, Santa Barbara warns that— if left unabated—greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from plastic production could reach 15% of our global carbon budget by 2050. That future is unacceptable. The research identifies improvements in recycling as a critical pathway to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. If we recycle all plastic waste, GHGs from plastic would decrease by 25% by mid-century. In stark contrast, incinerating all plastic waste would drive an increase in GHGs in our atmosphere of 22%.
No matter how you slice it, the ocean is put at continued risk from a “business as usual” expansion of plastics production and consumption. And everyone I speak with—people of all walks, NGOs, scientists, consumer goods companies and plastic makers—agree that plastic does not belong in the ocean. But how do we tackle this crisis?
First, we must reduce the amount of plastic being produced. We need to start with phasing out unnecessary and single-use plastics. Every year, the same disposable products appear on Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup Top 10 of the most common items littering our beaches and waterways around the globe—items like plastic bags, foam containers and straws. Our scientists have shown how damaging these products are to marine life and the marine environment.
Bans, fees, and product restrictions are effective ways to have an outsized impact on local communities while reducing the amount of plastic produced. If those products are out of the market altogether, they won’t end up in the ocean. For example, if only 2% of retail plastic bags find their way to the ocean each year, a global ban on plastic bags would mean that approximately 10 billion pieces of plastic would no longer be available to impact marine life. Apply that same kind of calculus to straws and that’s another 4 to 6 billion pieces of plastic that won’t potentially get lodged into sea turtles’ nostrils.
Ocean Conservancy has led the way with these efforts with our Skip the Straw campaign that we launched in 2014.Now paper and aluminum straws are all the rage. As of 2018, 127 out of 192 countries had adopted legislation to ban or tax plastic bags. The European Union just banned 10 single-use plastic products. If we take this kind of action around the world, we keep these harmful products out of the ocean, and we’ll have less to pick up during the International Coastal Cleanup.
Second, for recyclable plastics, we must collect and recycle them better and smarter. Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s 2017 analysis revealed that about 50% of plastic packaging currently on the market could be economically recycled with concerted efforts by industry to redesign these products. This is absolutely critical to get beyond our current historic 9% global recycling rate for plastic.
But right now even recyclable plastics are piling up at recycling facilities across the U.S. and in countries around the world as China puts strict restrictions on imports of waste into their country. Instead of selling plastics to overseas markets, U.S recycling facilities now have to spend money to get rid of plastics. To have an effective recycling system for plastics, we must have improvements in basic waste management systems to improve collection of materials and enhanced market demand to drive uptake in the recycled content into fully recyclable (and recycled) new products. To address this fundamental market failure, we need policies that fund collection, create incentives for use of recycled content, and create market demand to empower a fully circular economy. Such an approach could create demand for recycled plastics while simultaneously phasing out unnecessary single-use plastics that foul recycling systems.
In the U.S., California is leading the way with proposed legislation that will set mandates to reduce waste from single-use packaging and ensure that the remaining products are effectively recycled. Ocean Conservancy supports this legislation as a serious step in the right direction. We know that even more can be done to build markets for recycled content to help companies meet their sustainability goals while simultaneously stopping plastics from entering the ocean.
To get there, businesses and companies must ensure that the products they’re putting into the marketplace can be captured, returned and reused/recycled, instead of landfilled, littering our communities, or going into the ocean.
The tide is beginning to turn. We have seen a number of commitments by companies, including those in our Trash Free Seas Alliance, embracing this challenge. Starbucks and McDonalds’ NextGen Cup Challenge will eliminate plastic cup waste altogether by creating a fiber cup that is truly recyclable and compostable. In Indonesia, Danone’s AQUA brand bottled water introduced a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic that is also 100% recyclable. While some leaders in the private sector are making progress, many more companies need to join this movement.
We cannot undo the previous 70 years of plastics production that has already damaged our ocean. But we can shape the trajectory of our future. This will require a Herculean effort, and no single solution on its own can succeed. But Ocean Conservancy is committed on all fronts to stop plastics from entering the ocean by 2030.
Will you join us?
Sign up for our emails!
The post Is Recycling Broken? Yes appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
from Ocean Conservancy http://bit.ly/2WiPntr https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Thursday, 6 June 2019
Raise a Glass for the Ocean!
Help us Create a Splash for Blue Parks!
Join Marine Conservation Institute on June 29, 2019 for great beer and delicious hors d’oeuvres at the loft of Lagunitas Brewery, in Petaluma, CA. Learn about Blue Parks, and our exciting work to save the ocean’s most important places! We will share our successes establishing a Global Ocean Refuge System to protect marine life and introduce Blue Parks! Come enjoy a fun evening with live music, updates from our marine biologists and a silent auction! 100% of this evening supports Blue Parks!
Can’t attend? please consider a tax-deductible donation: https://marine-conservation-institute.networkforgood.com/projects/70404-marine-conservation-institute-donation-page
or become an event sponsor
Tickets can be purchased at:
https://marine-conservation-institute.networkforgood.com/events/12959-raise-a-glass-for-the-oceans
Or contact Madeleine Serkissian directly via Email: Madeleine.Serkissian@marine-conservation.org
from On the Tide http://bit.ly/2KwihE5 http://bit.ly/31eceKh
Wednesday, 5 June 2019
Tuesday, 4 June 2019
OC Overview for the week of 3 June 2019
Fishing-related sediment choking out British Columbia's sea sponges: study
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/fishing-related-sediment-chokin...
How to fish without disrupting the food web
https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/446678-how-to-fish-withou...
from OpenChannels News http://bit.ly/2Kr2Ahf https://ift.tt/eA8V8J