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Why municipal waste-to-energy incineration is not the answer to NZ’s plastic waste crisis
This The Conversation article discusses why municipal waste-to-energy incineration is not the answer to NZ’s plastic waste crisis.
New Zealand is ranked the third-most-wasteful country in the OECD. New Zealanders produce five times the global daily average of waste per person – and they are getting more wasteful, producing 35% more than […]
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The climate chain reaction that threatens the heart of the Pacific
This Washington Post article discusses the climate chain reaction that threatens the heart of the Pacific. Lined up along the side of their boat, the fishermen hauled a huge, heavy net up from swelling waves. At first, a few small jellyfish emerged, then a piece of plastic. Then net, […]
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Report: Yale Climate Connections, November 8, 2019
This week’s articles include:
Essay: What it’s like to be a mom in fire country
With sea levels rising, these strategies could help coastal communities prepare
What small businesses can do about climate change
Great graphics aid on […]
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Why does the Arctic have more plastic than most places on Earth?
This National Geographic article asks why does the Arctic have more plastic than most places on Earth? Plastics travel on ocean currents and through the air to the far north and accumulate—sometimes inside the animals that live there.
Here in the Arctic, hundreds of miles from the nearest big city, […]
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Report: Every human should be alarmed by the plastic crisis in our oceans
This Washington Post opinion piece discusses why everyone should be alarmed by the plastic crisis in our oceans.
“WITHOUT CHANGE,” warns a bipartisan group of senators, “there will be more plastic by weight than fish in the oceans by 2050.” Some of the signs of this growing crisis are visible: sea […]
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Coca-Cola Company and Plastic Pollution
These two The Intercept articles discuss Coca-Cola and recycling and plastics:
The first discusses a leaked audio revealing how Coca-Cola has tried to undermine plastic recycling. Audio from a meeting of recycling leaders obtained by The Intercept reveals how the soda giant’s “green” philanthropy helped squelch what could have been an […]
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Tropical fish, microplastics and disappearing beaches: Climate change along the Central Coast
This article discusses tropical fish, microplastics and disappearing beaches: Climate change along the Central Coast of California.
Butterfly Beach in Montecito is popular among beachgoers. But 30 years from now, there won’t be much of it left to enjoy.
“You’re going to have more hours a day where the waves are […]
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Study: ‘Everywhere we looked’: trillions of microplastics found in San Francisco bay
This The Guardian article discusses a study analyzing microplastics in SF Bay. Most comprehensive study to date finds plastic in sediment collected from bay and tributaries and digestive tracts of fish.
The most comprehensive study to date of microplastics in California has turned up a mind-boggling amount of plastic particles […]
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The attention on microplastic pollution is welcomed. But scientists can do better.
This Environmental Health News article discusses microplastic pollution. An expert marine biologist on the many ways microplastic pollution research can be bolstered.
In the past few years, microplastics— small pieces of plastic up to 5 millimeters in size—have been getting a lot of attention, but not all studies are created […]
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Study: In the Sea, Not All Plastic Lasts Forever
This NY Times article discusses how some plastics break down quicker in the oceans. Polystyrene, a common ocean pollutant, decomposes in sunlight much faster than thought, a new study finds.
A major component of ocean pollution is less devastating and more manageable than usually portrayed, according to a scientific […]
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