California Becomes First State to Ban Plastic Bags

California Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed the nation’s first statewide ban on single-use plastic bags at grocery and convenience stores, driven to action by pollution in streets and waterways.
Breaking Bad on the Beach

Tens of thousands of ships ply the world’s oceans, bays, and rivers. But what happens when those ships have become too old or too expensive to operate? In most cases, they end up on the shores of Asia…literally.
Recreational Activity A Major Pollutant On Canadian Coast Of Pacific Ocean

From recreational boats and fishing vessels to commercial cruise ships and private marinas, a newly published study shows that oil discharges related to human maritime activity on the Canadian coast are posing a major threat to marine ecosystems in the Pacific Ocean.
Côte d’Ivoire Chokes on its Plastic Shopping Bags

Each year, Côte d’Ivoire produces 200,000 tonnes of plastic bags of which 40,000 go directly into the trash. Less than 20 percent of this plastic is recycled. In this West African nation, the pressure is growing to find alternatives to plastic shopping bags.
Toxins From Plastic Pollution Impacting Health Of Seabirds

Plastic pollution is having a greater impact on seabirds than previously thought, scientists say.
Microplastic Pollution Discovered In St. Lawrence River Sediments

Microplastics have been discovered widely distributed across the bottom of the St. Lawrence River, the first time such pollutants have been found in freshwater sediments.
Volunteers Hit the Beach for 2014 International Coastal Cleanup Day

Today, volunteers around the globe will flock to the shore for International Coastal Cleanup Day, an annual call-to-action for people to help tidy up summer hotspots after the busy tourism season is over.
20 Years Old Aeronautical Engineer Boyan Slat Now Has the Funds to Build His Ocean Cleanup Machine

Dutch wunderkind Boyan Slat turned 20 this year. He also closed on $2 million in crowdfunding to build cleanup contraptions designed to intercept and remove plastic refuse from the ocean.
Plastic Rubbish From Land, Not Ships, Killing Australian Sea Life, Say Scientists

Mounds of plastic rubbish along Australia’s coastline are growing and killing wildlife which is ingesting or becoming ensnared in it, researchers say.