From Ocean to Beach, Tons of Plastic Pollution
The Hawaii Wildlife Fund, which organizes beaches cleanups, estimates that they have removed about 169 tons of garbage in the last 11 years from a 10-mile stretch of Hawaii Island alone, and that about 15 tons to 20 tons of new trash comes ashore each year.
Barrier Reef Dredge Spoil Could Travel Further
Three million cubic metres of spoil will be dumped in waters 20km from the reef as part of the expansion of Abbot Point port, affecting coral.
Whither Costa Concordia, Amid Environmental Concerns
Two refloating sponsons is what separates the Costa Concordia cruise ship from leaving the shores of Giglio Island, Italy, but where it will then be towed is still an open question.
5 Numbers To Illustrate How Bad Our Plastic Bag Habit Really Is – French Edition
Plastic is versatile, lightweight, flexible, moisture resistant, strong, and relatively inexpensive. Those are the attractive qualities that lead us, around the world, to a voracious appetite and over-consumption of plastic goods. The french journal Le Figaro, has compiled 5 simple numbers, yet powerful enough to illustrate how detrimental and pervasive the single-use-plastic-bag habit is, in France.
1 in 10 U.S. Beaches Fails Bacteria Test In Survey
Swimmers, take heed: Ten percent of water samples taken from U.S. coastal and lake beaches fail to meet safety standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a new report finds.
Plastic Waste Causes $13 Billion In Annual Damage To Marine Ecosystems, UN
Concern is growing over widespread plastic waste that is threatening marine life – with conservative yearly estimates of $13 billion in financial damage to marine ecosystems, according to two reports issued at the inaugural meeting of the United Nations Environment Assembly.
Nigeria Fishermen Reject Shell’s $50 Million
It is the first time Shell has had its environmental record in Nigeria on trial by a British court. The thousands of compensation cases in often corrupt Nigerian courts drag on for years and often end with victims being paid a pittance. Until now, Shell has paid compensation only for spills caused by equipment failure.
19-Year-Old Is Ready to Build an Ocean Cleanup Machine
Boyan Slat, a 19-year-old Dutch aeronautical engineering student, is raising $2 million to build an ocean cleanup contraption he designed to passively funnel garbage to specific collection points. Working with a team of over 100 people, he recently released a 528-page feasibility study (PDF) detailing how the complex technology works.
Canada Approves Northern Gateway Oil Pipeline To Pacific Coast
Canada’s government on Tuesday approved a controversial proposed pipeline to the Pacific Coast that would allow oil to be shipped to Asia