A Threat by Any Other Name

According to research by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, 70 percent of Americans believed in March 2016 that global warming was happening. But on virtually every question about the causes, effects, and mitigation of climate change, we are widely divided along partisan lines. The word planners are using, more and more, is resilience. Once seen as a kind of stopgap strategy, resilience has become the modus operandi of climate planning.
Ship crashes into ‘pristine’ coral reef, captain may be charged

The captain of a cruise ship could be charged after his boat rammed into a pristine coral reef. The 297-foot (90.6 meter) MS Caledonian Sky crashed into the reefs at Raja Ampat on March 4. Raja Ampat is frequently included on lists of the the world’s most beautiful coral reefs and is often described as an “untouched” beach paradise.
Whanganui River the first in the world to be given legal status as a person, NZ

New Zealand’s Whanganui River now has the legal status of a person under a unique Treaty settlement passed into law today. It’s believed to be a world first.
War on global warming only way to save world’s coral, study says

Reducing pollution and curbing overfishing won’t prevent the severe bleaching that is killing coral at catastrophic rates, according to a study of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. In the end, researchers say, the only way to save the world’s coral from heat-induced bleaching is with a war on global warming.
Doctors join forces, warn climate change is harming our health

Climate change isn’t just happening in the Arctic Circle and Antarctica where more ice is melting year after year. Its impact is being felt right here at home, and it’s posing a threat to the health of millions of Americans, say doctors representing 11 top U.S. medical societies. They are joining forces in Washington, D.C., today to speak out about the health risks posed by climate change.
What is the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?

Not all trash ends up at the dump. A river, sewer or beach can’t catch everything the rain washes away, either. In fact, Earth’s largest landfill isn’t on land at all. This marine debris has sloshed into the public spotlight lately, thanks to growing media coverage as well as expeditions by scientists and explorers hoping to see plastic pollution in action.
Tiny plastic pellets found on 73% of UK beaches

A search of hundreds of beaches across the UK has found almost three-quarters of them are littered with tiny plastic pellets. The lentil-size pellets known as “nurdles” are used as a raw material by industry to make new plastic products.
Residents, retailers decry proposal to reverse plastic bag ban

Many residents on the Outer Banks say they oppose a bill in the N.C. General Assembly that would lift the ban on the use of thin plastic shopping bags by retailers.
Sustainably attired: Disruptive Design Drives Sustainable Fashion Forward

Though the concept of fast fashion stands in stark contrast to the notion of conscious consumerism and arguably sustainability itself, innovation and disruptive design play an important role in driving the industry towards a more circular, sustainable model. H&M has upped the ante on its Conscious Exclusive collection, utilizing BIONIC® — a revolutionary sustainable material manufactured from recycled polyester derived from plastic shoreline waste.