California approves first broad US climate plan
California, acting on its own against climate change, has approved a plan to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and let power plants, factories and eventually refiners and others to trade permits to pollute in a program generally known as cap-and-trade. California will become the second-largest carbon market in the world, following a European system.
Plastic Waste Pollutes Adriatic coast
Such pollution is a regular occurrence, but it has increased this year.
National monument status urged for Arctic refuge
The US President is being urged to bestow national monument status on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for its 50th anniversary in what supporters say would finally put the refuge’s coastal plain beyond the reach of oil companies. National monument status could put an estimated 11 billion barrels of recoverable oil beyond the grasp of oil companies forever.
Charging for Plastic Bags Cut Bag Consumption by Half in China
An environmental-economic evaluation of the Chinese ordinance against free plastic bags shows that people in China, the number one consumers of plastic bags in the world, reduced their consumption of plastic bags by half when stores were forced to charge consumers for the bags.
Blue Flag or Red Herring: Do beach awards encourage the public to visit beaches?
Surveys of beach visitor motivation in Ireland, Wales, Turkey and the USA indicate that beach awards play an insignificant role in motivation to visit beaches.
Alaskan Coast: Feds set aside critical habitat for polar bear
Nearly 95 percent of the designated habitat is sea ice in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas of Alaska’s northern coast.
EPA Tells Coastal States to Consider Rising Ocean Acidity
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says some states with coastal waters that are becoming more acidic because of carbon dioxide, should list them as impaired.
Parts of Los Angeles County ban plastic bags
Parts of Los Angeles County have joined other California communities in banning stores from using single-use plastic bags.
Record number of British beaches reach highest European standards
The number of blue flag beaches in England fell from 82 in 2008 to 71 last year, largely as a result of detritus and pollution. However, 86.2% of beaches (425) in England and Wales meet higher guideline standards this year, a huge increase from previous figures.