Sea Otters: Combat Water Pollution And Promote Recovery of Seagrass Beds
Seagrass meadows, which provide coastal protection and important habitat for fish, are declining worldwide, partly because of excessive nutrients entering coastal waters in runoff from farms and urban areas. Scientists studying the decline and recovery of seagrass beds in one of California’s largest estuaries have found that recolonization of the estuary by sea otters was a crucial factor in the seagrass comeback.
Despite Two Bans, Styrofoam Trash Still Plagues Haiti
Despite two government decrees making their import and usage illegal, styrofoam cups and plates are used and littered all over the capital, as well as bought and sold, wholesale and retail, completely out in the open.
Photographer Captures Waves of Trash in Indonesia
Waves for days. Trash for eternity. That’s what photographer Zak Noyle discovered on a recent trip to Java, Indonesia. The waves of Java, always known for being pristine and barreling, were now rolling swells of disgusting trash and debris…
Waste To Waves
The creation of one standard surfboard produces nearly 600 pounds of CO2. In 2012, determined to find a solution to this, Michael Stewart and Kevin Whilden cofounded Waste to Waves and challenged surfers to help cut that footprint in half.
California Offshore Fracking Prompts Request For Investigation
A group of state lawmakers has asked the federal government to investigate hydraulic fracturing off the California coast where new oil leases have been banned since a disastrous oil spill in 1969.
First African Marine Debris Summit
The first African Marine Debris Summit, which ended in Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday highlighted the urgent need for a collective action against the problem of marine debris facing the continent.
Govt, Energy Industry Accused of Suppressing Fracking Dangers
New signs have emerged in recent days which indicate that extreme measures are being taken in order to suppress evidence of the pernicious effects of the energy extraction method known as hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”.
Sediment Trapped Behind Dams Makes Them ‘Hot Spots’ for Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The large reservoirs of water behind the world’s 50,000 large dams are a known source of methane. Methane has a warming effect 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. That knowledge led to questions about hydroelectric power’s image as a green and nonpolluting energy source.
Hawaii Ocean Debris Could Fill 18-Wheeler
In an area of Hawaii, far removed from most human habitation, a recent cleanup effort yielded an 18-wheeler’s worth of human debris, consisted largely of derelict fishing gear and all sorts of plastic, during a 19-day anti-pollution campaign this year.