Between 60 and 90 percent of the world’s fresh water is frozen in the ice sheets of Antarctica, a continent roughly the size of the United States and Mexico combined. If all that ice melted, it would be enough to raise the world’s sea levels by roughly 200 feet. While that won’t happen overnight, Antarctica is indeed melting, and a study published Wednesday in the journal … [Read more...]
Seismic surveying of the ocean floor poses serious risk to whales
Whale populations around the world have been spouting their thanks to the dedication of conservationists who brought them back from the brink of extinction. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) have recognized that through the deployment of the Revised Management Procedure (RMP), some whale populations have actually begun the process of recovery. This new found … [Read more...]
Sea salt around the world is contaminated by plastic
Sea salt around the world has been contaminated by plastic pollution, adding to experts’ fears that microplastics are becoming ubiquitous in the environment and finding their way into the food chain via the salt in our diets. New studies have shown that tiny particles have been found in sea salt in the UK, France and Spain, as well as China and now the US. Researchers … [Read more...]
Climate events could move Earth into a ‘hothouse’ state
A domino-like cascade of melting ice, warming seas, shifting currents and dying forests could tilt the Earth into a “hothouse” state beyond which human efforts to reduce emissions will be increasingly futile, a group of leading climate scientists has warned. This grim prospect is sketched out in a journal paper that considers the combined consequences of 10 climate change … [Read more...]
Can crab shells and trees replace plastics?
An eco-friendly material made from crab shells and trees could replace plastic food packaging, according to US researchers. The material – made by spraying alternating layers of crab-shell chitin and tree cellulose onto a surface – is described in a paper in ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. Like plastic, when dried the material is tough, malleable and transparent. … [Read more...]
20 ways to plastic-proof your routine
Half of the plastic we use annually is a single-use item like packaging or a plastic straw. Single-use plastic has an an average lifespan of 12 to 15 minutes. But plastic can take anywhere from 400 years to over 1,000 years to disintegrate. We as consumers have the power to get action from manufacturers by changing the way we spend our money. So why not use our purchasing … [Read more...]
Plastic waste could contribute to climate change
The proliferation of plastic pollution has led to concerns over its impact on marine life and human health as the toxins it absorbs and emits move up the food chain. Now, a new study reveals yet another potential plastic hazard: It releases greenhouse gasses. The study, published in PLOS One Wednesday, found that some of the most common plastics in the environment release … [Read more...]
Javier Bardem teams up with Greenpeace for Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary doc
Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem will star in and produce “Sanctuary.” The film is part of the campaign to create the largest protected area on Earth, an Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary, and an analysis of how that can be brought about. Alvaro Longoria, a producer-partner at Morena Films and award-winning doc filmmaker, will direct, re-teaming with Bardem after the Wild … [Read more...]
Are Heaviside’s dolphins’ change of communication sounds a risk?
The problem, according to head researcher Morgan Martin, is that this switch may come at the risk of being heard by their key predator, killer whales. Heaviside's dolphins are only found in the Benguela Ecosystem along the west coast of southern Africa and range from southern Angola to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. They are one of the smallest dolphins on earth – … [Read more...]
Questioning the status quo with Plastic Free July
I don’t normally participate in special days, or months, for the simple reason that we should be long past devoting a day or a month to the issue of human survival on this planet. What could be more important than that to prioritise on a daily basis? I am devoted to maintaining the water, or energy or waste, or whatever focus EVERY day. But I do understand that it serves a … [Read more...]
Is the Marine Living Resources Act being enforced in South Africa?
“We are very concerned about the national state of fisheries management and over exploitation. This is a disturbing global trend which we see manifesting itself locally as well to the detriment of livelihoods and ecosystem functioning. We note the court action with regard to the West Coast Rock Lobster and trust that this will help bring sanity back into the management of … [Read more...]
Fishing nets account for 46% of all ocean plastic
New York's top cocktail bars are facing something of a crisis. A fashionable global protest movement has nightlife venues scrambling to replace their plastic straws with more sustainable alternatives, such as paper ones, on the theory that doing so will reduce plastic waste in the oceans. It all sound virtuous - but in reality, it's likely to make matters worse. Straws make up … [Read more...]
Rising tide of rubbish threatens Dominican Republic’s golden shores
Troops in the Dominican Republic have been drafted in to help tackle a tide of plastic waste blighting the Caribbean shores of the holiday hotspot. The nation's authorities are seeking to stem the sea of pollution washing up daily with a concerted clean-up drive. Soldiers have joined with conservationists, local government agencies and residents to try and stem the … [Read more...]
