Below you’ll find some links to articles and a brief overview of what you’ll find within them. Make sure you get educated on your local, national, and even international news. Ocean pollution effects everyone so it’s crucial to stay informed.
International:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-55622733
Based in Cornwall, England, the local charity the 2 Minute Foundation has coined a new beach cleanup method. As made clear by the name, the 2 Minute Foundation is dedicated to cleaning the planet two minutes at a time. This includes beach clean up, getting rid of litter, and educating. CEO Martin Dorey has commented that they’ve developed an idea to use trash from beach cleanups as a resource. The general idea is that the litter is collected, shredded, and then turned into sheets that are converted into trash pick-up stations. These stations are used to continue to encourage people to pick up any litter and dispose of it in a proper, easy way. The positive cycle promotes continued pollution management and proper disposal as well as sustainable recycling.
National:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/30/climate/plastic-pollution-oceans.html
A new research study published by Science Advances found that the United States is responsible for up to five times more ocean pollution than originally thought. The uptick is thought to be caused by an increase in plastic pollution by Americans as well as a consideration of recycling capabilities. The U.S. is improperly equipped to handle the amount of recycling it produces, so it gets shipped off to countries who are no better suited to manage it. An original study did not consider the exported plastic, and hence shielded the more accurate data. Though real numbers are challenging to pin, the consideration of increased pollution and exported plastic shows that the US produces between 25-75% more waste than initially thought. Such information will impact future policy making as the US becomes more serious about climate change.
Local:
The City of Sunnyvale has just been fined $187,000 since their wastewater treatment plant spilled only partially treated sewer water into the San Francisco Bay. The spill totaled over a quarter million gallons and came from a pipe scheduled to be replaced in an upcoming project. Though thankfully the area is sparsely populated and it is highly unlikely that any humans were impacted, the spill did occur by the Cargill Salt Ponds which are a fish and wildlife channel. Tests did find elevated bacteria, ammonia, and pH levels. No fish were found dead, but the water pollution can be harmful to wildlife. Efforts are now being put in place to clean up the water as it impacts the area, the 160,000 residents that use it, and the other bodies of water it bleeds into.