Plastic Pollution

Getty Plastic bottles, carry bags, six-pack rings, plastic straws, disposable cutlery and styrofoam takeout containers—plastic products like these are so ubiquitous that we barely even notice them, let alone think of the damage they are doing to the environment.  Over 300 million tons of plastic is produced every year, 50%…

There are very few winners in a global pandemic, but it seems that the plastics industry might be one.  Less than six months ago, Massachusetts was on the verge of passing a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags. At least 130 towns and cities across the commonwealth had already limited…

PLA Daily Source: China Military Online Editor: Chen Lufan 2020-03-20 22:14:42 The Chinese Academy of Sciences has established two research stations on Yongshu and Zhubi islands in the South China Sea to allow scientists to live and conduct field studies on ecology, geology and environment. The Yongshu station already has…

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault has received a major a new deposit of seeds from several hundred plant species. In a formal ceremony on February 25, 2020, hosted by the Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg and attended by international dignitaries, the seeds from 35 gene banks spread over all seven…

As plastic pollution has become a more well-recognized problem, public awareness about the need for recycling has grown as well. The question is whether or not recycling is a viable answer. Growing evidence suggests plastic recycling efforts can have only a minor impact even under the best of circumstances. As…

Q. Dear Umbra, Should I feel guilty about buying so much plastic-wrapped and single-use stuff for this quarantine nightmare? –Stuck Here Using Throwaways Instead of … Not A. Dear SHUT-IN, The rapid, worldwide spread of coronavirus is certainly making everyone a bit more neurotic than usual. There’s so much uncertainty…

Meghan Markle made the most of her last day as a senior working royal in the U.K. Before attending the Commonwealth Service on Monday with her husband Prince Harry, the Duchess of Sussex attended a meeting at Buckingham Palace with the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) — one of her…

It’s official: Your reusable mug has been tainted — with suspicion. Starbucks announced last Wednesday that it is “pausing the use of personal cups and ‘for here’ ware in our stores” due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, and Dunkin’ and Tim Hortons quickly followed suit. That secondhand side-eye doesn’t just…

“It’s becoming more and more apparent that we need to do something” about climate change and sustainability, she says. “It has to come from more of a grass-roots level.”In the Greater Boston area and beyond, zero-waste products are becoming a familiar staple of existing retail shops and dedicated new ones…

The worms’ ability to munch on polyethylene and poop glycol seems to stem from the peculiar bacteria that dwell in their intestines.Researchers at Brandon University in Canada have made progress in understanding the nature of a tiny worm that can apparently survive on a diet of plastic, Forbes reports. As…