Archive

What are microplastics? What about a garbage patch? This glossary helps demystify plastic pollution. BY ELIZABETH ATALAY, LAURA PARKER, AND HEIDI SCHULTZ – National Geographic This story is part of Planet or Plastic?—The National Geographic multiyear effort to raise awareness about the global plastic waste crisis. Learn what you can do to reduce your own single-use plastics, and take their pledge. […]

Plastics, among other pollutants, are one of the most commonly found in oceans and on beaches globally.  This is mainly for two reasons: first, plastic is very durable and often low in cost, so it is universally used for consumer and industrial products, and second, plastics do not biodegrade completely, remaining in the world’s oceans […]

Featured Image:  A plastic bag floats through Manila Bay in the Philippines.  PHOTOGRAPH BY RANDY OLSON, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Even one of the most remote places on Earth couldn’t hide from the scourge of plastic trash By Sarah Gibbens, National Geographic PUBLISHED MAY 11, 2018, www.NationalGeographic.com The Mariana Trench—the deepest point in the ocean—extends nearly 36,000 feet down […]

“Just one word… plastics…There’s a great future in plastics.” Remember this famous quote from the 1967 film, “The Graduate“?  It foreshadows the incredible rise of the plastic industry, which took off like a runaway train shortly after its release. Now, over 40 years later that train is about to run off the tracks. We produce […]

Every January, millions of people will resolve to workout more often, eat better, drink or smoke less. But there’s one new year’s resolution we hope everyone will make: reducing their use of disposable plastic. A recent report found: – Only 9 percent of plastic gets recycled – 12 percent is incinerated, and the rest ends […]

When is enough ENOUGH?  I was diving in Bali at Manta Point off Nusa Penida today.  This is supposed to be a magnificent dive site where the mantas and mola-mola congregate.  Well, today was not that day. On the way out to the site from Sanur beach, we had to stop the boat 3 times […]

Evidence shows that human activities, including overfishing, oil spills, pollution, and climate change are altering ocean environment beyond their natural state over the last few decades. According to numerous scientific studies, marine species are declining in many places, which impacts on the marine ecosystems and may lead to undesirable consequences for the biodiversity. We need […]

In an ambitious step forward to reduce the amount of waste created by plastic bottles, UK Water has announced a scheme to introduce free refill stations across the country by 2021. More than 35 million plastic bottles are used every day in the UK alone, almost half of which are not recycled, with many finding […]

Divers have a unique motivator to keep the environment in top shape. While wanting the wildlife to be present for us to enjoy as divers might be a selfish reason, it’s still a motivator. It’s no secret that 7 billion humans have a profound impact on our environment on the macro and micro scale.  We’re […]