globalbriefs
News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.
Tiny Baubles Plastic Pollution Flows from Washday to the Sea
A study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology warns that microscopic plastic debris from washing clothes made of syn- thetic materials like polyester, acrylic and nylon is accumulating in the marine environment and could be entering the food chain. Concentrations were greatest near coastal urban areas. Up to 1,900 tiny fibers per garment were released with each wash during the study. Earlier research has shown that plastic particles smaller than one millimeter comprise 80 percent of envi- ronmental plastic and are being eaten by animals and getting into the food chain. Mark Browne, Ph.D., an ecologist based at the University of California, Santa
Reach your
target market with
Natural Awakenings
Barbara, and a member of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthe- sis, advises, “Once the plastics had been eaten, they transferred from the animals’ stomachs to their circulation system and actually accumulated in their cells.” The team took samples from 18 beaches around the globe, including sites in
Australia, Britain, India, Japan, Oman, the Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa and the United States. They found no sample that did not contain pieces of the microplastic.
Source: BBC Natural Wealth Spreadsheet Proposal Go Rio
The British government is setting up a Natural Capital Committee that will describe the country’s wealth in terms of the quality of its air, water, wildlife and other natural resources. Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman intends to propose that all countries begin “green accounting” to audit the state of their rivers, forests and other landscapes. The United Nations Rio+20 Conference in Brazil this June is expected to unite the participating nations in protecting the world’s environment. Sustainable development goals under consideration include ensuring that all agriculture is sustainable, protecting oceans, setting up an international court on environmental crime, and appoint- ing an ombudsperson to speak on behalf of future generations. The summit, to be attended by 190 nations, will also look at cutting subsidies for fossil fuels and low carbon energy for all. Spelman observes that businesses in Great Britain are already measuring the impact they are having on the envi- ronment. She states, “In the same way, governments can start to take account of damage to the environment in order to sustain resources like fresh water for fisheries, forests for clean air and green spaces for tourism.
We want our own government to take account of natural capital and our statisticians to calculate the state of the nation more widely.”
20 Westchester/Putnam NY Edition
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72