Hours after being born, oysters are already working to form their protective, chalk-layered shells. Drawing calcium and carbonate from seawater, they combine the two to form hardened shells. But as humans have pumped voluminous sums of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, this ancient process has come under threat. It’s estimated that the global ocean absorbs […]
Tag: plastic pollution
More Than 30 Endangered Green Sea Turtles Found Stabbed on Japanese Island
Police are investigating the mysterious injuries of more than 30 endangered green sea turtles on the remote Japanese island of Kumejima. The turtles – discovered by locals July 14 – had been stabbed in their necks and flippers and were lying motionless on the beach, The Asahi Shimbun reported. The locals then alerted employees at […]
Another Dead Whale Washed Ashore Found to Have 33 Pounds of Plastic in Stomach
A dead whale washed up on the shores of Greece and was found to have 33 pounds of plastic in their stomach. The cuvier’s beaked whale washed up on Kremasti beach in Rhodes at the end of April. The magnificent 16-food creature likely died a traumatizing and painful death due to the mounds of plastic […]
Nurdles: the worst toxic waste you’ve probably never heard of
When the X-Press Pearl container ship caught fire and sank in the Indian Ocean in May, Sri Lanka was terrified that the vessel’s 350 tonnes of heavy fuel oil would spill into the ocean, causing an environmental disaster for the country’s pristine coral reefs and fishing industry. Classified by the UN as Sri Lanka’s “worst […]
As the rest of world tackles plastics disposal, the U.S. resists
For the first time ever, international shipments of plastic waste came under global control this year. That’s because disposable plastic — a major pollutant of the world’s waters and atmosphere, fodder for incinerators, occupier of overflowing landfills, and material for costly recycling — was added to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements […]
6 Ways Humans are Responsible for Mass Bird Deaths
There are numerous ways in which we unknowingly cause harm to birds and other wildlife. Let’s take a look at some of the common practices that are harming bird populations around the world: 1. Windmills Wind turbines are a green energy source that helps offset our dependence on fossil fuels and our contribution to greenhouse […]
Over 47 tons of plastic found at US marine reserve – and an entangled seal
In a span of just over three weeks, more than 47 tons of plastic waste were removed from America’s largest protected marine reserve, sometimes directly off animals, a stark reminder of the scourge of plastic pollution in the world’s oceans. An expedition spent 24 days clearing 10 miles of shoreline in the atolls and islands […]
Norway Planning Auditory Experiment Using Whales
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and other welfare groups are calling attention to a planned experiment in Norway using captured minke whales, according to an email from Animal Welfare Institute. Organizations are urging the Norwegian Food Safety Authority to revoke an approval that could be harmful to whales. According to permits discovered by AWI, the […]