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To Download a PDF of Econews October 2020! 49 Years of Environmental News Arcata, California Vol. 50, No. 7 October 2020 ECEC NNPublished by the Northcoast EWS EWS Environmental Center Since 1971 Humboldt Marten Protected! Reduce Single Use Pledge | Coastal Cleanup Month Recap | Creature Feature: Freshwater Algae Recycling Concerns | Trinidad Treesitter Update | End of Billboard Blight in sight News From the Center Larry Glass, Executive Director bring “natural” re back to the forest. known California Environmental Carrie Tully, Admin. Director A natural re burns with varying Quality Act (CEQA) and NEPA degrees of intensity, creating a mosaic expert law rm. Sometime during the last two on the landscape which removes the Now the BIA has issued a decades climate scientists warned that ground fuels and brush, and in some nal FONSI based on a weak a tipping point would be reached when cases entire groups of trees. is is the and inadequate environmental carbon emissions passed 400ppm. It’s type of re that has been suppressed assessment. Our contention now been above that level for more since colonization, and it has created has always been that only a full than two years, and we’re entering into the extremely unnatural and volatile Environmental Impact Statement the point of no return. We’re seeing conditions in our forests. In fact, (EIS) would satisfactorily reveal large numbers of hurricanes in the many of our forests were actually oak the many environmental impacts Atlantic, extended record-breaking woodlands and prairie before re wrought by this development. e heat waves on the west coast, and suppression created the great con er document improperly segments now extreme wild re conditions with invasion. Fires must be a consideration issues on a piecemeal basis to unseasonable high winds and low in every aspect of forest management. completely avoid considering the many humidities. All of these disastrous e Northcoast Environmental e ects of these foreseeable aspects Coastal Programs Coordinator, Casey outcomes are what you would predict Center has joined with Humboldt of their entire development project. Cruikshank has hosted another as the climate destabilizes. Alliance for Responsible Planning When the BIA approved this FONSI incredible Coastal Cleanup “Day” Here in Northwest California, we (HARP) in ling an appeal with the it failed to discuss or adequately this year! ough there were many now nd ourselves on the front lines Bureau of Indian A airs (BIA), the lead discuss required issues. is decision alterations to the original style of the of an episode of “extreme” wild re. agency for National Environmental is not supported by the Administrative event, and despite delays due to poor We say “extreme” to di erentiate these Policy Act (NEPA) in regards to the Record, nor does it satisfy the “rule of air quality, the community adjusted events from common wild res which proposed ve-story hotel amongst reason”. e required procedures were to these changes in stride. We had a can, in many cases, have bene cial other developments on the Trinidad not adhered to in making necessary fun, rewarding month of community- results. Extreme wild res are outside Rancheria. e NEC provided documents available for the public focused cleanups and citizen science the normal re regimes that the forests thorough comments in the scoping to review. e NEC wants a full and data collection! We want to once and grasslands need as part of their process and joined with HARP in complete environmental review of all again thank all of our participants and ecological function. ese res can submitting extensive and exhaustive activities connected to this project so sponsors who made this year’s Coastal be so intense that rather than being input after the BIA issued its draft that the public can adequately weigh Cleanup Day successful. We will potentially bene cial, they incinerate Finding of No Signi cant Impact the impacts and reach an informed provide details about the winners of everything in their path. is is not (FONSI). ose extensive comments decision. each prize in next month’s EcoNews! what we mean when we say we want to were submitted by Green re, a well- Back “at the o ce”, the NEC Continued EcoNews Coordinator: Caroline Gri th NEC Board Of Directors NEC Member Groups EcoNews Graphic Layout: Chelsea Pulliam To contact NEC Board Members, Humboldt Baykeeper EC N EWS Proofreaders: Terra Freedman, Kris Diamond please write to [email protected] www.humboldtbaykeeper.org Authors: Larry Glass, Carrie Tully, Caroline President: Larry Glass, Safe Alternatives Sierra Club, North Group, 415 I Street, Arcata, CA 95521 Redwood Chapter Gri th, Dan Sealy, Tom Wheeler, Jen Kalt, Colin for our Forest Environment PO Box 4259, Arcata, CA 95518 www.redwood.sierraclub.org/north/ Fiske, Carol Ralph, Casey Cruikshank, Ali Ong Vice-President: Margaret Gainer, At-Large 707- 822-6918 California Native Plant Society Lee, Martha Walden, Felice Pace, Jamie Carlino, www.yournec.org Secretary: Jennifer Kalt, Humboldt North Coast Chapter Richard Engel, Stephen Kullmann, Steve Lau, Baykeeper www.northcoastcnps.org Trillium D. Pitts, Saul Levin, Rhiannon Lewis- Treasurer: Chris Jenican Beresford, Redwood Region Audubon EcoNews is the official monthly Stephenson, Jose na Barrantes, Jason Lopiccolo, At-Large Society publication of the Northcoast Nerissa Moran, Lupine Forest Defender Joan Tippets, Calfornia Native Plant Society www.rras.org Environmental Center (NEC), a Cover: Oregon Pine Marten. Flikr Creative CJ Ralph, Redwood Region Audubon Society Friends of the Eel River Commons, Walmart. www.eelriver.org non-profit organization. Third class Richard Kreis, Sierra Club, North Group Safe Alternatives for our Forest postage paid in Arcata. ISSN No. Alicia Hamann, Friends of the Eel River 0885-7237. EcoNews is mailed to Environment (SAFE) NEC Staff www.safealt.org our members and distributed free Tom Wheeler, Environmental Protection Information Center Environmental Protection throughout the Northern California Executive Director: Dan Sealy, At-Large Information Center (EPIC) and Southern Oregon bioregion. Larry Glass, [email protected] www.wildcalifornia.org Aisha Cissna, At-Large The subscription rate is $50 per year. Administrative & Development Director: Carrie Tully, [email protected] EcoNews Coordinator/Journalist: NEC Affiliate Members The ideas and views expressed Caroline Gri th, [email protected] Friends of Del Norte Humboldt Baykeeper www.fodn.org in EcoNews are not necessarily Coastal Programs Coordinator: those of the NEC. Casey Cruischank , [email protected] Fiscally sponsored by the NEC Zero Waste Humboldt www.zerowastehumboldt.org Admin. Assistant & Outreach Coordinator: Director: Chelsea Pulliam, [email protected] Jennifer Kalt, [email protected] Californians for Alternatives to Toxics www.alt2tox.org Bookkeeping Assistant: Bay Tours Coordinator: Jasmin Segura, [email protected] Coalition for Responsible Transportation Anita Gilbride-Read, volunteer Priorities www.transportationpriorities.org News from the Center Continued from prior page Letters to EcoNews We want to hear from you! Write us a In This Issue letter 300 words or less that’s relevant to While Coastal Cleanup Day is one of the tactics EcoNews and we’ll consider publishing it! Letters may be edited and shortened for 3 Letters to EcoNews the NEC utilizes to bring awareness to reducing space. The NEC reserves the right to reject single-use plastics, we are constantly striving any submitted material for any reason. Don’t 3 Welcome to the Team: Jaime Carlino to nd more ways to encourage changing this forget to include your contact information when submitting! 3 Mindful Monday Recap behavior. Our very own Administrative Assistant Email [email protected] and Outreach Coordinator, Chelsea Pulliam, has 4 Dear EcoNews: Microgrids been working to develop a “Reduce Single-Use” 4 EcoNews Report Report pledge to be adopted by local restaurants. Often the default for restaurants is to provide single-use 5 Coastal Cleanup Day Recap utensils, napkins, condiments, etc. without asking. NEC Project Help 7 History Lesson: Nat. Forest Expansion is pledge campaign would shift the default to only 8 Blast From the Past providing these accessories upon customer request. Can you help with These projects? Since COVID-19 shelter-in-place rules have been in 1. Outdoor EcoNews Rack 8 EcoNews Community Creations e ect, most to-go orders are being eaten at people’s 2. Cigarette Salmon Display Case 9 Environmental Protection Information Center homes where they already have utensils, napkins, Email [email protected] and condiments. Hence, providing all of those 10 Humboldt Marten Protected accessories is redundant and wasteful. Learn more 11 Humboldt Baykeeper at www.yournec.org/pledge. Want to join the “Reuse Revolution” and take 12 California Native Plant Society your sustainability practices a step further? Check 12 Coalition for Reponsible Transportation Priorities out Zero Waste Humboldt’s webinar trainings at Community submissions 13 Uncertain About Recycling? zerowastehumboldt.org/workshops/ We want to feature your work! Do In addition to business as usual, the sta has 14 NEXUS been representing the NEC at meetings on local you have some nature art you’d environmental topics. We feel that it is essential like to share? How about photos 15 Letter to Trump and Newsom to be informed on all the items, issues, projects, of your catio, compost bin, 17 Treesit Update proposals, and changes that are happening so that garden, solar array, etc.? Email 18 we can keep our members and followers up to date. Eye on Washington your photos to caroline@yournec. 19 Despite COVID-19 slowing many parts of our lives org and you might see them in Humboldt County Boards & Commissions down, there are still many actions to take, and much 20 Get on Board for the Climate to be engaged in. With sta participating in topics the next issue of the EcoNews! such as forest management, oceans and Humboldt 21 Shorts Bay, energy, rivers, and transportation, there will be 21 Joel Mielke Comic plenty of information to share.
Recommended publications
  • An Assessment Report on Microplastics
    An Assessment Report on Microplastics This document was prepared by B Stevens, North Carolina Coastal Federation Table of Contents What are Microplastics? 2 Where Do Microplastics Come From? 3 Primary Sources 3 Secondary Sources 5 What are the Consequences of Microplastics? 7 Marine Ecosystem Health 7 Water Quality 8 Human Health 8 What Policies/Practices are in Place to Regulate Microplastics? 10 Regional Level 10 Outer Banks, North Carolina 10 Other United States Regions 12 State Level 13 Country Level 14 United States 14 Other Countries 15 International Level 16 Conventions 16 Suggested World Ban 17 International Campaigns 18 What Solutions Already Exist? 22 Washing Machine Additives 22 Faucet Filters 23 Advanced Wastewater Treatment 24 Plastic Alternatives 26 What Should Be Done? 27 Policy Recommendations for North Carolina 27 Campaign Strategy for the North Carolina Coastal Federation 27 References 29 1 What are Microplastics? The category of ‘plastics’ is an umbrella term used to describe synthetic polymers made from either fossil fuels (petroleum) or biomass (cellulose) that come in a variety of compositions and with varying characteristics. These polymers are then mixed with different chemical compounds known as additives to achieve desired properties for the plastic’s intended use (OceanCare, 2015). Plastics as litter in the oceans was first reported in the early 1970s and thus has been accumulating for at least four decades, although when first reported the subject drew little attention and scientific studies focused on entanglements, ‘ghost fishing’, and ingestion (Andrady, 2011). Today, about 60-90% of all marine litter is plastic-based (McCarthy, 2017), with the total amount of plastic waste in the oceans expected to increase as plastic consumption also increases and there remains a lack of adequate reduce, reuse, recycle, and waste management tactics across the globe (GreenFacts, 2013).
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  • Ocean Currents and the Pacific Garbage Patch
    ocean currents and the Pacific Garbage Patch photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography The image above shows a net tow sample from the Pacific Garbage Patch. The sample contains small fish and many small pieces of plastic. The Garbage Patch is primarily composed of this small plastic “confetti” suspended throughout the surface water of the North Pacific Gyre, and is not a island of trash as suggested by some media outlets. The region where the trash converges in the center of the North Pacific Gyre, in a region where surface currents are weak and convergent, thus concentrating large amounts of trash in an area estimated to be close to the size of Texas. With this slide I often show a video clip about the Garbage Patch. Although the links may change, here is one from ABC that I’ve used several times: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFMW8srq0Qk this video is a bit over the top but it gets the point across. There is additional information from Scripps Institution of Oceanography SEAPLEX experiment: http://sio.ucsd.edu/Expeditions/Seaplex/ and several videos on youtube.com by searching the phrase “SEAPLEX” Pacific garbage patch tiny plastic bits • the worlds largest dump? • filled with tiny plastic “confetti” large plastic debris from the garbage patch photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography little jellyfish photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography These are some of the things you find in the Garbage Patch. The large pieces of plastic, such as bottles, breakdown into tiny particles. Sometimes animals get caught in large pieces of floating trash: photo: NOAA photo: NOAA photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography How do plants and animals interact with small small pieces of plastic? fish larvae growing on plastic Trash in the ocean can cause various problems for the organisms that live there.
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  • Litter in Our Waterways – Factsheet
    Litter in our Waterways – Factsheet Marine litter poses a vast and growing threat to the marine and coastal environment. Around 8 million items of litter enter the marine environment every day. 1 An estimated 70 per cent of marine litter ends up on the sea bed, 15 per cent on beaches and the remaining floats to the surface. 1 An estimated 80% of marine debris is from land based sources 20% sea based. These sources fall into four major groups: 1 . Tourism related - food/beverage packaging etc . Waste/stormwater - ex stormwater drains, sewer overflows etc . Fishing related - lines, nets etc . Ship/boat related - waste/garbage deliberately or accidentally dumped overboard It is estimated three times as much rubbish is dumped into the world’s oceans annually as the weight of fish caught. 5 Around 7 billion tonnes of plastic litter enter the ocean every year. 2 It is estimated that over 13, 000 pieces of plastic litter float on every square kilometre of ocean and this figure continues to grow. 8 Plastics make up about 60% of marine debris, with an estimated 100,000 marine mammals and turtles killed by plastic litter every year around the world. 5 Entanglement and ingestion are the primary types of direct damage to wildlife caused by marine litter; it can smother sea beds and it is a source of toxic substances in the marine environment. 1 Available information indicates at least 77 species of marine wildlife found in Australian waters and at least 267 marine species worldwide, are affected by entanglement in or ingestion of marine debris, including 86% of all sea turtles species, 44% of all seabird species and 43% of all marine mammal species.
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  • Great Pacific Garbage Patch Progression
    Great Pacific Garbage Patch Progression: 1. What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? 2. How? Throwback to beginning of plastics. 3. Fracking and Oil to get materials for plastic 4. Consequences of fracking for oil and minerals (show the oil spill that happened Friday) 5. Explain the short lifecycle of plastic, disposable 6. Microbeads 7. Where is AWAY? Landfills, oceans, etc. 8. Doesn’t degrade just smaller pieces, ocean slurry zone. 9. Blocks food for phytoplankton, becomes food for larger fish and whales. 10. Consequences of consumption of plastic chemicals/cancer, birth defects. a. Accumulate in fatty tissue, concentrated in humans, b. PCB and DDT attach onto the plastic when they’re in the ocean together. c. PCB is a lubricant used in electricity conductors and will take thousands of years to break down. Language only lasts for 1 thousand. d. DDT was an agrochemical used 40’s-60’s and then banned, but previous uses ran off of soil into water where it still is. Bugs became resistant too. 11. How to help and get back on track/reduse, reuse, recycle. 12. Designs in progress for this problem 13. Our responsibilities as a designer for the future, design for 10 future generations. Images: http://i2.wp.com/savethewater.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/1.jpg http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/files/2016/04/thootpaste.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Microplastics_impact_on_biological_com munities.png https://plastictides.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/10035153466_dfdd13d962_z.jpg http://s.newsweek.com/sites/www.newsweek.com/files/styles/embed-lg/public/2014/04/22/2014/
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  • Reading Handout: the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
    Reading Handout: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch The world’s oceans are connected by a complex network of water and wind currents, which combine to form gyres. The movement of wind and water in a gyre form large, slowly rotating whirlpools. The North Pacific Gyre is an area of the ocean between the continents of Asia and North America, and its whirlpool-like effect has pulled in pollution from around the world, forming the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a massive accumulation of trash, large and small, in the North Pacific Gyre. {It is like a giant landfill floating in the ocean.} It is a combination of the Western Pacific Garbage Patch, located east of Japan and west of Hawaii, and the Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch, which floats between Hawaii and California. The two are connected by a thin 6,000-mile long current called the Subtropical Convergence Zone, which is also home to a large amount of pollution. The Patch is huge! However it cannot be seen from space, or even an airplane, because it is mostly made up of microplastics floating in the water column. Microplastics are pieces of plastic trash that are smaller than 5mm. Microplastics form when larger plastics break down, or come directly from a manufacturer in the form of nurdles (small plastic pellets used to make other plastic products). Nurdles absorb a lot of toxins as they float in the ocean, and those toxins become concentrated. Researchers estimate that for every 6 pounds (2.72 kilograms) of plastic, there is 1 pound (0.45 kilograms) of plankton.
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  • Storm Water Utility
    Storm Water Utility: Prioritizing Water Quality 5 Impaired Rivers/Creeks Rivers/Creeks Impaired 5 Economies Benefit From Clean Water Clean From Benefit Economies “Dump no waste, this inlet drains to a waterway” is a local message for a growing global water quality problem: Missoula’s Clark Fork Coalition collected 30 tons of trash in the last 15 annual pickups. Missoula Valley Water Quality District collected 25 tons of trash in 2017 alone. City of Missoula’s Parks and Recreation collect a truck load of trash from riverside transient camps every 1 or 2 weeks starting in March and ending in October. Missoula Valley Water Quality District runs the Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) Program and shows our continuing problem with petroleum and other illicit discharges threatening local waterways. ♢ But once trash and pollution get into a waterway it becomes part of an increasingly severe global problem, 5,000+ hurting wildlife and communities downstream. NASA made a simulation showing how trash from our waterways form the Ocean’s Garbage Patches: Source: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio 2015 Video SIGGRAPH Version https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4174 Inlets Draining to Garbage Patch Garbage Patch Garbage Patch Garbage Patch Garbage Patch The Economic Burden Flows Downstream: Waterways According to the EPA and State Revenue Reports: An estimated 80% of ocean debris is sourced from land-based trash. Pollution and trash impacts the Nation’s river and coastal communities. Aquatic trash reduces the aesthetic and recreational values of rivers, beaches and marine resources. Polluted waterways reduce nearby property values and decrease attraction for potential companies.
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  • Lesson #2 by Dr Grant Jones Ocean Crusaders New Zealand
    Lesson #2 By Dr Grant Jones Ocean Crusaders New Zealand Today we are going to talk about a thing called a ‘Gyre’. It’s a strange word and most people have no idea they exist. However the Gyres are a major environmental issue. So what is a Gyre? Well it’s kind of like a whirlpool What is a Gyre? • Just like a whirlpool you create in your swimming pool, we have whirlpools in the ocean. We call them Gyres. • Due to the ocean currents spinning, all waste produced by humans that has escaped to the ocean has collected in the middle of these Gyres and cannot escape. • The main one is the North Pacific Gyre and is also known as the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ and the ‘Trash Vortex’. • BUT HOW MANY ARE THERE? There are Title? North America North • A Atlantic •B Asia North Pacific Gyre Gyre South America South Australia South Pacific Atlantic Gyre Indian Ocean Gyre Gyre Title? •A •B This image shows the amount of rubbish in the ocean. The red indicates areas that are anywhere between 3m (10ft) to 10m (33ft) deep with rubbish. It is believed that in the North Pacific Gyre, there is enough rubbish to cover Australia in 3m (10ft) of garbage! Imagine that! When was it first discovered? • Captain Charles Moore, Founder of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation discovered the North Pacific Gyre in 1997 whilst returning to California from Hawaii aboard his catamaran. • Sailors traditionally avoid this area due to its light winds, hence the vortex had been previously avoided.
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  • Great Pacific Garbage Patch
    Great Pacific Garbage Patch National Geographic Resource Library | Encyclopedic Entry The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Marine debris is litter that ends up in the ocean, seas, and other large bodies of water. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Also known as the Pacific trash vortex, the garbage patch is actually two distinct collections of debris bounded by the massive North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Map by NOAA Great Pacific Garbage Patch The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a huge area of marine debris. Marine debris is garbage in the ocean. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the world's biggest area of marine debris. It is in the North Pacific Ocean. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch stretches from the West Coast of North America to Japan. It is made up of two parts. One is the Western Garbage Patch, near Japan. The other is the Eastern Garbage Patch, between Hawaii and California. Strong ocean currents carry marine debris into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Once there, the trash builds up over time. Plastics are the biggest problem. They do not wear down completely. They only break into smaller and smaller pieces. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is mostly tiny bits of plastic. These small pieces are called microplastics. They cannot always be seen. Often, they just make the water look like a cloudy soup. Larger things, like fishing nets or shoes, are mixed into this soup. It doesn't get any better beneath the surface of the water.
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  • Governing a Continent of Trash: the Global Politics of Oceanic Pollution
    University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn Honors Scholar Theses Honors Scholar Program Spring 5-1-2020 Governing a Continent of Trash: The Global Politics of Oceanic Pollution Anne Longo [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses Part of the Environmental Studies Commons, and the Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Longo, Anne, "Governing a Continent of Trash: The Global Politics of Oceanic Pollution" (2020). Honors Scholar Theses. 704. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/704 Anne Cathrine Longo Honors Thesis in Political Science Dr. Mark A. Boyer Dr. Matthew M. Singer May 1, 2020 Governing a Continent of Trash: The Global Politics of Oceanic Pollution Convenience is King and Plastic is the King of Convenience: So, Who is the King of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Abstract There is a new continent growing in the North Pacific Ocean known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The Patch is composed of a vast array of marine pollution, discarded single-use items, and mostly microplastics. This thesis explores how and why governments and other entities do or do not deal with the growing problem of ocean pollution. Sovereignty roadblocks and balance of power prove to be obstacles for such efforts. This thesis then attempts to create the ideal model of governance for ocean plastics using the policy-making process. The policy analysis reviews bilateral, multilateral, and non-governmental solutions for the removal of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and subsequent maintenance efforts. Following the analysis of these three policies, this thesis concludes that a combination of factors from each solution is likely the best course of action.
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  • LITTER in the DERWENT Litter on the Derwent Estuary Foreshore
    34 www.themercury.com.au WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2010 LITTER IN THE DERWENT Litter on the Derwent estuary foreshore ITTER found on the Derwent estuary foreshore comes in all shapes and Waterwatch Australia Lsizes – from plastic bottles, bags and http://www.waterwatch.org.au/ tiny cigarette butts to large items such as supermarket shopping trolleys and even What can we do about it? old cars! Litter is not only unsightly but is We can all do something to prevent litter also a health hazard to people and wildlife. harming wildlife and spoiling our favourite beaches and places to walk. It’s simple! 1. Make sure your rubbish goes into the bin. 2. Get Involved. Clean Up Australia Day is held in March every year and encourages thousands of Australians to collect rubbish in their local area. 3. To register your group and site go to www. cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/about/about- the-event/clean-up-australia-day You can also help reduce littering: • Report littering to the EPA Division (Look Who’s Littering – on the Road) - phone: 1300 13 55 13. ABOVE: Litter traps are used to prevent litter from entering the Derwent. • Stencil stormwater drains near your school – Stormwater stencilling kits available for loan - 6233 0477. Litter - it just doesn’t go away! What’s being done about it? • Conduct litter audits and share your Litter is no trivial matter. What we drop or Litter traps data with other schools - http://www. throw away on land can have far reaching To prevent litter entering the Derwent, sustainableschools.tas.edu.au/ impacts.
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  • UC San Diego UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UC San Diego UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Gyre Plastic : Science, Circulation and the Matter of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/21w9h64q Author De Wolff, Kim Publication Date 2014 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Gyre Plastic: Science, Circulation and the Matter of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Communication by Kim De Wolff Committee in charge: Professor Chandra Mukerji, Chair Professor Joseph Dumit Professor Kelly Gates Professor David Serlin Professor Charles Thorpe 2014 Copyright Kim De Wolff, 2014 All rights reserved. The Dissertation of Kim De Wolff is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: Chair University of California, San Diego 2014 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page ........................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ....................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ............................................................................................................ vi Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... ix Vita ............................................................................................................................
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  • Plastics: Floating Ethical Flotsam
    Paper ID #25089 Plastics: Floating Ethical Flotsam Dr. Marilyn A. Dyrud, Oregon Institute of Technology Marilyn Dyrud retired in 2017 as a full professor in the Communication Department at Oregon Institute of Technology, where she taught for four decades. She has been a member of ASEE since 1983 and is active in the Engineering Ethics Division, as past chair, and the Engineering Technology Division, as the current program chair. She is an ASEE fellow (2008), winner of the James McGraw Award (2010), winner of the Berger Award (2013), and serves as the communications editor of the Journal of Engineering Technology. In addition to ASEE, she is active in the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics and the Association for Business Communication. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2019 Plastics: Floating Ethical Flotsam Introduction “I just want to say one word to you. Just one word,” confides family friend Mr. McGuire to newly minted graduate Benjamin Braddock. “Plastics. There’s a great future in plastics.” “Think about it,” he intones to a bewildered Ben. “Will you think about it?” [1]. Plastics have come a long way since The Graduate and a confused Dustin Hoffman. From its initial days to current times, plastic has become indispensable, interwoven into the very fabric of our lives. It is inexpensive, lightweight, clean, durable, and versatile. Uses range from toys to weapons of war to packaging to medical devices. And where would we be without Scotch tape, especially during the holidays? It also, apparently, lasts forever, as every piece of plastic ever invented is still with us [2].
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