Top Story
Great Pacific Cleanup
Taking on marine trash here in California
More than 100 million tons of plastic,
Styrofoam and other garbage are floating
2,000 miles off the coast of California
in an area known as the Pacific Garbage
Patch.
California’s trash has certainly contributed
to the problem, but we’re ready to lead
the way toward solutions that reduce or
eliminate our waste.
Environment California has launched a
new campaign, calling on lawmakers to
take two simple steps to cut our pollution:
ban Styrofoam takeout containers and
alter plastic bottles’ design, so that caps
are attached and recyclable. (Detached
bottle caps float and are often mistaken
as food.)
An island of trash
Over the last decade, the Pacific
Garbage Patch has grown to twice
the size of Texas. The seawater there
contains six times more plastic than
plankton. More than 80 percent of
the plastic, Styrofoam and other trash
in this patch came from land, washed
to sea from our beaches and harbors.
Plastic marine debris poses serious
threats to ocean wildlife—killing more
than 1 million seabirds and 100,000
mammals and sea turtles each year.
All across the state, Californians are
taking action, banning Styrofoam
takeout containers in their cities and
towns. To date, 38 municipalities have passed bans on single-use Styrofoam
containers. To see a map of bans
across the state, visit our Web site.
“Nothing you use for five minutes should
be polluting the earth for 500 years,” said
Oceans Advocate Gina Goodhill. “The
good news is that there are better options:
recycled, biodegradable or reusable
containers. Most people, if given a choice,
would be OK paying an extra nickel to
get a more eco-friendly container, but they aren't being given the choice.”
Environment California grassroots
organizers are talking to Californians
across the state about this issue, collecting
comments urging Gov. Schwarzenegger to
take action, and ban single-use Styrofoam
takeout containers and attach bottle caps
to bottles.
Click here to send your comment to Gov. Schwarzenegger.
