Plastic pollution

Trapped in plastic debris, over half a million hermit crabs have been killed by plastic pollution in two remote islands, revealed a new study from the University of Tasmania. Research teams estimated that about 508,000 of the crustaceans have been killed in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean and about 61,000 on Henderson Island in the Pacific after getting stuck in debris such as plastic bottles, which researchers said served as deadly traps, reported CNN. Hermit crabs do not have shells of their own and use empty shells or hollow objects as a protection. The study “Entrapment in plastic debris endangers hermit crabs” was led by the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) at the University of Tasmania and has been published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. The study found that plastic containers like drink and industrial bottles entrapped the crabs leading to their eventual death. "When we were surveying debris on the islands, I was struck by … [Read more...] about Plastic Pollution Kills More than Half a Million Hermit Crabs in Two Remote Islands

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a national action plan on the management of plastic waste in the ocean until 2030, which aims to fulfill the country's international commitment to resolve the issue of marine plastics. According to the plan, by 2030, Vietnam would have reduced the amount of plastic waste being dumped into the ocean and collected 100 percent of lost or discarded fishing equipment. Additionally, 100 percent of coastal tourism service providers would stop using disposable plastic products and non-degradable plastic bags, and 100 percent of marine protected areas would be free of plastic waste. The government has asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to expand its annual monitoring activities and evaluate the current status of marine plastics at river mouths and in 12 island districts every five years. To achieve its goals, the government will work to promote and raise public awareness on the issue of plastic waste; change the public's behavior … [Read more...] about Vietnam aims to free tourist areas of plastic waste

In 2030, pieces of plastic will still wash up on beaches - but it could be much less if the country acts now. The prediction comes from a "sobering" new report on the state of New Zealand's plastic waste, which says big changes are needed to put a lid on the problem.  Modern life means convenience, but with convenience comes rubbish - takeaway cups, packets, bags, piles of plastic waste will be our legacy.  Scion chief innovation and science officer Dr Elspeth MacRae, who was on the report's panel, said it was a call to "invest in our own future".  READ MORE: Littered takeout containers could fill 25 rugby fieldsPenguin nests full of plasticPlastic pollution puts 'clean green' image at riskPlastic in drinking water could spread disease New Zealand could lead the adoption of new recycling standards and manufacturing with new biomaterials to replace plastic, she said.  "We can increase our focus, gather real data … [Read more...] about Plastic use in NZ by 2030: Ecotourism, reusables and refunds for plastic

Here we are in Rotten Row, by Albert Gate, at the edge of Hyde Park, on an ordinary London morning, only it doesn't feel very ordinary, because I'm wearing white overalls, plastic red gloves, a miner's helmet (with lamp), a harness, and rubber waders that come up to the crotch. It's the harness that's perplexing me. Surely we won't have to be roped together like climbers. "No," Mike McLoughlin tells me, "but people have been known to faint down there. And it's easier to drag a body out when there's a harness to grab hold of." Mike has a serious job, as team leader of trunk sewers in west London, so I'm sure he can't be winding me up. I too have come with a serious purpose, to check out the capital's sanitation. But I've begun to have doubts about the wisdom of this outing, and these increase when I'm asked to sign a sheet of paper confirming my understanding of what lies ahead - "atmospheres which may be unpleasant, conditions requiring agility and fitness, and confined spaces [which] … [Read more...] about Tales of the underworld

Sir David Attenborough's new Green Planet show will use robotics to tell "emotional stories" about plants, he has revealed. Using new technology including robot cameras which can be remotely controlled by humans to look at plants in remote places, the show will treat audiences to a "mind-blowing" look at an "unseen" world. The veteran broadcaster, 93, will front the landmark BBC One series, which will track "remarkable new behaviour" from plants. Sir David will be travelling to the US, Costa Rica, northern Europe and Croatia to turn his attention to the plant world after a career mainly spent focusing on animals. Audiences will see vegetation in deserts, mountains, rainforests and the frozen north. The five-part series, from BBC Studios Natural History Unit (NHU), will look at the planet "from the perspective of plants".  The show, airing in 2021, will use new developments in robotics, moving time-lapse, super-detail thermal cameras, deep focus … [Read more...] about Sir David Attenborough’s new Green Planet series will use robots to tell ’emotional stories’ about plants