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By Ashira Morris, ODP Staff Writer Climate change and marine plastic pollution are fundamentally linked, and new research by the Zoological Society London and Bangor University examines their connection. The paper identifies three key ways these two issues are intertwined: Greenhouse gas emissions caused by plastic’s life cycle (from production to disposal) perpetuates climate […]
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by Amy Lupica, ODP Staff Writer A new study has found that microplastic accumulation may be worse than previously thought and could carry with it the threat of disease. Microplastics could present health risks to the entire food chain, the study said, including to humans. As the world is grappling with the accumulation of single-use plastics during the […]
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by Amy Lupica, ODP Staff Writer Invasive species are hitching a ride on increasing ocean plastic pollution, surfing to distant shores. For centuries, stowaways like zebra mussels arrived on the hulls of ships, but now, hundreds of species are “rafting” across oceans on marine litter. These invasive species now threaten the balance of ecosystems across the globe and exacerbate biodiversity […]
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A container ship off the coast of Sri Lanka that has been burning for 13 days has now begun to sink. Officials say that this could be the worst ecological disaster in the nation’s history, as plastic “snow” pellets wash up on beaches and oil spills into the ocean.
Why This Matters: Experts worry that pollutants from the burning ship, including dangerous chemicals, oil, and microplastics, could have wide-reaching impacts beyond the immediately affected zone.
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On Tuesday, Pope Francis launched an initiative to make Catholic institutions environmentally sustainable in seven years with the overarching goal of protecting the environment and the poor from climate change.
Why this Matters: Spiritual leaders across faiths have been taking a stand against climate change. On November 16th, 2020, 47 faith institutions— 42 representing Catholics— announced their divestment from fossil fuels.
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It’s annual meeting season, and corporations are increasingly on the defensive about their carbon footprint, climate change policies, and other social issues. Most of the time, corporate leaders manage to fend off such resolutions. But this year, DuPont lost big on a shareholder proposal, filed by a group called As You Sow, that received 81.2 […]
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