Quick Dips
Curated topical articles on the Blue Economy
Aaron Sheldrick & Yuka Obayashi, Reuters Plastics & Pollution
Japan will release more than 1 million tonnes of contaminated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, the government said on Tuesday, a move China called “extremely irresponsible”, while South Korea summoned Tokyo’s ambassador in Seoul to protest.
Read more → (4 minute read)
Damian Carrington, The Guardian Plastics & Pollution
Rising levels of microplastic pollution raise questions about the impact on human health, experts say.
Read more → (4 minute read)
Carole Excell, World Resources Institute Plastics & Pollution
A whopping 8 million tons of plastic winds up in the ocean each year, endangering wildlife and polluting ecosystems.
Read more → (7 minute read)
Talib Visram, Fast Company Plastics & Pollution
It’s another sad reality of the COVID-19 era that some of the steps we’re taking to stay safe and combat the coronavirus spread are often in opposition to hard-fought efforts to curb the use of plastics for a cleaner planet.
Read more → (4 minute read)
World Ocean Initiative, The Economist Group Energy Solutions Plastics & Pollution
The Economist Intelligence Unit surveyed more than 1,000 global executives and 3,000 consumers.
Read more → (3 minute read)
UN News Plastics & Pollution
Vulnerable communities disproportionately bear the brunt of environmental degradation caused by plastics pollution, and action is urgently needed to address the issue and restore access to human rights, health and well-being, according to a new UN report published on Tuesday.
Read more → (3 minute read)
David Vetter, Forbes Plastics & Pollution
Wildlife filmmaker Sir David Attenborough has appeared in a video campaign for a new plastic recycling technology in the U.K., alongside other naturalists calling for stronger protections for the world’s oceans.
Read more → (4 minute read)
Mikhail Karisalov, World Economic Forum Plastics & Pollution
The transition to a green economy will impact the global petrochemical industry.
We need a systems-level approach from companies and governments worldwide to address plastic and protect our environment.
Read more → (5 minute read)
Tiffany Duong, EcoWatch Plastics & Pollution Shipping & Ports
The majority of the world is working together to reverse the massive plastic pollution problem. But, the world's leading producer of plastic waste, the U.S., isn't on board and isn't following the rules.
Read more → (6 minute read)
Melissa Repko & Emma Newburger, CNBC Plastics & Pollution
The pandemic disrupted retailers’ efforts to reduce use of non-recyclable plastics, from grocery bags to plastic forks.
Read more → (8 minute read)
Adrian Lobb, The Big Issue Plastics & Pollution
Ahead of Global Recycling Day, we take a look at some of the most vital environmental documentaries ever made.
Read more → (2 minute read)
Helen Briggs, BBC Plastics & Pollution
Scientists have made fabrics from polythene in a move they say could reduce plastic pollution and make the fashion industry more sustainable.
Read more → (3 minute read)
Senator Ben Allen, California Plastics & Pollution
While celebrating advocacy for protection of natural resources during Ocean Day at the State Capitol, legislators announced a package of bills to address the mounting waste crisis affecting California’s coastline, landfills, and ratepayers.
Read more → (7 minute read)
Chermaine Lee, BBC Energy Solutions Plastics & Pollution
From lower carbon emissions to fewer potholes, there are a number of benefits to building a layer of plastic into roads.
Read more → (6 minute read)
Sarah Bobbe, Ocean Conservancy Plastics & Pollution
Even the remote Arctic marine ecosystem has a plastics problem.
Read more → (3 minute read)
Sutherland, B. et al., The Conversation Plastics & Pollution
Of the hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic waste we produce each year, it’s estimated that around ten million tonnes enters the ocean.
Read more → (5 minute read)
Plastic Pollution Coalition Plastics & Pollution
Jackie Nuñez, Founder of The Last Plastic Straw and Advocacy Program Manager at Plastic Pollution Coalition, was selected to embark on leg 15 of the eXXpedition, an all-women voyage to document plastic pollution in the world’s oceans.
Read more → (4 minute read)
University of Portsmouth, Phys Org Plastics & Pollution Shipping & Ports
Ships are the polluting 'elephants in the room' nobody is talking about despite a global drive to make oceans cleaner, according to new research.
Read more → (3 minute read)
Editorial, Nature Plastics & Pollution
How to make plastics less harmful is an urgent question in chemistry — and must be for policy, too.
Read more → (6 minute read)
Ingrid Giskes, Ocean Conservancy Plastics & Pollution
Like all of the threats that face our ocean, ghost gear is a problem that does not recognize borders. A piece of fishing gear that snags on a ship in Canada can travel hundreds of miles before finding its way to a reef in Mexico, where it can “ghost fish” for decades on end.
Read more → (4 minute read)

