Whales and Dolphins Found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch for the First Time
30 October 2019
Animals
Adult and infant sperm whales have been spotted in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Inf-Lite Teacher / CC BY-SA
By Chandra Salgado Kent
Scientific research doesn't usually mean being strapped in a harness by the open paratroop doors of a Vietnam-war-era Hercules plane. But that's the situation I found myself in several years ago, the result of which has just been published in the journal Marine Biodiversity.
<p>As part of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlIXcq2ijZQ" target="_blank">Ocean Cleanup's Aerial Expedition</a>, I was coordinating a visual survey team assessing the largest accumulation of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oceans" target="_self">ocean</a> plastic in the world: the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.</p><p>When the aircraft's doors opened in front of me over the Pacific Ocean for the first time, my heart jumped into my throat. Not because I was looking 400m straight down to the wild sea below as it passed at 260km per hour, but because of what I saw.<br></p><p>This was one of the most remote regions of the Pacific Ocean, and the amount of floating <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastic</a> nets, ropes, containers and who-knows-what below was mind-boggling.</p><p>However, it wasn't just debris down there. For the first time, we found proof of <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12526-019-00952-0" target="_blank">whales and dolphins in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch</a>, which means it's highly likely they are eating or getting tangled in the huge amount of plastic in the area.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjA0ODA4Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2OTA2MTA3OH0.zQ0g1p3DnFpuWUl1KEQrHNaswSpL2qNyeDHD7T4__9Y/img.jpg?width=980" id="fb750" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1bdad49df02e4d1ee1b1ec84260b9ab8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A passive garbage collector floating through the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. EPA / THE OCEAN CLEANUP HANDOUT
<h2>The Great Pacific Garbage Patch</h2><p>The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is said to be the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world. It is located between Hawaii and California, where huge ocean currents meet to form the North Pacific subtropical gyre. An estimated <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5864935/" target="_blank">80,000 tonnes of plastic</a> are floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.</p><p>Our overall project was overseen and led by The Ocean Cleanup's founder Boyan Slat and then-chief scientist Julia Reisser. We conducted two visual survey flights, each taking an entire day to travel from San Francisco's Moffett Airfield, survey for around two hours, and travel home. Along with our visual observations, the aircraft was fitted with a range of sensors, including a short-wave infrared imager, a Lidar system (which uses the pulse from lasers to map objects on land or at sea), and a high-resolution camera.</p><p>Both visual and technical surveys found <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/whales">whales</a> and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/dolphins">dolphins</a>, including sperm and beaked whales and their young calves. This is the first direct evidence of whales and dolphins in the heart of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjA0ODEyOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0OTEwMDE2OH0.kbqnIhpFv_pijC7B3NSv7BeAp0O5jc9pJEyDXHs5lyo/img.jpg?width=980" id="7bd0d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="38bcfe0f8d5795a62f64c2db1fad8b62" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Mating green turtles in a sea of plastics. Photo by Chandra P. Salgado Kent, author provided
<p>Plastics in the ocean are a growing problem for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/marine-life">marine life</a>. Many species can mistake plastics for food, consume them accidentally along with their prey or simply eat fish that have themselves eaten plastic.</p><p>Both beaked and sperm whales have been recently found with heavy plastic loads in their stomachs. In the Philippines, a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47608949" target="_blank">dying beaked whale</a> was found with 40kg of plastic in its stomach, and in Indonesia, a dead <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/s/sperm-whale/" target="_blank">sperm whale</a> washed ashore with 115 drinking cups, 25 plastic bags, plastic bottles, two flip-flops and more than 1,000 pieces of string in its stomach.</p>
<h2>The Danger of Ghost Nets</h2><p>The most common debris we were able to identify by eye was discarded or lost fishing nets, often called "ghost nets." Ghost nets can drift in the ocean for years, trapping animals and causing injuries, starvation and death.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjA0ODE2MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNzE4MTUzNn0.qT6-2Rx29XhAonTqRkEztIJF8j4_MhoWpGg2KLLoviI/img.jpg?width=980" id="f3399" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="302929d69288d883de9e20814d81b922" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Crew sorts plastic debris collected from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch on a voyage in July 2019. EPA / THE OCEAN CLEANUP
<p>Whales and dolphins are often found snared in debris. Earlier this year, a young sperm whale almost died after spending three years <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/01/digit-sperm-whale-saved-from-rope-entanglement-ghost-net-fishing-gear-off-dominica/" target="_blank">tangled in a rope from a fishing net</a>.</p><p>During our observation we saw young calves with their mothers. Calves are especially vulnerable to becoming trapped. With the wide range of ocean plastics in the garbage patch, it is highly likely animals in the area ingest and become tangled in it.</p><p>It's believed the amount of plastics in the ocean could <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43477233" target="_blank">triple</a> over the next decade. It is clear the problem of plastic pollution has no political or geographic boundaries.<br></p><p>While plastics enter the sea from populated areas, global currents transport them across oceans. Plastics can kill animals, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969718346072?via%3Dihub%22%22" target="_blank">promote disease</a> and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322703874_Plastic_waste_associated_with_disease_on_coral_reefs" target="_blank">harm the environment, our food sources and people</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjA0ODE3MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NTY1MTk0MX0.07OVBm48NGsGwnV-2SFeLfH33Mure6eo5EQNJT1hhVk/img.jpg?width=980" id="ce154" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d14338c5891b46e87b34859640c4c212" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A jellyfish entangled in plastic rubbish and ropes in the North Pacific Ocean. AAP Image / The Algalita Marine Research Foundation
<p>The most devastating effects fall on communities in poverty. New research shows the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22939-w" target="_blank">rapidly growing</a>, posing a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12526-019-00952-0" target="_blank">greater threat to wildlife</a>. It reinforces the global movement to reduce, recycle and remove plastics from the environment.</p><p>But to really tackle this problem we need creative solutions at every level of society, from communities to industries to governments and international organizations.</p><p>To take one possibility, what if we invested in fast-growing, sustainably cultivated bamboo to replace millions of single-use plastics? It could be produced by the very countries most affected by this crisis: poorer and developing nations.</p>
<p>
<em>Chandra Salgado Kent is an associate professor at the School of Science, Edith Cowan University.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statement: Chandra Salgado Kent does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond her academic appointment.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://theconversation.com/whales-and-dolphins-found-in-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-for-the-first-time-122538" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
</p><script async="async" data-counter="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122538/count?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" id="theconversation_tracker_hook" src="https://theconversation.com/javascripts/lib/content_tracker_hook.js" type="text/javascript"></script>Related Articles Around the Web
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Teen Vogue Joined Greenpeace at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — Here’s What They Saw
18 December 2018
Oceans
The crew of the Greenpeace ship MY Arctic Sunrise voyage into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch document plastics and other marine debris. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a soupy mix of plastics and microplastics, now twice the size of Texas, in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean. Justin Hofman / Greenpeace
By Perry Wheeler
Throughout this year, people all over the globe united to take on plastic pollution. Greenpeace supporters have asked their local supermarkets to phase out throwaway plastics, helped us reach 3 million signatures to companies like Coca-Cola, Nestle and Unilever demanding they invest in real solutions and participated in beach cleanups and brand audits to name the worst corporate plastic polluters.
<p><a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/tag/plastic-planet" target="_blank">Teen Vogue just released a comprehensive series</a> that looks at <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/you-cant-just-clean-up-the-plastic-in-the-ocean" target="_blank">the plastic pollution crisis</a> and <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-to-fight-the-global-plastics-problem" target="_blank">highlights the growing momentum to build a world beyond single-use plastics</a>.</p><p> Here are three things that Teen Vogue nails about the plastic pollution fight:</p><p><strong>1. It's About Corporations, Not Individuals</strong></p><p>For a long time, corporations have tried to put the onus on all of us to deal with <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics">plastic pollution</a>. They created the narrative that recycling will solve this crisis, but to date, only 9 percent of the plastics that have ever been created have been recycled. They tell us not to litter but ignore the fact that no matter how their packaging gets into the environment, it will last for lifetimes.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTAxMzIxNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MDAwMTU4MH0.89_OI-tAQQPwVb2HrR-33KYG8kfIcBEaFa_CXR18RZ4/img.jpg?width=980" id="52068" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4444c69192611da7cb3521f44d893a05" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">A Greenpeace diver holds a banner reading "Coca-Cola is this yours?" and a Coca-Cola bottle found adrift in the garbage patch.</small>
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<p>Teen Vogue is spot on to highlight the need for corporate accountability on plastic pollution. That's why we're working with all of you and our allies in the Break Free From Plastic movement to hold cleanups and brand audits around the world. We need to name and publicly shame the worst corporate plastic polluters, and demand that they stop producing so much plastic to begin with. The world's worst polluters must be transparent about their plastic footprints and take responsibility for their pollution. It's time to cut off plastic production at the source.<br></p><p><strong>2. We Can't Just Clean Up the Ocean</strong></p><p><span></span>Teen Vogue joined Greenpeace on its Arctic Sunrise ship to travel to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and see what "thrown away" really looks like. The reality: a soupy mix of plastics and microplastics twice the size of Texas. While we were able to document some plastic at the surface and collected thousands of pieces of microplastics in the middle of the Pacific, the vast majority of plastic pollution sinks to the bottom of the ocean.</p><p>The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and the oceans in general are impossible to just "clean up." We simply produce too much plastic, and much of it is too difficult to even see. These microfibers and microplastics are consumed by marine animals, and many of us then eat plastics through seafood as well. We simply need to stop producing so much plastic.</p><p>If you had a bathtub that was overflowing with water, you would not immediately reach for a mop. You'd first cut off the water at the tap, which is what we need to do with plastic pollution.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bc257640b86f1b1651ce12bc88fb6272"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/igPyXgTSd3w?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Top 5 Myths of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">
<a href="https://youtu.be/igPyXgTSd3w" target="_blank">youtu.be</a>
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<p><strong>3. </strong><strong>The Throwaway Lifestyle is Just Not Sustainable</strong><br></p><p><strong></strong>The issue actually goes much deeper than single-use plastics. Corporations have sold us on a throwaway lifestyle that trades moments of convenience for polluting or destroying our environment. We can no longer afford a throwaway lifestyle, and it's going to take more than just swapping out one throwaway material for another. We need corporations to fundamentally rethink how they bring products to people, innovating around reuse and reduction.</p><p>The fight against plastic pollution has only just begun. We can't rest when a corporation gets rid of plastic straws or a retailer phases out plastic bags. We need systemic change and for corporations to invest some of their profits into thinking through a world beyond throwaway plastics. Our oceans, waterways and communities depend on it.</p><p><em>Teen Vogue's continuing series <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/tag/plastic-planet" target="_blank">Plastic Planet</a> addresses the <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/you-cant-just-clean-up-the-plastic-in-the-ocean" target="_blank">plastic crisis plaguing our oceans</a>—while offering solutions and ways<a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-to-fight-the-global-plastics-problem" target="_blank"> you can do something about it</a>. Keep an eye on <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/tag/plastic-planet" target="_blank">their site</a> for additional content this month. </em></p><p><em>Share with your friends and family, and on social too! </em></p>
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
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FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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Debris from a fishing net seen underwater with MY Arctic Sunrise ship in the background. Justin Hofman / Greenpeace
By Anna Wagner
One of Greenpeace's foundational principles is bearing witness. We use our bodies and our voices to shine a spotlight on injustice and to tell the story of what we see in a powerful way that makes inaction no longer possible.
That's why right now, Greenpeace and the Arctic Sunrise is visiting the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to investigate the impacts of plastic pollution on our ocean and coastal communities. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a soupy mix of plastics and microplastics, now twice the size of Texas, in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean.
<p>Every minute of every day, the equivalent of <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/key-facts-about-plastic-pollution/" target="_blank">a truckload of plastic enters our oceans</a>, finding its way to the middle of the garbage patch. That's about seven truckloads of plastic in the time it takes you to read this article. Put another way, there are as many as <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/7-pictures-put-plastics-perspective/" target="_blank">51 trillion microplastic particles in the sea</a>, 500 times more than the number of stars in our galaxy. It's difficult for the mind to comprehend that magnitude of plastic, so how do we deal with this problem?</p><p>While cleanup efforts are commendable, in order to truly tackle this crisis, corporations have to stop producing so much plastic and pushing an unsustainable throwaway culture. Think of it this way: if your bathtub was overflowing, you wouldn't immediately reach for a mop. You'd first cut off the water at the tap—the source—which is what we have to do with plastic production.</p><p>Communities worldwide are already fighting back against the single-use plastics that are forced upon us by corporations like PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Nestle, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Folks are <a href="https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/brandaudittoolkit/" target="_blank">auditing their communities</a> and naming the corporations who are most responsible for the plastic pollution they find. Cities and states are passing laws to transition away from single-use plastic and some companies are already taking steps to reduce their plastic footprint.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="e4dca" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="LLDAP61576664149"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1050279860499824642" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Over the span of nine months, an international team of volunteers sorted through 187,000 pieces of plastic trash co… https://t.co/Tkz3dnu7OJ</div> — Greenpeace Singapore (@Greenpeace Singapore)<a href="https://twitter.com/GreenpeaceSG/statuses/1050279860499824642">1539241206.0</a></blockquote></div>
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<p>Our work in the Great Pacific Garbage patch is to shine a light on the nature of the problem, and the true culprits. We're collaborating with scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the University of Hawai'i to further our understanding of the devastating consequences of the spread of single-use plastics.</p><p>As ocean conditions permit, the crew are doing comprehensive investigations of what they find in the Garbage Patch. Here's a bit more on what they're up to:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Microplastic research: Once they enter our oceans, plastics never go away. They fragment into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics, which are smaller than 5mm. Once a day in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the crew is using a special net on loan from 5 Gyres Institute to collect microplastic pollution. We're recording what we find with scientists to analyze the types of microplastics that we find.</li><li>Microfiber sampling: Multiple times a day, we are collecting and filtering samples of water that Scripps Institution of Oceanography will analyze for microfibers. Plastic microfibers are tiny particles (smaller than a human cell) that shed from our clothing.</li><li>Debris Patrols: During daylight hours, we are on the lookout for floating mats of trash to document and record location information using RHIBs (rigid hull inflatable boats), drones and by sight. Our dive team documents the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/marine-life">marine life</a> traveling with these mats to help scientists study how plastic has become a vector for invasive species.</li><li>Identifying branded trash: The crew is on the lookout for branded trash so that we can continue our work to challenge corporations to do their part in tackling the crisis they helped create by reducing their plastic footprints. Most trash that makes it to the Garbage Patch has been in the ocean for a very long time and is degraded beyond recognition. So far, though, we've found more than 10 branded pieces of trash (single-use plastics to bigger items like trash cans) from well-known brands like Coca-Cola, Unilever, Schick and Rubbermaid—1000 miles from California.</li><li>Satellite tracking: Deploying and recovering satellite trackers on large mats of floating debris in collaboration with Ocean Voyages Institute and the University of Hawai'i.</li><li>Fishing nets: When we encounter large floating nets, we will investigate whether there is anything alive that can be freed and assess whether the debris can be safely brought on board.</li></ul><p><br></p><p>How do we protect our oceans and tackle the plastic pollution crisis? At its root cause is the excessive production and marketing of single-use plastic. Otherwise, we're just mopping up the floor, as the tap continues to run. But it doesn't have to be this way: Greenpeace has a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/blog/greenpeace-campaigns-companies-lego-mattel-barbie-shell" target="_blank">long track record of challenging corporations to take responsibility for their actions</a> and winning. With enough people power, we can turn the tide on plastic pollution.</p><p>We hope you'll join us because to break free from plastic, it will take all of us doing everything we can. Now, while the spotlight is on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is a crucial moment to challenge those most responsible for creating this problem.</p><p><a href="https://engage.us.greenpeace.org/onlineactions/gShqMDRqnEKzVTuFzHNMIQ2?utm_source=website&utm_medium=hero&utm_campaign=181003_ceoplastichero__wzzzzzzzzzzz&sourceid=1004611&_ga=2.131995657.765225866.1538609604-1934834613.1536598517" target="_blank">I invite you to be part of the solution by taking a moment now to sign our petition to top U.S. corporate polluters, challenging them to immediately phase out single-use plastic.</a></p><p>To continue following the ship's journey, head <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/great-pacific-garbage-patch/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><em>Anna Wagner is a senior national organizer with <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/" target="_blank">Greenpeace USA</a>.</em></p>
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The fossil fuel era must end, or it will spell humanity's end. The threat isn't just from pollution and accelerating climate change. Rapid, wasteful exploitation of these valuable resources has also led to a world choked in plastic. Almost all plastics are made from fossil fuels, often by the same companies that produce oil and gas.
<p style="">Our profligate use of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics">plastics</a> has created swirling masses in ocean gyres. It's worse than once thought. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22939-w" target="_blank">New research concludes</a> that the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch-texas-2551330463.html">Great Pacific Garbage Patch</a> is 16 times larger than previously estimated, with 79,000 tonnes of plastic churning through 1.6 million square kilometers of the North Pacific. That's larger than the area of Quebec—and it continues to grow! Researchers say if we don't clean up our act, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/22/great-pacific-garbage-patch-sprawling-with-far-more-debris-than-thought" target="_blank">oceans will have more plastics by weight than fish by 2050</a>.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed" style="">
</p><div id="e41b2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1BV92B1576663801"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="978315696936497152" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Great Pacific garbage patch is now twice the size of Texas. https://t.co/4MGzVMOUjK</div> — Greenpeace USA (@Greenpeace USA)<a href="https://twitter.com/greenpeaceusa/statuses/978315696936497152">1522083613.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p style="">The <a href="https://www.theoceancleanup.com/" target="_blank">Ocean Cleanup Foundation</a> commissioned the study, published in Nature, based on a 2015 expedition using 30 vessels and a C-130 Hercules airplane to look at the eastern part of the patch.<br></p><p style=""><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/great-pacific-garbage-patch-1.4582626" target="_blank">According to a CBC article</a>, researchers estimate that the patch holds 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic, much of it broken down into <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/microplastics">microplastics</a> less than half a centimeter in diameter. They also found "plastic bottles, containers, packaging straps, lids, ropes and fishing nets," some dating from the late 1970s and into the '80s and '90s, and large amount of debris from the 2011 tsunami in Fukushima, Japan.</p><p style="">When plastics break down into smaller pieces, they're more difficult to clean up, and marine animals often ingest the pieces, which is killing them in ever-increasing numbers. Larger pieces can entangle marine animals, and bigger animals often ingest those, too. </p><p style="">The <a href="https://www.popsci.com/sea-plastic" target="_blank">North Pacific patch isn't unique</a>. Debris accumulates wherever wind and ocean conditions and Earth's rotation create ocean gyres, including the North Pacific, North Atlantic, South Pacific, South Atlantic and Indian Ocean. There's also one in the Arctic Ocean, although it isn't a gyre, but an "accumulation zone," where water from warmer areas sinks as it cools.</p><p style="">As the <a href="https://www.5gyres.org/" target="_blank">5 Gyres</a> organization points out, plastics are everywhere, not just in the gyres. It says the idea of a <a href="https://www.5gyres.org/faq/" target="_blank">floating island of garbage is a misconception</a>: "In the ocean, plastic is less like an island, and more like smog." </p><p>Although some of the plastic comes from ships, most is washed from land into the seas via runoff, rivers and wind.</p><p style="">Scientists are conducting research into ways of cleaning up some ocean plastic, but say the only way to adequately address the problem is to stop it at its source. Marcus Eriksen, 5 Gyres co-founder and research director, told CBC that governments need to implement policies to get manufacturers to clean up their acts, "And make smarter products and think of the full life cycle; stop making something that, when it becomes waste, becomes a nightmare for everyone."</p><p style="">Fossil fuels and the products derived from them have made life easier, but at what cost? We've only been using plastics since the 1950s, and our excessive fossil fuel use is also a relatively recent phenomenon. Putting plastics in the recycling bin isn't the only answer either. Low fossil fuel prices and lack of profitable markets for recycled materials means a lot of plastic doesn't get recycled, and it doesn't biodegrade.</p><p>We don't have to stop using fossil fuels and producing fossil-fuel-derived plastics overnight, but we can't continue to regard the industry as the backbone of our economies and ways of life, and we must stop being so wasteful.</p><p>As individuals, we can help reduce the amounts of plastic waste in the oceans and on land by eschewing single-use items like plastic bags, drink containers, straws and excessively packaged items; by avoiding clothing made with plastic microfibers and products containing microbeads; and by choosing reusable containers or disposables made from other materials, such as aluminum, that are more likely to be recycled. Be wary of compostable plastics. Although made from plant materials, they require large industrial facilities to break them down.</p><p style="">The real solution is to buy less stuff in the first place, reduce waste, conserve energy and shift to cleaner, renewable power sources and product materials. It's past time to take pollution, climate change and waste seriously.</p>
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The Ocean Cleanup—the ambitious Dutch venture devoted to ridding the world's oceans of plastics—announced this week that it has raised $21.7 million in donations since last November.
<p>This latest round of funding brings The Ocean Cleanup's total funding since 2013 to $31.5 million and allows the startup to initiate large-scale trials of its cleanup technology in the Pacific Ocean later this year.</p><p>"Our mission is to rid the world's oceans of plastic, and this support is a major leap forward towards achieving this goal," <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/boyan-slat">Boyan Slat</a>, the 22-year-old founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, said. "Thanks to the generous support of these funders, the day we'll be returning that first batch of plastic to shore is now in sight."</p><p><span></span>The young inventor and entrepreneur has been widely praised for his plastic-capturing concept that involves a massive static platform and long floating barriers that passively corrals plastics with wind and ocean currents.</p><p>The Ocean Cleanup claims to be the "largest cleanup in history." The team boasts that one passive system could theoretically remove about half the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-ocean-cleanup-boyan-slat-2028954014.html">Great Pacific Garbage Patch</a> in 10 years. <span></span></p><p>According to the announcement, San Francisco-based philanthropists Marc and Lynne Benioff and an anonymous donor made "significant" contributions to the latest funding round. Other high-profile donors include the Julius Baer Foundation, Royal DSM and Silicon Valley entrepreneur/investor Peter Thiel. </p><p>"Lynne and I are thrilled to support The Ocean Cleanup's important goal of eliminating plastic in our oceans," said Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO of Salesforce. "With Boyan's innovative leadership, I believe The Ocean Cleanup will have an incredibly positive impact on the future of our oceans. I hope other leaders will join us in supporting these efforts."</p><p>The Ocean Cleanup plans to launch its first experimental cleanup system in Pacific waters later this year, a step considered the "most important milestone on the road to the full-scale cleanup of the world's oceans."</p><p><span></span>More details on the project will be shared on May 11 at 2 p.m. EST at the "Werkspoorkathedraal" in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The event will also be <a href="https://www.theoceancleanup.com/live/" target="_blank">live-streamed</a>.</p>
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