pollution

Ocean Cleanup 101: Everything You Need to Know

Ocean Cleanup 101: Everything You Need to Know

Quick Key Facts Ocean Plastic: The Basics  The Earth’s oceans are teeming with life — and with plastic. In fact, by 2050, it’s expected that there will be even more plastic in the ocean than fish. Adding to the 150 million tons already in marine environments, eight million tons of plastic reaches our oceans every […]

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    Scientists Find Pollutants in Corals Linked to Burning Fossil Fuels

    Scientists Find Pollutants in Corals Linked to Burning Fossil Fuels

    While scientists have known that pollutants from human activities like agriculture, plastic production and coastal development threaten corals, a new study is the first to find pollutants tied to burning fossil fuels embedded in corals. Researchers from the Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la Sal collected samples from the coral species Cladocora caespitosa of […]

    95,000 Gallon Sewage Spill Closes Over Two Miles of Laguna Beach

    95,000 Gallon Sewage Spill Closes Over Two Miles of Laguna Beach

    On Wednesday, 95,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the coastal waters of Laguna Beach in Southern California, prompting the closure of over two miles of the coastline. The closure spans from Laguna Avenue to Blue Lagoon, according to the announcement from the Orange County Health Care Agency. The area will be closed until further notice. […]

    Six of Nine Planetary Boundaries Have Now Been Exceeded, Study Says

    Six of Nine Planetary Boundaries Have Now Been Exceeded, Study Says

    A new study by an international team of 29 scientists from eight countries provides the third update to the planetary boundaries framework. The update shows how human activities are increasingly impacting our planet, thus augmenting the risk of triggering drastic changes in Earth’s overall conditions. The nine planetary boundaries represent the limits within which humans […]

    Oil Spills 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Oil Spills 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Quick Key Facts What Is Oil? Crude oil or petroleum is a liquid fossil fuel. We use it to generate electricity, heat our homes, and fuel our cars. Petroleum products supply about 35% of energy in the U.S., with transportation accounting for the largest portion. Burning fossil fuels like oil releases greenhouse gases into the […]

    Algae Blooms: Everything You Need to Know

    Algae Blooms: Everything You Need to Know

    Quick Key Facts What Are Harmful Algae Blooms? Algae are one species within the protist kingdom of living beings, which is mostly composed of single-celled, microscopic organisms that may share traits with animals, fungi and/or plants. The biological grouping also includes kelp and molds. There are two main groups of algae — seaweeds, or macroalgaes, […]