Japan has officially announced it will withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and resume commercial whaling in July 2019. After certain populations of whales were driven nearly into extinction in 1986, the IWC was formed, and members agreed to a moratorium on hunting to allow whale stocks to recover. This agreement was signed by…
Boston Plastic Bag Ban Begins Today
Last year, Boston’s City Council unanimously approved a measure which effectively banned single-use plastic bags. Today, the new law takes effect, meaning businesses will no longer be able to distribute them in stores. Initially, the new ordinance will be enforced at larger establishments that are more than 20,000 square feet, with stores that are 10,000…
5 Ways to Help Save Sharks
We love sharks. Sharks are important. Sharks are apex predators, meaning they sit at the top of their food chain, and they play a critical role in the overall health of our oceans. …and they are being erased by humans. In fact, we are killing them so rapidly, that certain species have seen a mind-boggling…
World Bank Announces $200 Billion Investment for Climate Action
The World Bank has announced $200 billion in funding will be made available to poor and developing countries to fight against the effects of climate change between 2021-2025. The increase in funding represents a doubling of the plan that was initially put in place after the Paris agreement in 2015. As governments have begun meeting…
Germany’s New Plan To Fight Plastic
Less plastic wrapped produce. More recycling. No plastic straws. On Monday, Germany’s Environment Minister Svenja Schulze announced a plan designed to address the plastic crisis that has wreaked absolute havoc on the environment in recent decades. As Germany seeks to become less of a “throwaway society”, they introduced a 5-point plan aimed directly at fighting…
How These Teens Plan To Save The World’s Coral
If you’ve ever seen Finding Nemo, you may remember just how many organisms rely on coral reefs to survive. Smaller, more delicate species (such as Nemo and his dad Marlin for example), benefit from coral reefs as a sheltered habitat, and could not survive in the open ocean. Often referred to as the rainforests of the sea, coral…
Two Generations Of Humans Have Erased Over Half Of The World’s Wildlife
Since the 1970’s, populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians have declined by nearly 60% according to a new report by the World Wildlife Fund. The wildlife that remains may be looking at a similar fate, as the forces behind global warming, pollution, ocean acidification, habitat loss, overpopulation, and deforestation continue to threaten what…
Rare Shark Nursery Discovered West Of Ireland
A group of marine scientists at the Marine Institute in Ireland made a rare and unexpected discovery while exploring Ireland’s deep ocean waters last July. At a recent seminar, the team unveiled that thousands of egg cases were found by SeaRover, a remotely operated vehicle while surveying the region’s cold-water coral reefs. In addition to the…
‘Research Whaling’ Resumes In Japan As Ships Set Sail
Despite heavy criticism, Japanese fishing vessels set out to sea on Monday to continue their notoriously controversial “research whaling” taking place in the Antarctic Ocean. According to the Fisheries Agency, the fleet plans to capture over 300 minke whales between now and March, in what is to be the nations fourth stunt since a temporary…
Scotland Generates 98% of October Electricity Through Wind Turbines
According to a new report from WWF Scotland, over 98% of the electricity demand for the month of October was generated through wind turbines. Based on this analysis, the amount of power generated through wind (1,850,512 MWh) was enough to power nearly five million homes last month alone. At its peak on October 23rd, turbines…