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"The vast majority of fishing vessels follow the rules governing fishing – but many are not, and these bad actors can cause a lot of damage. Vessels may take too many fish – overfishing – which is causing our fisheries to collapse. Then there is the problem of illegal fishing, which can occur in protected areas, in another country’s waters or on the high seas. This threatens jobs and food security for millions of people, all around the world.
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Landmark study finds toxic air, water, soils and workplaces kill at least 9m people and cost trillions of dollars every year Via mrhill
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His sequel to The Blue Planet will focus not only on the marvels of sea life but also the threats to it. The naturalist explains why plastic pollution, climate change and overpopulation are problems too urgent to be left to ecologists Via Andy Dorn
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The Trump administration has promised vast changes to U.S. science and environmental policy—and we’re tracking them here as they happen. Via PIRatE Lab
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Behavioural evidence suggests marine organisms are not just ingesting microplastics by accident but actively seeking them out as food Via Andy Dorn
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Henderson Island is isolated and uninhabited—but its beaches are still covered in garbage.
Henderson Island (article or podcast) is about the most remote place you can visit without leaving the planet. It sits squarely in the middle of the South Pacific, 3,500 miles from New Zealand in one direction and another 3,500 miles from South America in the other. Henderson should be pristine. It is uninhabited. Tourists don’t go there. There’s no one around to drop any litter. The whole place was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in 1988. The nearest settlement is 71 miles away, and has just 40 people on it. And yet, seafaring plastic has turned it into yet another of humanity’s scrapheaps.
Tags: pollution, Oceania, water, environment, sustainability, consumption.
Katie Kershaw's curator insight,
April 26, 2018 1:49 PM
If I had looked at this picture without the context, I would think it was somewhere where people had stayed for a while and then left the place trashed with their own garbage. In reality, this is an island that is 3500 miles away from the nearest major settlement and doesn’t have any human inhabitants. This really exemplifies that even though plastic waste may not be in one’s backyard, it never truly goes away. Plastic is a material that cannot be broken down, so when it is dumped it just moves around until it hits land. The article pointed out that plastic is incredibly difficult to clean up, particularly on places like Henderson Island. When it floats in the ocean for a long time, it becomes brittle and breaks into very small fragments. Those small fragments then mix with the sand and get buried, making it impossible to get rid of. Another fact about this island that was shocking is that 3,750 pieces of litter wash up everyday, which is 100,000 times than other islands. Henderson Island is not suitable for humans to live on, as there is no freshwater, frequent storms, and incredibly sharp terrain. It is interesting that an island that keeps humans away can’t defend itself against plastic. The reach of humans extends far beyond what they imagine and even uninhabitable land is infested with human waste. No matter how remote a place is, it will still be effected by people.
David Stiger's curator insight,
December 5, 2018 12:08 PM
Although a remote place like Henderson Island is uninhabited, the amount of trash that blankets its shores should still be alarming to humans. It is highly visual evidence of the damage that human waste is having on the earth as a whole. If this much trash if landing on the shores of an island, which is surely degrading the environmental quality and ecosystem, then how much trash lies underneath the waves of our blue planet? This means that coral reefs, the source of fish, and ocean water that transforms into water vapor forming clouds is all contaminated. If something ends up in the oceans, it will eventually end up in our food chain. The marred beaches of Henderson Island illustrate what is happening to nature's cycles.
While human behavior is the driving force, we can also discern that another main culprit is a global culture of plastic. Humans use way too much plastic and its constant disposal is creating a toxic environment in which people live. It is not enough to say this is a tragic situation and forget about it. It is also not enough to examine one's own life and decide to reduce their personal plastic consumption. No, this is a systemic problem that runs deep in our modern societies. This requires mass political action. The photos and morbid stories serve as devices to inform people and have them feel something. It is up to people to demand policies and laws from both governments and corporations to change our ways. As the article stated, a cleanup of the island (and other islands) will be futile. The only thing to do is to mitigate the worst effects by cutting the problem at its source - the production of plastic. And, it has to be done on a global scale. Shifting away from plastic to a more environmentally friendly material will be difficult but not impossible. In this case, if there is a will there is a way. 
Corey Rogers's curator insight,
December 15, 2018 8:36 PM
It is sickening to see how a uninhabited island can still be ruined by human products. People need to realize that they are hurting more and more islands and need to open their eyes. With people so far away we can still effect ecosystems terribly.
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Henderson Island, part of the Pitcairn group, is covered by 18 tonnes of plastic – the highest density of anthropogenic debris recorded anywhere in the world Via Andy Dorn
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The company says it's committed to recycling, but a new Greenpeace report says that's not enough. Via Andy Dorn
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New research indicates the benefits of eating omega-3 fatty acids, but also that pollution particles can penetrate the lungs into many organs, including testicles Via Andy Dorn
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When thick smog recently hit, Londoners were advised to avoid exercise, while Parisians got free public transport. Which is the best solution? Via Andy Dorn, Alexandra Piggott
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Latest news, politics, business and sport from Thailand and Asean, plus features, opinion and multimedia from across Southeast Asia. Via Andy Dorn
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Naturalist says experience making second series of BBC show revealed devastating threat posed to oceans by plastic Via Andy Dorn
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Tropical Storm Harvey is expected to increase gas prices throughout the nation, including in California. Via PIRatE Lab
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The world affairs series returns for a new run, starting in Indonesia, home to the planet's most polluted river and a textile industry supplying some of th Via Andy Dorn
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Some global corporations are trying to address the environmental impact of throwaway culture, but campaigners say they remain part of the problem Via Andy Dorn, Alexandra Piggott
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From
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As we keep pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, more of it is dissolving in the oceans, leading to drastic changes in the water's chemistry. Triona McGrath researches this process, known as ocean acidification, and in this talk she takes us for a dive into an oceanographer's world. Learn more about how the "evil twin of climate change" is impacting the ocean -- and the life that depends on it. Via Andy Dorn
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The human impact on this planet has been huge in a relatively small period of time. These images help us picture the impact beyond the science Via mrhill
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SOLUTIONS to the massive garbage “islands” floating off Thailand start at the individual level, but government policy and regulation is also needed, officials and environmentalists have said. Via Andy Dorn
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The illegal dumping of waste mixed with mass untreated sewage in India’s Silicon Valley is creating a water crisis which threatens residents’ health – and is causing the city’s famous lakes to catch fire Via Andy Dorn
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Environmental artist J Henry Fair captures the beauty and destruction of industrial sites to illustrate the hidden impacts of the things we buy – the polluted air, destroyed habitats and the invisible carbon heating the planet
Sally Egan's curator insight,
October 30, 2016 6:28 PM
Photographic essay illustrates the impacts of human use of resources. The beautiful images illustrate the extreme impact on the environment.
Sally Egan's curator insight,
October 30, 2016 6:30 PM
Photographic essay illustrates the impact of human activity on environments.
GTANSW & ACT's curator insight,
November 16, 2016 5:37 PM
Production and consumption - interconnections and consequences
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Workers, including children, labor in harsh and dangerous conditions to meet the world’s soaring demand for cobalt, a mineral essential to powering electric vehicles, laptops, and smartphones, according to an investigation by The Washington Post. Via GTANSW & ACT
David G Tibbs's curator insight,
March 29, 2018 3:36 PM
We take the luxuries that we have for granite and forget where it comes from, or who pays the physical price for us to have them. One example is electronics and the Congo. The Congo is a country filled with Colbolt which is critical to lithium batteries which powers majority of products that are rechargeable. The price they pay is unsafe mining conditions, indecent wages, and environmental hazards to local communities. 60 percent of the cobalt used today comes from the Congo, and while some companies track it to make sure its "clean" some companies do not check its origins. In 2010 there was a push to add cobalt to a list of resources that come from the Congo to be from a militia free mine. Individual companies have started to be stricter about where they get their Cobalt it's still not mandatory under international law. However with the demand for cobalt is increasing due to more electric power styling for vehicles and other products. In order to meet these demands the cobalt will continue to come from abused people until companies or international law limits and outlines how to deal with the cobalt question. 2 
Douglas Vance's curator insight,
April 21, 2018 2:10 PM
Given the absurd amount of minerals present in the country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo should be basking in immeasurable wealth. However, as shown by this inetractive and enormously in-depth piece by the Washington Post, the country constantly struggles with child labor, water pollution, and widespread dangerous working condition because of the global demand for minerals like cobalt and copper.
David Stiger's curator insight,
November 10, 2018 4:05 PM
The Congo, like Venezuela, is another example of a post-colonial country rich in valuable natural resources whose people, ironically, live in abject poverty. The Congo is a victim of its own geographical blessings as the industrialized world's bottomless need for Congo's cobalt, copper, and other minerals has put this former colony of Belgium on the map. The Congo reportedly supplies half of the world's cobalt. With few other options for mineral sources, lithium-ion battery manufacturers turn a blind eye as Congolese "diggers" endure inhumane, dangerous, and unfair conditions to produce cheap cobalt. Companies have not reacted to this injustice because of a desire to maximize their profits. With Western consumers acting as indirect accomplices, China leads the pack of this neo-colonial process of exploiting the Congo for its valuable underground minerals. The Chinese companies offer so little money for the cobalt that workers are forced to put up with hazardous conditions and unbelievably low pay for their labor.
The problem lacks an easy solution because it is highly complicated by the forces of globalization and geographical factors. Congolese diggers obtain the raw materials, who sell it to Asian middlemen, who then sell it to big Chinese manufacturers. These manufactures produce rechargeable batteries to sell to Western companies like Apple and Samsung. These products are then sold all over the world. The long supply chain makes it difficult for consumers to feel and see how their actions are impacting the lives of other people. The companies who should be held accountable justify their business decisions because there are not sources of cobalt to turn to. If there were other sources, companies like Huayou Cobalt could turn to other sources that treat their workers better, forcing Congolese suppliers to raise their labor standards. A short-term remedy, it seems, would be to classify Congolese-based cobalt as a conflict mineral. Western countries should fine and punish companies that are linked to the unjust cobalt trade, forcing these companies to raise their standards. |
