plasticpollution Archives - Page 3 of 4

11/01/201711/01/2017

Visit to Taipei Incinerator – The Solution to Waste Management?

Did you ever wonder where your garbage really ends up, or what happens to it?

Unless you are a devotee of Zero Waste lifestyle, then, like me you will find that there is always some trash that needs disposing of.

I live in Taiwan, whose inhabitants are considered to be excellent at recycling. In fact, Taiwan has one of the highest recycling rates in the world. Does this mean they have one of the lowest waste problems in the world? And what happens to all their waste? With my curiosity piqued we decided to make an appointment at the waste incinerator facility in Mu-Zha, Taipei and find out.

There were a lot of questions to ask and we ended up receiving some very surprising answers!

Continue reading “Visit to Taipei Incinerator – The Solution to Waste Management?”

04/01/201728/12/2016

2016 Year in Review and the Plastic Island

Maybe 2016 will be remembered as the year of ‘The Trump’ and the global rise of the “Alt Right” political movement. Perhaps this is a predictable response by people ignored for generations by the political and wealthy elites and threatened by global expansion and global catastrophes. Or maybe people will remember the seemingly high numbers of famous people who passed. Luminaries such as Prince and Bowie, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Leonard Cohen and Harper Lee, Alan Rickman, Gene Wilder, George Micheal, Mohammed Ali and most recently Carrie Fisher. Perhaps though, their spirits were buoyed by the ratification of the Paris Agreement. This landmark agreement is designed to hold the world to task. From it, we hope to create a strategy to mitigate the worst effects of global warming with a challenge to limit the rise to under 2 degs C.

For me though, it was something else that resonated. Something so profound, I know it will stick with me for the rest of my life.

Continue reading “2016 Year in Review and the Plastic Island”

07/12/201604/04/2019

Life Before Plastic

We always seem to be looking for the next great solution for all of our global problems. With bewilderment, we stare at the monumental challenges ahead, trying to comprehend how it is even possible to find a solution for global warming, plastic pollution, mass extinction and all the other great issues of our time. The weight of our responsibility bears down heavily on some of us.

Continue reading “Life Before Plastic”

27/11/201629/11/2016

What a Waste!

One Brown Planet recently interviewed several families of varying sizes from around the world about their food shopping habits. We also asked if they would collect all the disposable plastic that they use in a single week and send in a photo.

The results were quite suprising!

Continue reading “What a Waste!”

22/11/201628/11/2016

Where Does It All Go?

The mantra from all governments these days is “recycle, recycle, recycle!” We are told that recycling our household waste will solve all our problems of waste, pollution and over-consumption.

Unfortunately, this is not true. Not even a little bit.

Continue reading “Where Does It All Go?”

28/10/201629/11/2016

52 Ways to Reduce Your Environmental Footprint – 6. Preparation is Key

As Bruce Lee once told us “Preparation for tomorrow is hard work today.”

And when I talk about doing the hard work today to be ready for tomorrow, I am of course talking about food shopping.
Continue reading “52 Ways to Reduce Your Environmental Footprint – 6. Preparation is Key”

21/10/201629/11/2016

52 Ways to Reduce Your Environmental Footprint – 5. Takeaway Drinks

Takeaway drinks. If ever there was a poster child for unsustainable choices, I think takeaway drinks would win, hands down. Continue reading “52 Ways to Reduce Your Environmental Footprint – 5. Takeaway Drinks”

14/10/201629/11/2016

52 Ways to Reduce Your Environmental Footprint – 4. Toys

With Christmas on the way (only 3 months to go…), perhaps now is a good time to remind everyone that there is a better way to reward your kids than buying toys that quite often are forgotten about by the end of the holidays. Continue reading “52 Ways to Reduce Your Environmental Footprint – 4. Toys”

01/10/201612/01/2017

The World’s Largest Crochet Sea Turtle

The world’s largest crochet plastic sea turtle began life as an idea a short time after artist Annie Hsiao-Wen Wang had moved to Thailand, witnessing first hand the destruction of marine habitats

through plastic pollution, over-fishing, poor marine management, ocean acidification and the impacts of global warming. Continue reading “The World’s Largest Crochet Sea Turtle”

52 Ways to Reduce Your Environmental Footprint – 2. Straws

Last year there was a very powerful video posted by the Leatherback Trust of a turtle with a plastic straw stuck up her nostril . This example highlights the very real impact straws are having on wildlife.
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