“Let’s Stop the Flow of Plastic Waste.” The Nature Conservancy, 12 Sept. 2020, www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/california/stories-in-california/stop-plastic-waste.

A major contributor to climate change is plastic production, releasing emissions, as well as plastic incineration in landfills. About 12 billion tons of plastic waste will infiltrate waterways, oceans, the food supply, and kill wildlife by 2050 if current trends continue. 530 marine species have so far been impacted by plastic pollution, and 50% of plastic is still single use even after several state wide bans(such as California’s on plastic straws, cups, and bags) on single use plastics. The article delves into some at home ways to decrease plastic use. These include: saying no to plastic silverware and plastic bags at grocery stores, participate in cleanup efforts, and vote for initiatives to ban plastic. While California is in the lead among other states for efforts to decrease plastic pollution, we also maintain a spot as one of the highest polluters because of local producers and nonrenewable energy plants. 

The fact that 12 billion tons of plastic waste will be released by 2050 is very scary to me. While California has definitely made an effort to incentivise more environmentally healthy practices, I think we also need nation wide policies, as the previous article stated, “pollution does not follow state boundaries”. If there is only effort in some states, their is no incentive for nation wide companies, or even international companies. I did like reading some ways I personally can attempt to stop worsening the plastic problem. I will definitely be mindful of using plastic silverware and to-go plastics among the pandemic. 

Glaun, Dan. “FrontLine.” The Plastic Industry Is Growing During COVID. Recycling? Not So Much., 17 Feb. 2021, www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/the-plastic-industry-is-growing-during-covid-recycling-not-so-much.

While many manufacturers have seen production decrease during the economic downfall of Covid-19, plastic producers have seen a surprising increase. Plastic was the only part of the US chemistry industry to see an increase in 2020, with a percent increase of .9% in California. Among a rise in need for plastic bags for takeout, masks, and syringes, Baca of the American Chemistry Council says that “we don’t have a plastic problem, we have a plastic waste problem”. California used 500 million single use plastic bags per month before the ban passed in 2016. However because of the pandemic, governor Gavin Newsome suspended the ban from 2016 to 2020. There is a common debate of wether less plastic production needed or just more plastic recycling. 

I never even knew about the pause on the plastic bag ban because of Covid-19 until reading this article. I was surprised that this was necessary and was allowed to happen, as single use plastic bags are the biggest contributor to ocean plastic contamination as they are commonly are found on beaches and can choke fish and coastal specimens. This article was educational on the topic of how Covid-19 has impacted climate change, and made me think about how to fix this currently and become more prepared for the next pandemic.

Rogers, Paul. “California Considering Toughest Plastic Pollution Laws in United States.” The Mercury News, 11 Sept. 2020, www.mercurynews.com/2019/09/11/california-considering-toughest-plastic-pollution-laws-in-united-states.

Three new bills recently were proposed in September that would force companies selling in fast food markets and supermarkets to face a larger cost for carbon emissions and plastic production. Environmental groups locally and nationally have emitted praise for these proposals, hoping to excite the public and get them passed. Many want them to be passed to set a good example for other states to follow and hopefully create a snowball effect. However, industry groups are fairly opposed to the idea, and they are persuasive of the fact that the proposals are much too unfair and too quickly ambitious, likely to have a bad effect on the economy. Activists point to the fact the rapid increase of plastic, and its exponential growth that must be stopped, as half of the plastic on Earth was produced in the last 13 years. While many Californians want to help and do their best to recycle and reuse, the problem lies with the manufacturers, where market conditions exist such that many recycled materials end up being sent internationally and end up in landfills.

I felt excited reading about the new 3 proposals with so much good potential, yet also disappointed of the backlash they received. I think it is clear that plastic pollution threatens all animal species, habitats, and humans themselves. I wish that the economy and politics were not so complicated and make it nearly impossible to get proposals like these to get passed. The more I read in this article, the more I was aware of how fast plastic use has increased, as it was only first invented just over 100 years ago, in 1907, yet now has expanded so globally. I hope that these proposals are reconsidered in the future, and that Californian voters come together in an effort to get more done in the plastic industry that has caused so many issues. 

Carpenter, Susan. “Eight States Join CA to Make Manufacturers Responsible for Plastic Waste.” Spectrum News, 2 Feb. 2021, spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/environment/2021/02/01/eight-states-join-ca-to-make-manufacturers-responsible-for-plastic-waste.

This article begins by discussing how pollution sees no county, state, or country lines. The boundaries of California do not mean that pollution created within the state does not flow to other states, and vice versa. Because of this, often time state-wide policies and laws surrounding single use plastics are not as effective if not applicable to surrounding states. In 2020, a California bill was very close to passing, called the Plastic Pollution Producer Responsibility Act. This policy was created to make plastic producing companies to reduce waste more at the source. The message to the companies was that they are allowed to keep creating products, but in more environmental friendly ways with less plastic packaging. The policy however was not passed, but it is up again for voting in 2021. In California currently, curbside recycling only occurs in 32% of single family households, and can and should be increased. In 2020, 35 states introduced new legislation to tackle plastic pollution. A council on the West Coast has goals set by 2030 to pass new laws in all Western states to combat pollution and climate change.

I like how this article brought new ideas to light in how America is not efficiently combating climate change because of how each state is on their own individual path. I think there needs to be more unity it passing national laws banning single use plastics or even national carbon taxes on corporations emissions. I also learned a lot about the difference in plastic legislation in different states, and while some have strict laws to lessen plastic pollution, they produce less plastic. It is good to learn about opportunities in my own state to better contamination.

Cosier, Susan. “A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields.” NRDC, 21 Feb. 2021, www.nrdc.org/stories/growing-concern-microplastic-pollution-farm-fields.

Plastic pollution is a problem not just in waterways, but also on farmland. Because of the design of water pathways to agricultural lands, many times small plastic particles pollute the water and make the journey with it to farms. This raises several concerns, in how our food within farming of plants and animals may be contaminated. A study done specifically in California found that metric tons of millions of synthetic microfibers enter our soils, rivers, lakes, and ocean each year. This is in part due to to when people wash synthetic threads i their clothes, and microfibers are released into wastewater plants. Outside of this factor, some other “culprits” are degraded car tires that release plastic into soils, cosmetics washed into wastewater, as well as tools on farms used such as seed coatings and plastic mulch. Toxins like PFA’s and cadmium contaminate cows and dairy products. At high levels over time these can lead to kidney disease and other health issues. 

This was an interesting piece on some lesser discussed effects of plastics. Often we think about its more visible yet very pollutive contamination of the ocean and streets, and common animals habitats that are affected. So it was interesting to hear about how plastic gets carried to farmland and can actually leave toxins in the food grown and then brought to grocery stores. I think it is unfortunate that one use plastics find a way to come full circle in contaminated each part of human and animal’s lives. I would be interested to know more about solutions to the specific problem of farmland being polluted in California, and possible ways to clean waterways or have safer transfer of water.

Chen, Z. (2020, February 27). Delivering a Solution to the World’s Ocean Plastic Problem. Retrieved November 14, 2020, from https://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2020/02/delivering-solution-worlds-ocean-plastic-problem/

The Green Volunteer League of Chongqing filed a lawsuit against China’s 3 largest food companies because of excessive waste in packaging and utensils(single use chopsticks). This lawsuit became famous online, and had people on Twitter, Instagram, and more talking about it. In the end, the 3 companies had to add a no utensil option in their delivery system, so as to not create unnecessary waste. China’s government has released many regulations and bans to try to reduce its plastic waste, beginning in 2008 with the first tax on plastic bags in stores. Over 127 countries have now had some sort of regulation on plastic bags. In Hainan, China, they are tackling plastic aggressively, banning all single use plastics with the end of 2020. Other solutions have included a company that uses ceramic dishes and utensils for food delivery. But, China still leads with 28% of all plastic waste emerging from them.

The plastic used in food companies and passed on to consumers is a good example of how much more plastic waste is produced than we like to believe. One of the sued companies was using 6700 trees everyday for their single use chopsticks. It is frustrating to see so much damage, but also uplifting to hear how others are fighting back, with the lawsuit that provoked awareness, and in legislation. The fact that so many countries have regulated plastic bags is great, but more still needs to be done, considering it is still a regular thing to see plastic bags in the sewer, beach, and more. I liked reading about China’s providence of Hainan’s approach, and how they have really taken their pollution and harm in the environment to heart and are actively prioritizing it and changing it for the better. I think they can serve as a great example for others. It is hard to take into account that while China has so many improvements, they are still producing such massive amounts of emissions, waste, and pollution into the environment, with the majority percentage in the world. 

Ford, D. (2020, August 17). COVID-19 Has Worsened the Ocean Plastic Pollution Problem. Retrieved November 14, 2020, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covid-19-has-worsened-the-ocean-plastic-pollution-problem/

A whole new impact of the Corona-Virus Pandemic is emerging, plastic waste is at an all time high amongst production of masks, gloves, and more. It was previously known that data on human health being affected by microplastics consumed by fish, then consumed by humans, was emerging. Now, with plastic in demand for Covid-safe precautions like plastic gloves, or plastic packaging of gloves, masks, etc., oceanic ecosystems are ravaged with plastic. While quarantine proposed a silver lining of carbon emissions going down with decrease in travel, an estimated global use of 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves every month was also triggered. And, because, in order to be competitive in these industries you must use the cheapest virgin plastic, plastic pollution rates have increased. Even things like take out food mean a use of mor plastic utensils, bags, and more, which add to this increase. 

I found this article very eye opening to how the pandemic has contributed to pollution in the environment. I had at first thought that emissions had likely gone down as a result of quarantine, and less production and travel being necessary, but now I see that there are other hidden downsides. I am now putting together the many effects of Corona, and even remembering that I have seen plastic gloves and masks in the street and other places locally recently, as they are a new necessity for us to go out. It is disappointing that we did not consider this originally, and prepare for ways to not increase virgin plastic production. I think countries need to focus on individual waste programs and plans, to develop systems that don’t encourage the cheapest and almost always most harmful to the environment materials. 

Meloche, M. (2020, May). [Story Map] What is the extent of Plastic Pollution? Retrieved November 14, 2020, from https://earthchallenge2020.earthday.org/app/a80a28bab7f64bd7b9b8f6c9a6080aaa

A million plastic water bottles are purchased every passing minute and 5 trillion plastic bags a year. Only 9% of all plastic has ever been recycled, 12% was incinerated, and the remaining 79% has ended up in landfills or the environment. Plastic waste can actually be a segway for increase in disease, as it clogs sewers and creates grounds for breeding in mosquitoes, malaria, and more. To get a good grasp on the extent on plastic pollution, a company paired up with 3 citizen science projects. They had citizens survey their local areas and post pictures to an app of plastic trash. A map with the results shows extremely heavy trash waste on coasts specifically in Northern and Western Europe, Eastern America, and China. Another map allows viewers to see the top 10 types of plastic waste in whichever country or city.

I thought this was a very interesting Earth Day research project on plastic pollution. It brought together different environmental groups for research on plastic production and its real effects on our ecosystems and life on Earth. It surprised me that such a small minority of all plastic has been recycled. The article brought up some really interesting points about the less talked about effects of plastic, such as how they spread diseases like malaria, and the production of plastic itself , before it reaches waterways and nature, releases CO2 in manufacturing. I had not yet considered these effects as much as the commonly looked upon need for coastal plastic cleanup. I liked looking at the interactive maps and discovering the most popular plastic waste in the Bay area, and other countries, and how they differ. 

Parker, L. (2020, July 24). Plastic trash flowing into the seas will nearly triple by 2040 without drastic action. Retrieved November 14, 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/07/plastic-trash-in-seas-will-nearly-triple-by-2040-if-nothing-done/

In the next 20 years, the amount of plastic that enters the oceans is expected to triple to 29 million metric tons per year. It is indeterminable to quantify exactly how much total plastic has already infiltrated the sea, but in 2015 it was estimated at 150 million metric tons, and with the educated guess for the next two decades, it will reach 600 million metric tons. Many plausible solutions have been offered, such as: industry and government promises, a recycling-only strategy, reduction and substitution focus, collection and disposal focus, and system-wide changes. However, these all cost huge amounts of money, that governments do not want to pay for, for example, the reduction and substitution strategy would reduce plastic leakage into the ocean by 28%, but would take up to $850 billion. A reduce of plastic is also blocked by the fact that 2 billion people lack access to waste collection systems. 

This article discusses several strategies to stop the pollution of the ocean environments. While again it was disappointing to see the astonishingly high numbers and predictions to continue increasing, I appreciated reading through some good solutions that made me think about the ways in which I, as someone with access to waste collection systems and recycling and more, can do my part, as well as spread the word. I recognize that it is difficult to find a global solution, as developing countries are struggling economically where they are not in a place to easily prioritize the environment. It was also interesting to read about the different ways in which scientists come up with numbers and guestimates for so much of this, because much of pollution goes unrecorded by the polluters. 

Parker, L. (2020, October 14). Plastic pollution is a huge problem-and it’s not too late to fix it. Retrieved November 14, 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/10/plastic-pollution-huge-problem-not-too-late-to-fix-it/

Even while taking into account mass movements and companies working to stop plastic pollution, plastic waste could reach up to 58 million tons yearly. In 2015 it was estimated at 8.8 million tons. This was put into perspective by Jenn Jambeck, an engineering professor, who said this would be the equal of a dump truck tipping a load of plastic every minute of every day. A lot is riding on how citizens of each country and governments respond in the next decade. While scientists agree that reducing virgin plastic production is the answer, to increase recycling, corporations argue that this will only increase production of even more harmful materials for packaging and more. 

This article directly relates to environmental science, as plastic is affecting a variety of ecosystems as it is increased in production and pollutes habitats. I was saddened to hear the huge numbers of plastic that are estimated to only continue going up. It is especially concerning because of the fact that plastic is not biodegradable, and the effects of its pollution can not be easily reversed. I hope that the world can learn to put these concerns first, before big companies, because their effects on the environment determine our future as a human race, not to mention other species’ futures.