Each year an estimated 430,000,000,000 Styrofoam and single use plastic containers/utensils are tossed in the trash worldwide. 74,000,000,000 styrofoam cups and plates are thrown in the trash every year in the United States according to the EPA. That is a lot of styrofoam! So, what exactly makes single-use plastics and styrofoam so appealing? They are disposable! No cleanup! Out of sight out of mind! But the truth is that these “one use wonders” have negative long-lasting impacts on the environment and wildlife that call it home. Styrofoam does not break down fully. Styrofoam is made from chemicals-fossil fuels to be Read more →
1. Plastic Paradise: the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Did you know that nearly all receipts are coated with BPA (a chemical used to make many plastics) and that BPA can quickly contaminate your blood when you handle your receipts? This is just one startling fact I learned from Plastic Paradise: the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a 2013 documentary directed by Angela Sun. Sun digs deeper into our reliance on convenient, single-use plastics and the startling threats they pose to ecosystem health, as well as humans. Sun offers ways you can take action now by simply voting with our wallets, buying in bulk, using reusable materials, and getting involved in our communities. You can watch Plastic Paradise here or on Netflix.
At lot of folks have a common misconception that the garbage patches around the world are tangible islands of trash. In actuality, the situation is more accurately described as plastic smog. Rather than an island, tiny bits of microplastics are floating within our ocean gyres. The Smog of the Sea clears the air about this myth and offers ways we can all do our part to refuse plastic in our everyday lives. The documentary features our friends at 5 Gyres and Jack Johnson! You can watch The Smog of the Sea by clicking here.
– Sandra Meola, Communications and Outreach Associate
Recent News
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Styrofoam and Its Staggering Effects on the Environment
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On-the-Water Events Schedule 2018
We welcome you to join us on your local waterway! Whether you’re into ship graveyards, or just want to learn how to kayak, our on-the-water activities offer something for everyone! Free Kayak Wednesdays Where: Keyport, NJ beach at the intersection of 1st and Broad Streets When: 5:30PM and 6:30PM on July 11, July 18, July 25, August 1, and August 8. No registration is required. First come, first served. Two 30 minute kayak trips will be launched at 5:30pm and 6:00PM. Kayaks, personal flotation devices, and paddles will be provided. Children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Guided Kayak Tours Woodbridge Creek Read more →
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Liberty State Park SAVED from Commercialization Threats!!
May 4th 2018 – Governor Phil Murphy and NJDEP Commissioner McCabe rejected the rigged Liberty National Golf Proposal aimed at usurping the Caven Point Natural Area of LSP! Cheers to the hundreds of people and organizations who urged the protection of our public land! June 1st 2018 – Governor Murphy and NJDEP Commissioner McCabe rejects a proposed marina on the south end of LSP in favor of public trust and ensured that LSP will be managed for people of all incomes to enjoy. We thank Sam Pesin, President of Friends of Liberty State Park, as well as the Murphy administration, for Read more →
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Adopt an Oyster to Support Coastal Resiliency and Clean Water Today!
Give the gift of clean water! Click here to learn more. Read more →
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Our Risk, Their Reward. Stop the Williams Transco Pipeline
About the Proposed Pipeline Williams Transco has proposed a 23.4-mile, 26 inch diameter pipeline project to expand its existing Transco transmission system to transport natural gas from the Marcellus Shale region through Raritan Bay to New York. If built, the pipeline will disrupt YOUR fishing, boating. and recreational activities! Construction of the pipeline would also disturb 14,000 acres of habitat for clams, horseshoe crabs, fish, and other marine animals. The project is proposed to be completed by the end of 2019. This is a step backwards for our energy policy and the environment by committing the region to more fossil Read more →
