Tag: Government

  • McDonald’s plastic straw petition: Call to ditch paper straws

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    McDonald’s is being called on to stop its roll out of paper straws in the UK and Ireland, amid claims that they “dissolve” in drinks. The fast food giant is switching from plastic to paper straws at their 1,361 restaurants after customer pressure. An online petition calling for a return to plastic straws has so […]

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  • Why plastic pollution is an environmental justice issue

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    Turtles, seabirds, seals, and whales are well-documented victims of out of control plastic pollution, but when was the last time you saw a video of a person suffering in the grips of the global plastics crisis? You’d be forgiven if you believed humans were somehow immune to this tragedy, as their stories are so rarely […]

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  • New York Officially Bans Plastic Bags

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    Yesterday, New York governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags. It is estimated that New York uses 23 billion plastic bags every year with 50 percent of those plastic bags ending up in landfills and around the city and waterways. Governor Cuomo signed the legislation on Earth Day, which […]

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  • A Global Pact for the Environment

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    A Global Pact for the Environment would lend coherence to international environmental law, give greater legal and political heft to existing environmental covenants, and safeguard the imperiled biosphere. With each successive Earth Day, the scale of the global environmental crisis becomes more disheartening. So too does the collective failure to respond to the planet’s plight. Over the […]

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  • April is national Distracted Driving Awareness month

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    In an effort to save lives, the Hawaii Department of Transportation, four county police departments, and our private partners Toyota Hawaii and DTRIC Insurance are working together to educate Hawaii’s roadway users about the dangers of distracted driving throughout National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April. In an effort to save lives, the Hawaii Department […]

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  • Limiting climate change could save the US a ton of money

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    Inaction would cost at least $500 billion per year by the end of the century. Despite what the world’s least-interesting talking gecko would have you believe, no one likes handing over payments for car insurance. But there’s one thing everyone likes even less: suddenly paying for expensive repairs not covered by your insurance. Similarly, opponents […]

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  • On June 1, the planet celebrates World Reef Day

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    On June 1, 2019, consumers, businesses, and organizations around the world will be called to action on the inaugural World Reef Day to reflect on the delicate ecosystem of our ocean’s coral reefs and prevent further reef loss. World Reef Day is now the recurring annual day for the world to come together in awareness […]

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  • Nordic countries call for global treaty on ocean plastic pollution

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    In a major step forward in the fight against marine plastic pollution, Nordic governments have become the first in the world to formally call for a global treaty to tackle the plastic crisis in our oceans. In a major step forward in the fight against marine plastic pollution, Nordic governments have become the first in […]

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  • A natural solution to the climate disaster

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    Climate and ecological crises can be tackled by restoring forests and other valuable ecosystems, say scientists and activists The world faces two existential crises, developing with terrifying speed: climate breakdown and ecological breakdown. Neither is being addressed with the urgency needed to prevent our life-support systems from spiralling into collapse. We are writing to champion […]

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  • How State Power Regulators Are Making Utilities Account for the Costs of Climate Change

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    The electricity powering your computer or smartphone that makes it possible for you to read this article could come from one of several sources. It’s probably generated by burning natural gas or coal or from operating a nuclear reactor, unless it’s derived from hydropower or wind or solar energy. Who gets to choose? In many states, […]

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