Pacific Environment’s August 2024 Newsletter: The stories of our work for people and the planet
Pacific Environment
We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting communities and wildlife of the Pacific Rim.
Welcome to the August 2024 edition of Pacific Environment’s monthly e-newsletter! This is an opportunity to highlight some of our work and share our victories for communities, climate and wildlife.
Read the full newsletter on our blog.
Arctic
Ship pollution: From air to ocean
Pacific?Environment?recently released a?policy paper?revealing a huge body of scientific work and studies that show that Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (ECGS) — otherwise known as scrubbers — are detrimental to the marine?environment, wildlife and people’s health. Scrubbers remove pollutants from the exhaust gasses produced by combustion engines – particularly those found in ships –?taking those harmful pollutants out of the air and dumping them into the water.
Plastics
The cure for disposable “plastic crap” is here — and it’s simple
WIRED’s?article, “The Cure for Disposable Plastic Crap Is Here—and It’s Loony,” highlights the urgent and daunting task of tackling plastic pollution, but completely misses the point that the solution to the plastic problem is actually simpler than you would think:?We need to stop producing so much of the stuff.
The science is clear that we can’t begin to address the plastic crisis without first drastically reducing the amount of plastic that gets produced in the first place — so much of which is indeed, “crap” we don’t need. This is critical for the?climate?(since 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels) but cutting production is equally important for our health. Because?plastic truly is everywhere?including but not limited to?breast milk, the?brain?and?testicles?— and with devastating health impacts.
领英推荐
Environmental groups shut down street in front of Amazon HQ during Prime Day protest
As Amazon celebrated its annual Prime Day sales event on July 16, protestors gathered outside its Seattle headquarters to send a message to Amazon executives that the company is going the wrong way on harmful climate emissions. Climate and community advocates called on the company to announce a commitment to transition its maritime and land-based shipping and logistics to zero-emission alternatives.?
Released just a week prior to the protest, Amazon’s latest sustainability report?confirms?the company is?moving in the wrong direction toward increased pollution.?Additionally,?recent research?published by?Stand.earth?last month identified Amazon as one of the fastest growing air shippers and revealed the company has more than doubled emissions in its air freight operations in the five years since adopting its Climate Pledge.
Ports
Advocating for cleaner ports and rail yards
This month, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) Headquarters was packed with about 100 clean air advocates in attendance, who?erupted in cheers as the South Coast AQMD’s governing board voted unanimously to adopt the Railyard Indirect Source Rule (ISR).SCAQMD is currently scheduled to vote on the Ports ISR early next year.?Read the full story here.
Take Action: Champion the Beyond Methane Pledge!
Join?Pacific?Environment?and the?Say No to LNG?coalition in championing the?“Beyond Methane Pledge.”?The pledge calls on industry leaders to end?liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other methane-based fuels. Methane is an?extremely powerful greenhouse gas with 80 times more global warming potential than carbon dioxide in the short-term.?Click here to support the pledge as a champion!