Haunted by plastic? Tips and tricks for a spooky (and sustainable) Halloween
Spooky season is finally here — and it’s my favorite time of the year. I love everything about the fall festivities: scary movies, pumpkin patches and the changing leaves. But beneath all the fun lurks a scary truth: Halloween has quickly become haunted by single-use plastics from synthetic costumes...
What are marine protected areas? Why they matter and how to support them.
National and international government agencies protect ocean biodiversity and marine wildlife by creating marine protected areas. So what are marine protected areas? Read on as we highlight this important ocean conservation tool, how Pacific Environment partners with local communities and governments and ways you can help. What are marine...
U.S. ports get graded on protecting public health
SAN FRANCISCO — Around 31 million people in the U.S. live near ports, breathing toxic diesel pollution from ships, trucks, and cargo equipment every day. This pollution increases the risk of asthma, stroke, heart disease, and cancer, and disproportionately harms residents living near ports. Today, a coalition of national...
Resumed fifth global plastics treaty negotiations end with no agreement
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — The fifth resumed session of the intergovernmental negotiating committee to advance a global plastics treaty (INC-5.2) ended with no global agreement to end plastic pollution and no clear path forward. The nearly two week negotiating process was haphazard with limits on civil society participation. While next...
Poison in the water: The call to ban scrubber discharge
Pacific Environment’s new report exposes the hidden costs of scrubber wastewater — from severe ecological damage to serious human health risks. With the International Maritime Organization’s Pollution Prevention and Response Subcommittee meeting in London (January 27–31, 2025), we are calling for an immediate global ban on scrubber discharge into...