Ocean waters that have been protected for decades are now up for sale—thanks to Donald Trump and his cabinet of polluters. Today, the Trump administration released a proposal that would radically expand offshore drilling in Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico and Arctic waters, and even auction off permanently protected areas. We cannot let Trump and … Read more
Plastic trash is choking our oceans. Meet Dr. Xuan Thi Quach, who is cleaning up one of the world’s top ocean plastic polluters: Vietnam. Vietnam has a rapidly growing economy and plastic has become the material of choice. “The plastic industry in Vietnam is booming,” Xuan told me on a recent visit. “Plastic things have replaced … Read more
When you keep information secret, the question is: what do you have to hide and who are you hiding it from? In the case of our national marine monuments and sanctuaries, it looks like President Trump and his administration are hiding from people like you and me! Why? Because they know that their attacks on … Read more
It’s almost hard to fathom unless you’ve seen it in person. Black ribbons of salmon—wild, Alaska salmon—running up clear rivers through spectacular, unspoiled country as far as you can see. This is the natural wonder and unmatched economic powerhouse that is Bristol Bay. The watershed is home to largest wild sockeye salmon run in the world. … Read more
Here is a quick update on our shared fight against Trump’s attempt to harm ocean life in the Pacific. After conducting a sham review of 27 of our nation’s monuments on land and in the sea, the Trump administration is now getting ready to gut protections for some of America’s greatest marine treasures. But we … Read more
Good news this afternoon in London: The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) marine environment protection committee just approved our coalition’s proposal to deal with the issue of dangerous heavy fuel oil in the Arctic. This means there will now be international rulemaking to mitigate risks of heavy fuel oil and, hopefully, phase out this dangerous oil in the Arctic. … Read more
On the last day of the Paris Climate Summit, I sat without internet at a related Arctic symposium. The plus side was that I paid attention to the speakers rather than checking my email. The downside was that I sat in suspense, wondering if the long-awaited agreement from the international talks would be announced. I … Read more
As sea level rises, low-lying coastal communities around the world are facing the prospect of relocation. Some of these communities are on remote islands that many have never heard of. Others may be familiar to Americans from the west coast of Alaska and Washington State, and from the bayous of Louisiana. Many of these communities … Read more
Shell ended its 2012 Arctic drilling season with a bang. On New Year’s Eve, one of its drill rigs—the Kulluk— ran aground near Kodiak Island, Alaska, in a severe winter storm while carrying 143,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 12,000 gallons of other petroleum products. Tow vessels were moving the Kulluk, which has no propulsion … Read more
