Advocacy

This might be a good year to re-establish an advocacy group to speak out on shared interests embraced by citizens and local governments within North Carolina’s 20 coastal counties.

HILO, HAWAII - A trash collection device that broke apart while deployed in the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii was scheduled to arrive to the Big Island on Sunday.

Is Japan’s decision to leave the International Whaling Commission really that big a deal?

“As I was doing research for the book, I actually found a connection between the dead zone, the baby boomer era, and Saturday morning cartoons,” Davis said.

Conservationist Dana Beach years ago described how to keep development from mauling everything into a mess of sprawl. Don’t, he said, talk or write about merely “protecting land.” Instead, use words to conceptualize protecting “special places” in South Carolina.

As the Maine town with the longest coastline, Harpswell is particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise. But the town government is up to the job, with its dedicated, hard-working Conservation Commission studying the effects of climate change on town roads and wetlands since 2010.

As pushback by waterfront homeowners increases, VA & MD convene workgroups to deal with aquaculture leasing backlogs and disputes

It might seem odd to see a glimmer of hope for conservation of the world’s whales, at the very time Japan has announced it will unilaterally withdraw from global whaling regulations and kick-start commercial hunts in its territorial waters.

Red tide feeds off nutrients in the water, and the second greatest source of nutrients in Collier County is runoff from lawns and landscaping. (Agricultural uses is No. 1). There is a way that we can make a difference in how much nutrient reaches the Gulf of Mexico: strengthening and enforcing our fertilizer ordinances.

Florida thrives on beach tourism, which generates $55 billion a year in sales. But, a nationwide report from the non-profit, Surfrider Foundation, gave Florida a ‘D’ rating when it comes to protecting beaches from coastal erosion and climate change.

Scientists say the world’s oceans are warming far more quickly than previously thought, a finding with dire implications for climate change because almost all the excess heat absorbed by the planet ends up stored in their waters.

The gravity of the problem of climate change is rapidly coming into focus. On November 23, 2018 thirteen federal agencies under the leadership of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including among others the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Defense, issued Volume II of the Fourth National Climate Assessment.

Earthjustice and our partners are working to prevent future hog waste floods in the area hit hardest by Hurricane Florence.

Big environmental groups get most of the press, but there are also many unsung heroes

A new book highlights the changes endured by inhabitants of the Arctic, serving as a harbinger of what’s to come in lower latitudes

Australia - Public safety, recreational fishing and environmental protection are behind a new draft policy proposing changes to where people can drive on local beaches - and the community is being urged to have its say via an online survey opening on Monday, January 14.

King James I wasn’t much of a beachgoer. But if he ruled Florida the way he ruled England, Senate Bill 218 would already be law.

Florida's 800-plus miles of beaches are by far the state's top tourist attraction. They draw more visitors than all U.S. theme parks and national parks combined. More than 40 percent of tourists head to Florida for its beaches, and beach tourism brings in more than $55 billion in annual sales annually. So it's hard to overstate the importance of the sandy shores.

The White River Sanctuary in Jamaica strives to protect a delicate habitat from the threats of overfishing, pollution and climate change

The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for History. This review was originally posted on March 22, 2017.

In Peru’s desert, ripe blueberries are blooming in the sand. Its mountain communities, however, are living under a ticking time bomb as the threat of glacial lake flooding looms from uphill. With the climate spinning out of control, the impact of the melting ice is palpable across the country. But what will happen when most of these finite glacial resources have disappeared?

New Zealand’s whale whisperers worry that manmade changes in the ocean are behind the spike in beachings

The owners' association behind the Seafarer Condos is asking the Escambia County Circuit Court to stop the county from opening new public beach access on Perdido Key.

REDINGTON BEACH – A Redington Beach couple has sued the town alleging an ordinance approved in 2018 allowed the public to illegally use their beachfront property.

The summer of 2018 was intense: deadly wildfires, persistent drought, killer floods and record-breaking heat. Although scientists exercise great care before linking individual weather events to climate change, the rise in global temperatures caused by human activities has been found to increase the severity, likelihood and duration of such conditions.

Climate change is transforming the state’s coast but with habitats hemmed in by cliffs, condos and farms, pre-emptive action is needed to preserve biodiversity

Jeff Kingston says Japan’s defiance of an international ban on commercial whaling could yield positive results. Tokyo can raise a nationalist banner over its exit from the agreement, but also pull the plug on a heavily subsidised industry

The Surfrider Foundation released their annual State of the Beach report for 2018 in mid-December, and the results are disappointing, to say the least.

Each year, Japanese whalers haul hundreds of harpooned whales aboard their giant 8,145-ton vessel, the Nisshin Maru. And for decades, they've killed most of these whales in the open Antarctic seas, under the guise of performing scientific "research." But now Japan is changing course, in a curious way.

Ireland’s first-ever marine spatial plan should avoid becoming a lever for “privatising” coastal resources and should prioritise climate change, according to public submissions.

Behind the exclusive gates of Hollister Ranch are some of California’s most-coveted beaches and surf breaks. Few have had the chance to visit them. But earlier this month, after decades of pushback and stalemates, state officials passed through these gates with the cooperation of the ranch’s powerful landowners. For the first time in years, they traversed the pristine 8.5-mile shoreline to establish initial boundaries that could be used for an ambitious public access program.

San Francisco - The longtime regional conservation planning group stalled in 2018. Now we need to work together to build the future.

NEWBURY — The Trustees of Reservations has been awarded priority project designation status from the state Department of Fish and Game's Division of Ecological Restoration for salt marsh restoration in the Great Marsh. The Great Marsh spans more than 20,000 acres from Cape Ann to the New Hampshire border, but its vast majority has been degraded and placed at-risk by widespread historic ditching.

It was a Thursday, so there probably wouldn’t have been too big of a crowd, but luckily there were at least a few beachgoers out at West Beach, near the western tip of the Rockaway Peninsula, when a Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle — a member of a critically endangered species — crawled on shore and started building a nest. Even more luckily, a couple of those beachgoers had the presence of mind to report it to a 24-hour marine wildlife rescue hotline.

New research highlights the urgent need for coherent, effective policy to safeguard the marine environment from a “gold rush” of seabed mining, which researchers warn could lead to unprecedented damage to fragile deep-sea ecosystems.

The Coastal Bend of Texas is one of the premier places to live and recreate in Texas. With miles of beaches, pristine waters teeming with aquatic life, areas designated by the EPA as essential fish habitats, and home to more than 400 resident and migratory bird populations including threatened and endangered species like the whooping crane, the Coastal Bend attracts new residents and visitors from all around the world.

Japan plans to leave the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to resume commercial hunting, media reports say. The government told its MPs of the decision, NHK reports. There has been no official confirmation of the move.

Sea World has been forced to cancel two of its performing dolphin shows in a dramatic day on the Gold Coast, where protesters invaded the pools as part of a co-ordinated sting, leading to several arrests.

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The first global conference addressing coral reef restoration and intervention science took place last week in Key Largo, Florida, featuring over 550 leading scientists and experts from nearly 40 countries.

Three environmental groups filed notice Wednesday that they intend to sue the federal government over the disastrous pollution that’s been fueling toxic algae outbreaks and marine die-offs in South Florida.

Clean Ocean Access (COA) recently released its annual Marina Trash Skimmer Report detailing the success of the Marina Trash Skimmer (MTS) program over the past three years, as well as the development and expansion of the program in southern New England, which will include the installation of new MTS units in Providence, Rhode Island and New Bedford, Massachusetts this coming spring.

Since the early 1950s, there has been an estimated 8.3 billion tons — and counting — of plastic produced on the planet, according to a 2017 study published in the Science Advances journal. The United Nations Environment Program reports that roughly 60% of that lump sum has made its way to landfills or the ocean. Each year, an estimated 8 million metric tons of plastics end up in the ocean, according to the advocacy group Ocean Conservancy. Some calculations predict that there could be more plastic by weight in the ocean than fish by 2050.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A floating device sent to corral a swirling island of trash between California and Hawaii has not swept up any plastic waste — but the young innovator behind the project said Monday that a fix was in the works.

The plan will require $1.1 billion and involve a number of controversial measures

Sharks, rays and chimaeras are some of the most threatened fish in the world. More than 50 percent of species in the Arabian Sea are at elevated risk of extinction due to coastal development, overfishing, pollution and habitat destruction. According to an expansive new study, spanning more than a dozen countries, species like sawfish are particularly hard hit with extinction or local extirpation.

Lisa Beth Robinson and Kristin Thielking were attempting something completely new—to digitally capture, and cast in glass, a three-dimensional model of a real, live wave.

The study looked at more than 1,600 companies, the largest private-sector adaptation study to date, and found that most companies, about four out of five, reported that they did experience physical risk from climate change within the last year — but only about 20 percent were able to quantify those risks in financial terms.

Broken-down plastics in the ocean are finding their way into our diets – while also harming the marine systems that are crucial for our survival. Nearly 13 million tonnes of plastic waste ended up in the world's marine environment every year and the volume of microplastics appeared to be on the rise.

ish stocks under pressure, climate change-driven acidification and a rising tide of plastic pollution: we're hearing more about the plight of our oceans. But what can we do about it? As we head to the beach for our first summer swim, Jacob Anderson of the Sir Peter Blake Trust shares five easy things we can do to help protect our precious marine environment.

The World Bank has disclosed that its Blue Economy portfolio has reached US$4.1 billion, and an additional US$1.5 billion in the pipeline will be invested in member countries that are harnessing its potential.

Is your city prepared for climate change? The latest National Climate Assessmentpaints a grim future if U.S. cities and states don’t take serious action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ - Residents of Atlantic Highlands were stunned to learn last week that the developer of a waterfront parcel on Sandy Hook Bay would no longer provide public access to the beach.

The Canadian federal government and the Inuit of Nunavut’s Qikiqtani region are moving closer to settling the details of how Inuit will benefit from Nunavut’s new national marine conservation area. (Note, Nunatsiaq News is the newspaper of record for Nunavut and the Nunavik territory of Quebec. Published since 1975, it reaches 52 eastern Arctic communities and 70,000 readers a week).

A large number of whales have beached themselves on the coastlines of Australia and New Zealand in the past week.

When renown Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson told the legendary marine biologist Sylvia Earle, a passionate advocate of ocean protection, that he was worried that we humans were “letting Nature slip through our fingers,” Earle replied to him that her biggest concern was that “Nature may let the human race slip through her fingers.”

Before Davis, no one had told the story of the Gulf.

Maryland’s new oyster stock assessment confirms what many conservationists have long suspected — that the state’s oyster population is in dire need of new management.

COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF

PORTLAND, Ore. (CN) – Environmentalists sued the Trump administration Tuesday, claiming it refused to enforce the Clean Water Act to stop ocean acidification – which strips shellfish and coral of calcium and has caused billions of oysters to die in Oregon’s coastal waters.

Buying beachfront property for the greater good of Orange Beach residents is not in sync with local government’s views of spending money without a verifiable return-on-investment. A gated beach with ample parking and bathroom facilities for the residents is obviously frivolous compared to Council’s aggressive investment criteria, but it does meet the criteria of local voters, caring very much to have a place in the sun for their families to enjoy.

Anthropogenic influence on coral ecosystems is tremendous. Corals are dying because of bleaching, disease and weakness. This is due to ocean warming and acidification caused by climate change. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report paints an ominous picture of coral’s future, projecting a 99 percent decline by 2050. Urgent action is critical to prevent dire consequences.

HYANNIS – Life on Cape Cod is linked to the coastline and it is critical to understand how the ecosystems change over time and how decisions we make affect their health.

The iron ore export terminal was approved for an area rich in marine resources that artisanal fishing communities rely on, and is just 29 kilometers from the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve and the Choros and Damas Islands Marine Reserve. The project’s approval went practically unnoticed at a time when attention was focused on a debate over the planned construction of another mining port, Dominga, just 5 kilometers to the south. Once completed, the Cruz Grande port will serve 75 ships a year carrying away 13.5 million tons of iron ore — less than 300 meters from fishing sites that hundreds of families rely on for their incomes.

A lab at Oregon State University’s marine science center in Newport is studying whether society and the marine environment are ready for sea otter reintroduction.

PADI, the world’s largest diving association has joined forces with the Reef World Foundation, supported by UN Environment, to promote sustainable diving practices for the protection of the marine environment. This partnership will raise awareness and deliver tools to implement the Green Fins standard of best practice, helping to ensure the long-term sustainability of coral reefs, recreational scuba diving and local livelihoods.

A battle over a Portlock gate blocking access to a beach path is far from over.

A Senate Democrat this week filed a proposal that could refuel a debate about beach access in Florida.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill sponsored by Congressman Neal Dunn (R-North Florida) and two others that would remove some county lands from the parameters of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA).

HOW THE STATE LAW PROVIDING PUBLIC ACCESS TO ALL CALIFORNIA BEACHES MAY HAVE BEEN IN JEOPARDY

NEW CALEDONIA, Nov 20 2018 (IPS) - We live on a “blue planet” where water covers around 75 percent of the Earth’s surface. Without water we would simply not survive as a species. As we strive to find pathways to and take action for inclusive sustainable development, we must ensure that our ocean, our seas, rivers, lakes, waterways and wetlands, together with their invaluable biodiversity, are preserved, sustainably used and integrated into development programming.

Conservation advocates have long touted the need to preserve Sonoma County’s bucolic landscape, but a report released last week for first time assigned a dollar value to those open spaces and their natural resources.

The ever-expanding, online archive of natural disaster footage has produced some surreal and disturbing images. Key points: IPCC found 0.5-degree difference in warming could mean a 10cm sea-level rise by 2100.

Activists are pressuring San Antonio-based Whataburger to end its use of foam cups and containers in favor of materials that are friendlier to the environment.

Urgency grows for WTO deal that would boost ocean health, help ensure sustainable fishing

The group called on Senator Susan Collins, Senator Angus King, and Congressional representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin to prevent the practice along the entire Atlantic Coast.

STUART — The Florida Oceanographic Society is planning a $6.5 million expansion project at its 57-acre campus on Hutchinson Island.

A city-wide ban on plastic bags, straws, and foam containers advanced in Charleston City Council after a robust debate between city officials Tuesday night. If passed, the ordinance would make Charleston the largest city in the state to adopt a bag ban after similar efforts from coastal communities stretching from Surfside Beach to Beaufort County.

The first time I drove to the Point Reyes Lighthouse, I was horrified to see large cattle ranching operations on National Park Service lands. The adverse impacts of ranching on soils, water quality, vegetation, wildlife and visitor experience were undeniable: piles of manure, muddy trails, accelerated erosion, weed-infested pastures and gigantic heaps of rotting vegetation called silage (pasture plants are mowed and then fermented to feed livestock when there is no grass available). During the four years I worked at Point Reyes, I never drove past the ranches without shaking my head.

Natural capital is a way to quantify the value of the world that nature provides for us – the air, soils, water, even recreational activity. Advocates say this is crucial if biodiversity is to have any clout in a world governed by raw economics. Others believe the concept merely turns the natural world into a commodity. Is natural capital our last chance to halt the carnage mankind inflicts on the environment or are its supporters naively dancing with the devil?

A new neighborhood planned on the banks of Church Creek in outer West Ashley is moving through the final steps of the city of Charleston’s approval process, even though the creek is notorious for overflowing and triggering a number of severe flooding problems there.

Friends of the Earth has delivered more than 38,500 comments opposing a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) plan to increase aquaculture production in the USA.

The U.S. has a climate policy, and it wants the Supreme Court to enforce it. That policy: No such thing.

Greenpeace recently concluded an expedition to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that found 11 times more microplastics in the middle of the Pacific than near major U.S. cities.

Mounting public outrage has fueled new efforts by state officials to open a coveted stretch of California coastline in Santa Barbara County.

Convention on Biological Diversity members will meet to advance new targets for protecting marine habitat

A new report says the combination of offshore drilling and a hurricane could cause problems for the South Carolina coastline.

They collected more than 1,900 cigarette butts

New science suggests water quality is the critical issue