Nearly 44% of plastic pollutants in the ocean are linked to takeout food containers and wrappers, single-use bags, and plastic bottles. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
San Diego city officials reallocated funding for 19 projects—including land acquisition and upgrades to existing parks— to provide equitable access to vital green spaces. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
California park officials expect a spectacular spring bloom of wildflowers peaking in April and lasting through May. Some of the most spectacular blooms will take place in desert landscapes. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
In early March a U.S. Coast Guard vessel “accidentally discharged” about 500 gallons of diesel about 30 miles offshore from the town of Fort Bragg. The spill follows a recent incident in which about 85 gallons of what appeared to be “lightly weathered crude oil” was found off the coast of Huntington Beach. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
DYK: According to the United Nation Environment Programme, plastic waste causes $13 billion worth of damage to marine ecosystems every year. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
Celebrate Earth Day on April 22 and help protect our planet by participating in local events. This year’s theme is Planet vs. Plastics and promotes awareness on the health risk of plastics and phasing out single-use plastics. The goal is a 60% reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040. Visit earhday.org. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
California’s organic waste recycling program seeks to slash by 75% the amount of organic waste it sends to landfills by 2025 from 2014 levels. The goal is to keep waste from piling up in landfills, and instead turn it into compost or biogas. The program is behind schedule. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForfAll.
Extreme rainfall caused by atmospheric rivers combined with erosion and high tides have caused 100-year-old palm trees to come crashing down at Refugio State Beach on the California coast. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
DYK: In 2024, 35 states will introduce policies banning PFAS forever chemicals, according to Safer States, a national alliance of environmental health organizations and coalitions. PFAS are found in numerous consumer products, providing heat, oil, stain, and grease resistance; they also pose serious human health concerns. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
Almost 8 million gallons of sewage dumped into the Pacific Ocean in early February resulted in the closure of Long Beach and Cabrillo Beach where elevated bacteria levels were recorded. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
California sea otters are helping to restore their declining coastal marsh habitat at Elkhorn Slough in Monterey Bay. Salt marshes protect the coastline and people living there from erosion and flooding. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
Oceanographers recently discovered World War ll-era military munitions and explosives, and sunken whale carcasses, across 135 square miles between Santa Catalina Island and Long Beach. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
Southern California beaches lit up in January with bioluminescent waves caused by dinoflagellates which are tiny marine organisms (plankton) that emit a blue glow. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
The public can enjoy a photo exhibit by Marc Shargel that features underwater images of the ocean and learn about California’s endangered kelp forest ecosystem and efforts to save it. The exhibit will be at the Felton Library in Santa Cruz County from January to March 2024. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
CA coastline dotted with carbon hot spots, new study by Bay Area researchers shows
DYK: Scientists have discovered carbon “hot spots” on the ocean floor covering 6,000 square miles from Mendocino County to San Mateo County. The hot spots act as a carbon reservoir, preventing carbon from being released into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas. The amount contained in the area is equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions of seven million cars driven for one year. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
DYK: The Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust plans to redevelop a 1.86-acre former oil drilling site in South Los Angeles into a complex with affordable housing, a community center, and a park. The community fought to shut down the drilling site and to have the wells capped and equipment removed. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
DYK: According to a new study of 83 U.S. cities, formerly redlined areas (which are still predominantly Black, brown, or low-income) experience higher noise levels which can damage hearing after less than two hours of exposure. The noise also affects animals in the area. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
Environmental groups want more protections for marine life and habitats along the California Coast. About 12% of state waters are covered by strongly protected areas known to be effective at conserving ocean life. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll.
A sewage spill last month in Laguna Beach that was caused by a blocked sewage main closed areas from Victoria Beach to Goff Island Beach. Swimming or surfing in contaminated water can cause serious health issues. Learn more at #HealthyWorldForAll
Today is World Ocean’s Day, a chance to celebrate ongoing actions towards ocean protection. One such endeavor on the U.S. west coast is also an opportunity to uplift Indigenous leadership via the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary in central California.
James Fawcett of the USC Sea Grant program at USC Dornsife explains how the line of ships floating off the coast waiting to offload goods is making a mark on the local environment.
When Lucas Zucker talks about sea level rise in California, his first thoughts aren’t about waves crashing onto fancy homes in Orange County, nor the state’s most iconic beaches shrinking year after year.
