Marine Debris: Cleaning Up the Sea

Credit: NOAA
                                     Credit: NOAA

Monday, December 15, 2014
2:00 pm–3:30 pm EDT
Webinar

CLICK HERE TO VIEW A RECORDING OF THE WEBINAR

Proliferation of marine debris has recently come to the forefront of the public’s consciousness, and it shows the extent of human impact in striking fashion. Marine debris includes consumer plastics, metals, rubber, paper, textiles, derelict fishing gear, vessels, and other lost or discarded items. These items and others combine to create a massive environmental challenge, perhaps most evident in the “Pacific Garbage Patch,” a floating debris field the size of Texas. However, with the massive challenge comes major opportunities to clean up the sea at several points in the life-cycle of debris, from the expansion of plastic bag bans to regulatory strategies aimed at preventing already discarded trash from entering the marine environment.

This webinar brought together some of the foremost experts on marine debris to discuss what can be done by different levels of government, NGOs, private companies, and the public. The goal was to discuss policy and inform action to clear the sea of marine debris.

 
PANELISTS:

  • Jared Blumenfeld, Region 9 Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency

  • Angela Howe, Legal Director, Surfrider Foundation

  • Andy Keller, President and Inventor, ChicoBag

  • MODERATOR:

    • David Roche, Staff Attorney, Environmental Law Institute

    This event is made possible by support from the Naomi & Nehemiah Cohen Foundation.