Science May 27 The UN wants to drastically reduce plastic pollution by 2040. Here’s how By William Brangham, Lorna Baldwin, Harry Zahn
Science Dec 04 Watch 5:44 How countries are trying to tackle the plastic pollution problem together This week, representatives from 150 nations are meeting in Uruguay with the goal of dramatically reducing or eliminating all plastic pollution by 2040. Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers introduced a new bill to help curtail the harmful impacts of plastic waste. Washington…
Science Aug 04 Watch 8:00 ‘TeamSeas’ uses YouTube to tackle the global plastic problem Social media can certainly motivate people for good and otherwise. Calls to action to clean up the oceans, rivers, and beaches have galvanized volunteers and gone viral. But given the magnitude of the problem, how should we assess the impact?… By Paul Solman
Science Nov 26 Watch 4:42 How innovation and small steps can help us solve The Plastic Problem On Wednesday night, PBS will air a one-hour special report, “The Plastic Problem,” that examines how our global dependence on plastic has created one of the biggest environmental threats to our planet. Amna Nawaz hosts the program, and she joins…
Nation Nov 26 Most Americans would pay more to avoid using plastic, poll says These PBS NewsHour and Marist Poll results come as environmental experts project disastrous levels of plastic that are already permeating the water you drink, the food you eat and the air you breathe. By Laura Santhanam
Nov 19 Indian Parliament debates remedies for air pollution in New Delhi By Associated Press Air pollution in northern India peaks in the winter due to smoke from agricultural fires. The smoke mixes with vehicle emissions and construction dust. Continue reading
Nov 23 Watch 3:34 How plogging turns an ordinary workout into a ‘treasure hunt’ By Julia Griffin After moving from a Swedish ski resort to Stockholm, Erik Ahlstrom noticed a lot of litter during his daily bicycle commute. So he decided to do something about it. In 2016, Ahlstrom began organizing groups to pick up trash while… Continue watching
Oct 11 Watch 8:07 Loss of Chinese export market drives new ideas for repurposing recyclables China’s decision to buy less recyclable material from the U.S. has prompted major questions about how we handle waste in America. What will we do with our abundance of plastic bottles and pizza boxes, if exporting them is no longer… Continue watching
Oct 10 The Plastic Problem By Travis Daub By 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans. PBS NewsHour takes a closer look at this now ubiquitous material, how it’s impacting the world and ways we can break our plastic addiction. Continue reading
Oct 05 Watch 7:03 Tiny Easter Island deals with giant trash problem By Jeffrey Brown, Mike Fritz Easter Island off the coast of Chile has a major trash problem. It’s near what’s known as a “trash vortex” in the middle of the South Pacific and floating waste is constantly washing ashore. Local officials estimate the growing population… Continue watching