We are so excited to tell you about a major victory that our supporters helped achieve. Yesterday at the UN Ocean Conference, the Colombian government announced it will create four new official marine reserves, including one expanding the fully protected Malpelo Sanctuary of Fauna and Flora. Colombia will now surpass the goal of protecting 30% of its waters eight years before the 2030 deadline! The initiative to protect 30% of the global ocean by the year 2030, referred to as 30x30, is a target that scientists have indicated is necessary in order to prevent irreversible loss of marine life. A huge thank you to everyone who made their voice heard on the petition to protect the Eastern Tropical Pacific marine corridor. And, of course, this win would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of Colombia’s environmental, fishing, and maritime authorities, along with scientists, the private fishing sector, nonprofits, and the people of Colombia. With this remarkable action, Colombia will strengthen local fisheries, sustainable livelihoods, and the protection of marine biodiversity in its native waters and throughout the Eastern Tropical Pacific marine corridor. If you’d like to move another campaign to create sanctuaries close to victory, consider adding your name to the brand-new petition to expand the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument 🌎 ⛵️
Right now, companies are creating crushing amounts of plastic pollution, and New Yorkers are forced to bear the costs. But two new plastics bills could change that and hold manufacturers — not taxpayers — accountable for the pollution they produce.
An unraveling crisis
New York generates more than 17 million tons of municipal solid waste annually, almost one ton per person. Less than one quarter of that waste is recycled. The rest chokes landfills, public spaces, beaches, and waterways. In just one example, studies estimate that at any given moment, 165 million plastic particles are floating in New York Harbor.
Aside from being a major threat to biodiversity, human health, and quality of life, the cost of managing an ever-growing pile of waste is not cheap. Unclear labeling on plastic products and mixed material goods make separating the recyclable from the non-recyclable an expensive challenge, costing taxpayers hundreds of millions annually.
