Microplastics detected in 100% of donkey feces: Study links plastic pollution to animal deaths and food risks https://phys.org/news/2025-11-microplastics-donkey-feces-links-plastic.html
#environment #wildlife #donkey #donkeys #plastic #microplastics #PlasticPollution
Lethal dose of plastic for seabirds and marine animals ‘much smaller than expected’ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/lethal-dose-of-plastic-for-seabirds-and-marine-animals-much-smaller-than-expected/
#environment #wildlife #birds #marinelife #plastic #PlasticPollution
Meet the fungus that could change the fight against plastic pollution — evidence first, this plastic-eating fungus and its enzymes break down PET and other plastics, key experiments, and real-world rates. #PlasticPollution #PlasticEatingFungus. statusl.ink/meetthefungu...
𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗔 𝗕𝗮𝗶𝘁-𝗮𝗻𝗱-𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
I’ve long been troubled by the trajectory of California’s bag laws—specifically, Proposition 67 (2016) and the recent SB 1053 (2024–2025). These policies were sold to voters as a bold step toward reducing plastic pollution, but their implementation and outcomes reveal a troubling disconnect between their stated goals and their actual consequences. What began as a well-intentioned effort to combat plastic waste has, in my view, devolved into a system that prioritizes revenue over environmental progress, leaving taxpayers and consumers to foot the bill.
The Original Justification: Plastic Pollution, Not Revenue
When Proposition 67 was passed in 2016, the narrative was clear: plastic pollution was choking the oceans, and the only solution was to ban single-use plastic bags and impose a 10-cent fee on all bags. Campaigns painted vivid images of marine life entangled in plastic, framing the fee as a temporary measure to discourage plastic use. The message was simple: Pay 10 cents, and you’ll help save the planet.
But here’s the problem: the fee was never meant to be a permanent tax. It was a tool to phase out thin plastic bags, with the expectation that once plastic was out of the picture, the policy would lose its relevance. Instead, the fee has endured, even as its original purpose has been rendered obsolete.
The Fee Outlived Its Purpose
The 10-cent fee was supposed to be a nudge—a small cost to encourage people to switch to reusable bags. But when stores replaced thin plastic bags with heavier, thicker “reusable” plastic alternatives, the policy backfired. These bags, which weigh several times more than their predecessors, were rarely reused enough to offset their increased plastic content. In fact, lifecycle analyses show that unless these heavy bags are reused dozens of times, they actually increase total plastic consumption.
This is a critical failure. If the goal was to reduce plastic, the policy did the opposite. The result? Plastic use didn’t decrease—it increased.
Perverse Incentives: Stores Profit, Consumers Pay
What makes this situation even more galling is the structure of the fee itself. Stores are allowed to keep the 10-cent charge, creating a perverse incentive to maximize bag sales rather than reduce them. This hidden revenue stream—tens to hundreds of millions of dollars annually—was never approved by voters. It’s a system where the government claims to be fighting plastic pollution, while retailers quietly collect a tax that has nothing to do with the environment.
This isn’t just about money—it’s about accountability. Voters were never asked to approve this revenue model. They were sold an environmental solution, not a corporate subsidy.
SB 1053: Proof That Prop 67 Failed
The passage of SB 1053 in 2024—banning reusable plastic bags—only deepens the mystery. If the 10-cent fee had worked, why would the state need to pass another law? The answer is clear: the fee didn’t reduce plastic use enough to justify its existence. Consumers kept using the heavier plastic bags, and plastic consumption remained stubbornly high.
This is the final nail in the coffin for Prop 67’s credibility. The policy’s failure to achieve its core goal forced the state to take more drastic action. But instead of learning from the mistake, the system has doubled down on the fee, now applying it to paper bags—which were never the target of the original policy.
The Fee’s New Purpose: A Money Grab
With plastic bags banned, the 10-cent fee no longer serves its original environmental purpose. It now applies exclusively to paper bags, which were never the focus of the original ban. This shift reveals a disturbing truth: the fee was never about plastic—it was about creating a permanent revenue mechanism.
The persistence of the fee, even in the absence of its stated goal, suggests a bait-and-switch: plastic pollution was the emotional hook, but the real aim was to generate ongoing revenue for retailers and the system built around the fee.
Conclusion: A Policy Built on a Flawed Premise
In the end, the story of California’s bag policies is one of misaligned intentions and unintended consequences. The 10-cent fee was sold as a temporary measure to reduce plastic use, but it outlived its purpose, created perverse incentives, and failed to achieve its environmental goals. The passage of SB 1053 is not a victory—it’s a confession of failure.
I can only hope that California will take a step back and reevaluate its approach. Environmental policy must be rooted in science, not spin. It must serve the public interest, not private profit. Until then, the 10-cent fee will remain a painful reminder of what happens when good intentions are buried under layers of bad design.
qwen3:14b-q4_K_M
#CaliforniaPolicy #PlasticBan #Prop67 #SB1053 #PlasticPollution #PolicyFail #RevenueOverEnvironment #ReusableBags #EcoPolicy #GovAccountability
Everyday microplastics could be fueling heart disease https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251118220047.htm
#health #HeartHealth #PublicHealth #environment #plastic #microplastics #PlasticPollution
At least 15 English sewage plants use plastic beads spilled at Camber Sands https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/18/at-least-15-english-sewage-plants-use-plastic-beads-spilled-at-camber-sands
‘We feel we’re fighting a losing battle’: the race to remove millions of plastic beads from Camber Sands https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/15/race-remove-millions-plastic-biobeads-camber-sands-volunteers
#England #CamberSands #environment #plastic #PlasticPollution
**Research identifies lethal dose of plastics: less than 3 sugar cubes’ worth of plastics for seabirds 🐦; just over 2 baseballs’ worth of plastics for sea turtles 🐢; and about 1 soccer ball’s worth of plastics for marine mammals 🐬, has a 90% likelihood of death. Study was based on 10,412 animal autopsies.**
Read Full Article
#PlasticPollution #MarineLife #Conservation #EnvironmentalAwareness #SaveOurSeas https://oceanconservancy.org/newsroom/press-release/2025/11/17/ocean-animals-ingested-plastics-study/
Reenviado desde Science News
(https://t.me/experienciainterdimensional/9616)
From seabirds to sea turtles: the fatal toll of #plastic revealed
Scientists have analysed 10,000 marine animal autopsies to understand how plastic ingestion leads to death.
The study found seabirds face extreme risk after swallowing just 23 pieces of plastic, giving them a 90% chance of dying. Marine mammals reach similar danger at 29 pieces, while sea turtles need to ingest around 405 pieces to hit the same threshold.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr5eyjd2zz7o #PlasticPollution #Ocean's #environment #nature
"When did we become a plastic society... Every bit of plastic that has been created still exists... Every day in the US, we throw out almost 88 tons of plastic... recycling is not a sustainable solution.... by refusing the use of disposable plastic you can improve the health of the ocean and the environment around us, including human health and animal health..."
#PlasticFreeFuture #ReducePlasticWaste #OceanHealth #SustainableChoices #PlasticPollution
DATE:
November 17, 2025 at 02:06PM
CHANNEL: Sam Bentley
TITLE:
The World's First Plastic Free Compostable Soy Sauce Fish
URL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18wiZdtd9A4
DESCRIPTION:
This is a game changing solution to those tiny plastic fish that come with your takeaway!
Angus and Jeffrey are the Aussie duo behind Holy Carp! the world's first plastic free, home compostable soy sauce fish.
Made from 100% renewable sugarcane pulp, you simply fill it up at the restaurant, and it stays leak-proof for 48 hours.
It then breaks down in your compost in just a few weeks. No microplastics or waste left behind.
And this is a big deal, as it's estimated around 10 billion soy fish have been produced on our planet to date.
While they're technically recyclable, their tiny size means they can't be processed by machines properly,so they end up clogging recycling systems and ironically, polluting the ocean.
South Australia became the first place in the world to ban soy fish in September 2025, and with sustainable replacements like Holy Carp!, more countries are set to follow!
Would you want to see these at your local takeaway spot?
Drop a fish emoji in the comments if you would, and hit like to support more solutions like this!
#goodnews #waste #compost #plasticpollution #wastefree #sustainability
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18wiZdtd9A4
This robot is not affiliated with the channel.
#psychology #depression #goodnews #goodnewsthread #happy #happynews
#SpreadJoy #PositiveVibes #CommunityLove #SpreadLight #SamBentley #positivescience #science @goodnews
Plastic beads spreading on Sussex coast after ‘catastrophic’ spill, meeting told https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/14/plastic-beads-spreading-sussex-coast-catastrophic-spill-meeting-told-camber-sands
New research found toxic chemicals lurking in both recycled and virgin PET plastic. Think soda bottles, food packaging, and clothing. Recycling alone won’t solve the plastics crisis when the material itself is toxic.
Another reason that the solution is truly materials and stronger chemical transparency laws.
https://defendourhealth.org/blog/new-study-reveals-toxic-chemicals-in-both-recycled-and-virgin-pet/
#ToxicPlastics #PFAS #ChemicalSafety #PlasticPollution #RightToKnow #SaferMaterials #CircularEconomy #DefendOurHealth
Another Water Company fuck up, but who will be footing the bill?
#CamberSands #Pollution #PlasticPollution #Sussex #SouthernWater #UKPOL #UKPOLITICS
The Scary Truth About Microplastics In The Human Body https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/health/the-scary-truth-about-microplastics-in-the-human-body/
#health #environmen #plastic #microplastics #PlasticPollution
There's something so very wrong with society when my offer to bring in reusable plates/cutlery to my kids' school for a teacher organized pot luck got met with "thanks but we have to adhere to safety concerns."
The “recycling crisis” wasn’t caused by consumers — it was engineered by the fossil fuel and packaging industries. For decades, they’ve told us it’s our fault while churning out mountains of single-use plastic made from oil and gas.
Real accountability starts upstream — with the corporations that profit from pollution.
#plasticpollution #fossilfuels #corporateaccountability #recycling #plastic
A marine "canary in the coal mine". Need to reduce #PFAS.
Finding: 🦦Sea otters in B.C.'s South coast and Vancouver Island with high levels of toxic "forever chemicals" ⚠️
Polyfluoroalkyl substances "pose health risks including organ damage, cancer and weakened immune systems"
"The [otter] study adds to the body of knowledge that Ottawa needs to make a decision as to how to proceed with regulations, or not, on this class of chemicals." ~ Peter Ross, a senior scientist at the Raincoast Conservation Foundation
#plasticpollution #CdnPoli #CdnHealth
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sea-otters-forever-chemicals-9.6971949
Officials recovered around 10 kg of plastic waste from a cow that died after being hit by a vehicle in Thirupuvanam, highlighting the growing threat of plastic pollution to stray cattle. https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/india/nearly-10-kg-plastic-recovered-from-cow-killed-in-road-accident-pjvyh17u?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #RoadAccident #Cattle #PlasticPollution #TamilNadu
