US Plastic Pollution Is Choking The World's Oceans

On this edition of Your Call, we're rebroadcasting our conversation about plastic pollution and its impacts on ocean marine life. The US, the world’s largest generator of plastic waste, produced 42 million metric tons of the plastic in 2016. Globally, 100,000 marine mammals die every year as a result of plastic pollution.At least 267 species have been affected, including turtles, whales, dolphins, seals, and fish. What will it take to save these species and pass laws to curb the spread of single use plastics? 

Guests:

Dr. Kimberly Warner, senior scientist at Oceana

Kara Lavender Law, research professor of oceanography at the Sea Education Association in Woods Hole, Massachusetts

Web Resources:

Science Advances: The United States’ contribution of plastic waste to land and ocean

Oceana: Choked, Strangled, Drowned: The Plastics Crisis Unfolding In Our Oceans

CBS: A decade of plastic has entangled, choked and drowned over 1,500 endangered marine mammals in U.S. waters, new report finds

The New York Times: Americans May Add Five Times More Plastic to the Oceans Than Thought

National Geographic: U.S. generates more plastic trash than any other nation, report finds