I must confess, I have been avoiding writing about this subject for awhile. But in an attempt to face reality, here’s the deal…California’s statewide plastic bag ban is on hold. The plastics industry spent $3.2 million gathering signatures to overturn the new law and alas, California’s Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced that the referendum… [read more]
Californians report your experience with signature gatherers
In my last post about the plastics industry’s effort to overturn SB270, California’s state ban on single-use plastic bags, I forgot to mention one thing. If you happen to bump into a signature gatherer when you’re out and about, the organization Californians Against Waste would like to hear about it. They’re collecting information on people’s… [read more]
Say no to bag petitions
On September 30, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 270 into law, officially making California the first state to ban single-use plastic bags. And now that ban is under attack! The plastics industry has teamed up to overturn the ban through Calfornia’s referendum process. Proponents of a referendum have 90 days from the day a… [read more]
Happy plastic bag-free New Year!
Yesterday was the first day of the New Year and the first day of the City of Los Angeles plastic bag ban. What a thrilling way to start 2014. Hooray, hooray! I actually thought the plastic bag ban didn’t start until July 1, 2014, but then I started seeing signs…as in real signs, not omens.… [read more]
See the movie Plastic Paradise
Join me on December 3rd at 7:30pm to see the documentary “Plastic Paradise” at the Laemmle’s Royal Theatre in West Los Angeles. As soon as I heard about this movie, I knew I had to see it. Many of us have read about the plastic plague impacting our oceans, but do we really understand the… [read more]
A gift wrapped in biodegradable plastic
My in-laws recently visited Los Angeles and they came bearing gifts! During a trip to Italy, they went on a tour of Federica, a famous Murano glass production facility and maker of awesome Murano glass animals. They picked up a beautiful glass dolphin for me, which was very exciting to receive. How is this relevant… [read more]
Finding trash with all the answers
Finding trash on the beach usually leaves me with a lot of questions. How did this piece of trash end up here? Did it wash ashore or did someone leave it behind on the beach? How long was it in the ocean? Wouldn’t someone notice if they left behind their shoe? Why would someone drink… [read more]
One Piece: it all adds up!
Yesterday I received something very cool in the mail: a One Piece sticker! What’s that you say? Well, the One Piece sticker is the brainchild of Tom Fucigna, a writer, ocean fan, paddleboard enthusiast, environmental steward and all around cool guy doing whatever he can to help save the oceans and in particular Florida’s coast.… [read more]
Thank you for the plastic grocery bag ban Los Angeles!
As I was busy spending time with my parents who were visiting last week, an amazing thing happened: On June 26, 2013, outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed into law a plastic bag ban for the City of Los Angeles. At first I was confused because I thought the plastic bag ban had already passed last… [read more]
EnviroNet: Cleaning up trash one paddle at a time
What would you do if you were about to pilot a group of tourists and all you could see was trash in your local waterway? Well, if you’re Captain Carlos Macias, you would launch your paddleboard into the middle of the floating trash pile and try to pick it up. And this is exactly what… [read more]