Thursday, December 13, 2007

Our Oceans are turning into plastic....are we?

http://www.bestlifeonline.com/cms/publish/health-fitness
This is a scary article that discusses this huge spot in the Pacific ocean as big as Texas that is full of plastic and garbage. The article discusses the fact that this plastic is very dangerous for animals All of the animals from the smallest to the largest such as whales are in danger. There was a picture of a sea turtle that was being suffocated bt a piece of plastic wrapped around his middle. This was causing his shell to form an hourglass figure. The article also goes on to discuss the dangerous chemicals found in plastics.

2 comments:

R.Hum said...

This is a terrible thing but does not surprise me in the least. As I was reading our textbook on Ch.22 pg. 521 there is a picture of an extremely polluted river in Indonesia. This was so horrible to see but this stuff is out there and often gets overlooked by us because we don't see it everyday. Such polluted waters can be filled with garbage and chemicals that can make them too toxic to even touch let alone drink. Please do your part and don't contribute to such gross pollution. Educate yourself and be aware of your environment and know that your changes can make a difference.

Mary Scott said...

This is an interesting article that has to due with San Fransisco. I liked it because it deals with local issues.

USGBC In the News Details
Title: San Francisco aims for green skyline
Author:
Source: Associated Press
Date Written: 12/12/2007

Mayor Gavin Newsom proposed strict new building codes Wednesday that he hopes will give San Francisco the nation's greenest skyline.

The mayor introduced an ordinance that would require all new residential and commercial buildings to meet internationally recognized standards for energy and water efficiency, recycling, pollution control and other environmental measures.

City government buildings already are required to meet such requirements, but private development must follow suit to have a significant affect on San Francisco's carbon emissions and energy use, Newsom said.

Once a large city like San Francisco implements such requirements, Newsom said the trend will catch on across the country.

'There is no question the building standards of these companies will be forced to change,' he said.

The plan calls for all buildings over 75-feet tall and major commercial renovations of over 25,000 square feet to be in compliance with the highest benchmarks for green certification set by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The new code would not apply to already approved projects, but would affect buildings subject to permit approval starting next year, or about three million feet of new development annually, according to Newsom.

Between then and 2012, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED standards required in the city would become increasingly stringent, according to Newsom.

The plan must be approved by the city's Board of Supervisors. Newsom said he expects it to easily win support. Building contractors were part of the task force that drew up the proposed regulations.