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The city's annual series of parades began more than a week ago and will close out on Tuesday — Mardi Gras — a final day of revelry before Lent. Aside from recycling, there's a small but growing movement to find something else for parade riders to lob. Grounds Krewe, Davis's nonprofit, is now marketing more than two dozen types of nonplastic, sustainable items for parade riders to pitch. "These efforts will help green Mardi Gras," said Christy Leavitt, of the group Oceana, in an email. Enck, who visited New Orleans last year and attended Mardi Gras celebrations, hopes parade organizers will adopt the biodegradable alternatives.

Persons: —, it's, ”, Judith Enck, Enck, Brett Davis, headbands, ” Davis, Christy Leavitt, Jennifer McDermott Organizations: ORLEANS, Environmental Protection Agency, Beyond, New Orleans & Co, Oceana, New, Mardi, Associated Locations: New Orleans, revelry, Lake Pontchartrain, Mexico, Mardi, Providence , Rhode Island

Globally, as many as 128,000 fishers face threats of violence, debt bondage, excessive overtime and other conditions indicative of forced labor, according to the U.N.'s International Labor Organization. U.S. and European companies are under increasing pressure to clean up supply chains in labor-intensive industries where worker abuse is widespread. But ZheJiang Hairong in a statement last year to the state-owned Fujian Daily claimed ownership of only five of the 10 vessels that would later appear on the Financial Transparency Coalition's list. Pingtan last year was sanctioned by the Biden administration over allegations of illegal fishing and labor abuse. The Financial Transparency Coalition scoured government reports, media accounts and complaints by advocacy groups to come up with a list of 475 individual vessels suspected of forced labor since 2010.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Beth Lowell, Pingtan, Biden, Fu Ting, Wanqing Chen Organizations: MIAMI, Financial, Coalition, D.C, Walton Family Foundation, AP, Associated Press, International Labor Organization . U.S, Force, Group, Seven, Atmospheric Administration, Ocean Fisheries Co, Pingtan Marine Enterprises, China National Fisheries Corp, Fujian Daily, New York Stock Exchange, Washington , D.C Locations: Washington, China, Russia, Spain, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, United States, U.S, Oceana, Panama, Belize, ZheJiang, Fujian, Washington ,, Beijing, Investigative@ap.org

☆ Ships Speeding Through US 'Go Slow' Zones Meant to Protect Endangered Whale -Report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BOSTON (Reuters) - More than 80% of ships are speeding through "go slow" zones set by environmental regulators along the U.S. East Coast to protect endangered North Atlantic Right Whales, according to a report released on Thursday by environmental group Oceana. Oceana said it analyzed boat speeds from November 2020 through July 2022 in slow zones established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) along the East Coast and found that 84% of boats sped through mandatory slow zones, and 82% sped through voluntary slow zones. "NOAA Fisheries’ approach evaluates overall compliance based on the percent of the total distance traveled by AIS-equipped vessels in the speed zones at compliant speeds," it said. It pointed out that ships sometimes enter the zones above 10 knots before slowing down. Oceana said it used data from Global Fishing Watch, an international nonprofit organization founded by Oceana in partnership with satellite imagery providers SkyTruth and Google, to track ship speeds and locations.

Persons: Oceana, — it's, Gib Brogan, Richard Valdmanis, Sandra Maler Organizations: BOSTON, U.S ., Atlantic, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Reuters, NOAA Fisheries, AIS, Fishing Watch, Oceana, Google Locations: U.S, U.S . East Coast, Oceana, East Coast

☆ Ships speeding through US 'go slow' zones meant to protect endangered whale -report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales skim feed and sub-surface feed in the waters off of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, U.S., March 27, 2023. REUTERS/Lauren Owens Lambert/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBOSTON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - More than 80% of ships are speeding through "go slow" zones set by environmental regulators along the U.S. East Coast to protect endangered North Atlantic Right Whales, according to a report released on Thursday by environmental group Oceana. North Atlantic Right Whales are on the brink of extinction, numbering just 340, with ship strikes among the top causes of death. Oceana said it analyzed boat speeds from November 2020 through July 2022 in slow zones established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) along the East Coast and found that 84% of boats sped through mandatory slow zones, and 82% sped through voluntary slow zones. "NOAA Fisheries’ approach evaluates overall compliance based on the percent of the total distance traveled by AIS-equipped vessels in the speed zones at compliant speeds," it said.

Persons: Lauren Owens Lambert, Oceana, — it's, Gib Brogan, Richard Valdmanis, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S ., Atlantic, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Reuters, NOAA Fisheries, AIS, Fishing Watch, Oceana, Google, Thomson Locations: Cape Cod , Massachusetts, U.S, U.S . East Coast, Oceana, East Coast

The scientists found large whales such as humpbacks and North Atlantic right whales were among the most vulnerable to climate change, and that other toothed whales and dolphins were also at high risk. The scientists looked at the animals' degree of exposure to climate change and sensitivity and capacity to adapt to it. “The U.S. is one of the most data-rich countries when it comes to marine mammals, and those data should be driving what are arguably some of the world’s strongest laws to protect marine mammals," she said. But the way climate change affects the giant animals is global in nature, so the broader approach is helpful, she said. Climate change also could affect the distribution and behavior of marine mammals, the study states.

Persons: Matthew Lettrich, ” Lettrich, Regina Asmutis, Silvia, “, Laura Ganley, Ganley, ”, Gib Brogan, ” Brogan, Patrick Whittle Organizations: —, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, U.S, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Conservation, Anderson Cabot Center, Ocean, New, Aquarium, AP Locations: PORTLAND, Maine, U.S, North Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Massachusetts, Boston, New England, United States, of Maine, Georgia, Florida, Canada, Oceana

The five-year plan includes proposed sales in the Gulf of Mexico — the nation’s primary offshore source of oil and gas — in 2025, 2027 and 2029. The three lease sales are the minimum number the Democratic administration could legally offer if it wants to continue expanding offshore wind development. The lease program will guard against environmental damage caused by oil and gas drilling and other adverse impacts to coastal communities, Haaland said. “The (oil leasing) program is definitely informed by the IRA and the connection that the IRA makes between offshore oil and gas leasing and renewable energy leasing,” he said Thursday, referring to the Inflation Reduction Act. The Interior Department can’t sell the rights to drill for oil and gas offshore without first publishing a schedule that outlines its plans.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, Democratic Sen, Joe Manchin, Manchin, Harris, Deb Haaland, ”, Haaland, “, Biden's, Ryan Lance, Willow, Dyani Chapman, Tommy Beaudreau, Interior Department can’t, Rene Santos, Santos, Beth Lowell, Abigail Dillen, Sen, Dan Sullivan, ___ Brown, Becky Bohrer Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic, Biden, Interior Department, Interior Department’s, of Ocean Energy Management, drillers, BP, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Alaska Environment, Interior, P, Gulf, American Petroleum Institute, Chevron, Associated Press Locations: Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, Gulf, Mexico, West Virginia, Chevron, Brazil, Guyana, Louisiana, Oceana, Gulf Coast, Billings, Mont, Juneau , Alaska

☆ Opinion: North Atlantic right whales are running out of time
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Gib Brogan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Video Ad Feedback Protecting whales from one of their biggest threats 03:59 - Source: CNNNorth Atlantic right whales and speeding boats just don’t mix. When a boat strikes a North Atlantic right whale, it can cause traumatic injuries and even death. Scientists estimate the species can only recover if less than one North Atlantic right whale dies per year from these human causes. Over time, it’s become clear that even smaller boats can kill North Atlantic right whales. The North Atlantic right whales are running out of time.

Persons: Gib Brogan, it’s, NOAA’s Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, NOAA Fisheries, Twitter, Facebook, Georges Bank, Day, Labor Locations: Oceana, Atlantic, East Coast, United States, Canada, New England, Florida, Nantucket

☆ Amazon used 11.6% less plastic for shipping last year and is phasing out those blue and white plastic mailers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon used nearly 86,000 tons of single-use plastic packaging last year, an 11.6% drop. Amazon is also ditching its blue and white padded plastic mailers in favor of easier-to-recycle paper packaging. Oceana for several years has tried to put numbers on how much plastic Amazon is using. Oceana's analysis for 2021 found Amazon used about 709 million pounds of plastic packaging — some 355,000 tons. Amazon said it used less plastic in 2022 by expanding packaging made with recyclable paper across the US, Canada, and Europe.

Persons: —, Matt Littlejohn, Littlejohn, Oceana Organizations: Amazon, Service, Oceana Locations: Oceana, Canada, Europe, Australia

Companies Toyota Motor Corp FollowTOKYO, May 31 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said on Wednesday that information on customers in some countries in Oceana and Asia, excluding Japan, may have been left publicly accessible from October 2016 to May 2023. Toyota is investigating the issue based on the laws and regulations of each country, a company spokesperson said. Toyota did not say how many customers were affected by the incident, in which countries they are located exactly, and whether customers of its luxury Lexus brand were affected. Only part of customers' information may have been externally accessible, the company said. The company initially uncovered the incident announced this month by chance, during inspections that started on April 7, the spokesperson said.

Persons: Daniel Leussink, Tom Hogue, Jacqueline Wong, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Toyota Motor Corp, Toyota Connected Corp, Toyota, Lexus, Thomson Locations: Oceana, Asia, Japan

☆ Bird flu kills sea lions and thousands of pelicans in Peru's protected areas
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 21 (Reuters) - Bird flu has killed tens of thousands of birds, mostly pelicans, and at least 716 sea lions in protected areas across Peru, the authorities said, as the H5N1 strain spreads throughout the region. Peru recorded its first case of the virus in November in birds in the north of the country. "We have also recorded since mid-January the unusual death of many sea lions, so far we have about 716 dead sea lions in seven protected natural areas of the coast," said Roberto Gutierrez, head of surveillance of the National Service of Natural Protected Areas. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda 1 2 3 4 5In South America, bird flu cases have been detected in Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and recently in Argentina and Uruguay. In recent weeks, crews from Peru's National Forestry and Wildlife Service, in protective plastic suits, gloves and masks, have collected and buried hundreds of sea lions from several beaches along Peru's central coast.

☆ Amazon's plastic packaging was reportedly found thousands of miles away at illegal dump sites in India
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Amazon delivery packages from North America were found in illegal dump sites and mills in India. Plastic waste ends up in dump sites that emit vile odors and can pollute the air, Bloomberg reports. Amazon delivery packaging was also found mixed in with materials processed at sugar cane and paper mills in Muzaffarnagar, according to Bloomberg. Bloomberg's findings come three years after the Indian government lifted its ban on importing plastic waste due to the country's waste shortage, the India Times reported. The spokesperson also referred Insider to Amazon Second Chance, a guide for customers to understand how to recycle their Amazon packaging.

☆ Amazon used enough plastic air packets in its boxes to circle the planet 800 times in 2021, an outside group found. The company said it used far less.`
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon said its plastic packaging footprint came to 97,222 metric tons in 2021. Oceana estimated that Amazon used nearly 322,000 metric tons of plastic in 2021, more than triple what the company calculated. By Oceana's count, Amazon used 52% more plastic last year compared with 2019, the first year the group conducted its analysis. In 2021, Target, Walmart, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo each used more plastic packaging than the previous year, contributing to an overall 4.3% increase across brands and retailers. California, the largest economy in the US, passed a law in June to cut plastic packaging in the state by 25% over a decade.

☆ U.S. sets March date for Gulf of Mexico drilling auction
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 20 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Thursday said it will hold a Gulf of Mexico drilling auction in March of next year to satisfy a requirement in the government's new climate change law. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe sale would be the first Gulf of Mexico oil and gas auction mandated under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which President Joe Biden signed into law in August. Biden paused drilling auctions on federal lands and waters shortly after taking office as part of a climate change agenda. The IRA requires that BOEM now hold offshore auctions in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska that the administration canceled earlier this year. It is also in the process of finalizing a five-year proposal for offshore oil and gas development.

Note: Data for 2020 is from June 2020 through May 2021; for 2021, it is from June 2021 through May 2022. Path of Hai Feng 718 over 365 days Encounters with Chinese fishing vessels Note: Data is from June 2021 through May 2022. Transshipment allows fishing vessels to stay at sea year-round Parked side by side, carrier vessels exchange fuel, crew supplies and the catch from fishing vessels. This allows fishing ships to fish for longer periods. Fish hold where fish is transported from Fender to maintain a safe distance between ships FISHING VESSEL CARRIER VESSEL Crane to transport catch from fishing vessel to carrier vessel Fish hold where fish is transported from Fender to maintain a safe distance between ships FISHING VESSEL CARRIER VESSEL Crane to transport catch from fishing vessel to carrier vessel Transshipment between a squid fishing vessel and a cargo carrier in the North Indian Ocean last year.

☆ Retailers pull lobster from menus after 'red list' warning
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-08 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Seafood Watch, which rates the sustainability of different seafoods, said this week it has added the American and Canadian lobster fisheries to its “red list” of species to avoid. Seafood Watch assigns ratings of “best choice,” “good alternative” and “avoid” to more than 2,000 seafood items based on how sustainably they are managed. Seafood Watch assigns ratings of “best choice,” “good alternative” and “avoid” to more than 2,000 seafood items based on how sustainably they are managed. The lobster fishing industry has come under scrutiny from Seafood Watch because of the threat of entanglement in fishing gear. Members of the lobster fishing industry, which is also coping with increased federal fishing restrictions to protect the whales, pushed back against the Seafood Watch rating.

☆ Prima imagine de la nunta secretă ţinută de premierul britanic Boris Johnson şi Carrie Symonds
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-30 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +2 min

Premierul Marii Britanii, Boris Johnson, a făcut nunta în secret cu logodnica sa, Carrie Symonds, la Catedrala Westminster, din Londra, în cadrul unei ceremonii restrânse, plănuită în secret, informează BBC. De asemenea, Johnson a fost felicitat de Twitter de premierul Irlandei de Nord, Arlene Foster, și de secretarul pentru Muncă și Pensii, Therese Coffey. De asemenea, un grup de muzicieni care-și cărau instrumentele a fost văzut părăsind reședința premierului de pe Downing Street nr. Ultimul premier britanic care s-a căsătorit în timpul mandatului a fost Robert Banks Jenkinson, în 1822. Legătura lui Johnson, 56 de ani, cu Carrie Symonds, a fost observată pentru prima oară de presă la începutul anului 2019.

Persons: Marii Britanii, Boris Johnson, Carrie Symonds, Johnson, El, Arlene Foster, Therese Coffey, Robert Banks Jenkinson, Ea, Symonds, Cuplul Organizations: Catedrala Westminster, BBC, Sky News, Romano - Catolică, Partidului Conservator Locations: Londra, Irlandei de Nord, Anglia, Londrei

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