along the beaches, and in the mountains of the UAE. Camels, sheep, goats and cattle, as well as the protected Arabian Onyx, the Sand Gazelles and other wildlife are dying after ingesting plastic – just like the albatross birds in the Midway Atoll.

As the images show, these animals are eating the plastic pollution left behind by visitors, travelers, dune and wadi bashers – and then choking on it, or starving to death because the plastic blocks their intestines. The pollution in the desert is already an outrage. The death of these innocent animals is inhumane, unnecessary and horrific.

His son, David, said his father has noticed an increase in the number of animal deaths due to plastic pollution. “My father took up this subject a few years ago, and since then has tirelessly advocated an awareness to stop the littering.”

The emirates are wealthy but developing nations. They have trash collection services, but the education of the population lags behind. “Most people’s attitude is “Just drop it, others are there to pick it up,”"said David. “The country as a whole has to start a major education program on this.”

These images are a heartbreaking reminder that plastic pollution is everywhere.

All images are copyright of Dr. Ulrich Wernery, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

In June, Bonnie Raitt, as part of the Green Music Challenge initiative challenged her fans to stop using plastic bottles for two weeks and invest in a BPA-free, stainless steel bottle. “Each of us can make a difference in preventing plastic pollution by refusing single-use plastics, such as plastic water bottles, and make sustainable choices when we shop”, Bonnie said.  If you liked the silver, red or black bottles from the video, you can order them here.

Jack Johnson wrote an inspiring little song, encouraging us stop being “such fancypants” and drop the plastic water bottle habit. Alongside Jack’s  video are short shout-outs for AB 1998 from our notable supporters JJ Abrams,  Fran Drescher,  The Ditty Bops, and Louie Pshihoyos, the director of “The Cove.”

Musician Ben Harper also raised his voice against single use and disposable plastic, and in support of Plastic Pollution Coalition. If you haven’t already been to his site, check it out.

And many more have spoken out and given us quotes, currently rotating on this web site.

Music, art, and performance inspires us, energizes and gives our life meaning in ways that are sometimes too mysterious to define. Art feeds our souls. And that’s why these artists are such particularly potent messengers for the truth about our world.

We are very pleased to announce that Klean Kanteen, Chico Bag and Lunchbots have joined the coalition. All three offer efficient high-quality solutions for a life without disposable plastic—reusable stainless steel water bottles, reusable bags, and stainless steel lunchboxes. These companies are visionary leaders in their fields and we are delighted to welcome them on board.

KleanKanteen offered its first stainless steel bottle in 2004—years before the general population realized the health and environmental dangers of plastic bottles. With the highest commitment to quality and fair labor practices, Klean Kanteen has remained a visionary producer of stainless steel water bottles. Thoughtfully designed to be easy to use and keep clean, the bottles are toxin-free and made of food grade stainless steel with a BPA-free cap.  Their site offers a rainbow of colors and styles but you can also find their products in lots of stores and supermarkets nationwide.

A random trip to the local landfill is what set in motion the creation of ChicoBag. Founder Andy Keller was stunned by how much of the landfill was just single use plastic bags. He realized that single use plastic bags were everywhere, and vowed to help stop this needless waste. He began his company literally sitting at a sewing machine, making the first bags himself. Now ChicoBag is a leader in a growing field, creating a variety of durable, lightweight and attractive reusable bags, many made from recycled content. All ChicoBags can fold into their own integrated pouch and come with a carabiner hook.

Packing a lunch without using plastic is a challenge no more. Lunchbots makes 100% stainless steel containers in a variety of sizes, and even has a children’s dish set. Perfect for school lunches or ‘brown bagging’ at work, the containers are made of the highest quality 18/8 stainless steel, just like KleanKanteens, and are easy to keep clean. Check out their photo gallery for attractive and appetizing ways to pack lunchbots with delicious meals.

BPA has been banned from baby bottles and children’s sippy cups in Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, Washington, Wisconsin, and Vermont, four counties in New York and the City of Chicago. Connecticut and Vermont restrict the use of BPA in baby food and infant formula. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Denmark have banned BPA in food containers for young children, and calls for bans are moving through Europe.

In California, Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has introduced legislation that would ban BPA in infant food packaging, in addition to other food and beverage containers.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the plastics industry spent over 5 million dollars attempting to kill this bill in California and describes just how difficult the fight was. More details also in the press release of PPC member, Breast Cancer Fund.

The bill will now go to the California Senate for a concurrence vote (the Senate already passed the bill last year), and then to California Governor Schwarzenegger’s desk.

RE:  AB 1998 (Brownley) Single-Use Bag Reduction Act:

Dear Senator Simitian:

We write to express our support of the Single-Use Bag Reduction Act (Assembly Bill 1998) as amended. AB 1998 is scheduled to be heard before the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.  AB 1998 would ban plastic single-use carryout bags and require and require recycled paper carryout bags be sold at supermarkets, retail pharmacies, and convenience stores throughout the state.

As founders of Plastic Pollution Coalition, we are concerned with the environmental and economic impacts of plastic bag pollution in inland and coastal communities throughout the state.  Californians use an estimated 19 billion single-use plastic bags every year.  The state spends an estimated $25 million annually to clean up and landfill these littered bags, which does not include the hundreds of millions of dollars that local governments continually spend to clean littered streets and waterways.

We can no longer recycle our way out of this problem.  Despite efforts to expand recycling programs, less than 5% of single-use plastic bags are currently being recycled. The rest of these bags end up in our landfills or as litter, clogging stormdrain systems, and making their way to our waterways and ocean.  It is estimated that 60–80% of all marine debris, and 90% of floating debris is plastic. Plastic lasts for hundreds of years in our environment and may never biodegrade in the ocean.  As a result, it poses a persistent threat to wildlife.  Over 267 species worldwide have been impacted by plastic litter, including plastic bags.

Paper bags are not a viable alternative to plastic bags.  Paper bag production contributes to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and waterborne wastes from the pulping and paper making process.  Even compostable plastic bags made of plant-based sources have not proven to degrade in the ocean. Instead, they require industrial composting facilities, and only a small number of cities currently support the infrastructure to collect and dispose of compostable bags properly.

San Francisco, Malibu, Fairfax, and Palo Alto have banned plastic bags and at least 20 more cities in California are considering this approach.  Rather than taking a piecemeal city-by-city approach, AB 1998 will create one uniform policy for addressing all types of single-use bags to encourage consumers to use reusable bags, the most sustainable alternative.

California has a critical role to play in becoming a true leader in eliminating plastic bag waste and preventing the proliferation of plastic pollution in our communities.  The passage of AB 1998 will be a major step in breaking our addiction to single-use bags.

Sincerely,

Daniella Russo (Co-founder and Executive Director), Lisa Kaas Boyle (cofounder), Dianna Cohen (cofounder), Manuel Maqueda (cofounder)

Date and time: June 30, 7 pm.

Location: MULÉH, 1831 14th St, NW, Washington, DC 20009

Donation levels: Platinum $500; Gold $250; Silver $100; Bronze $50

Donations taken at the door or online.

RSVP by June 28, 2010 to rsvp@plasticpollutioncoalition.org or 202.997.8400.

Host committee:

ROSHANAK AMELI-TEHRANI & MICHAEL MATEER
JODY ARLINGTON
AMI ARONSON
NICOLE BOXER
LEE BRENNER
DIANNA COHEN & JACKSON BROWNE
JULIA COHEN & NEIL BARRETT
SACHA COHEN
KATE DAMON
NUNU DENG
KATHY FLETCHER
JULEANNA GLOVER
RHON HAYES
NOLA KAMBANDA
BRUCE KEILOCH
BRIAN KOMAR
NORA MACCOBY
CHRISTOPHER REITER
NICOLE RODGERS
ERDAL SARPER
MICHAEL SHANK
KIMBALL STROUD
VIJAY K SWAMY
MELISSA TORRES
BRIAN WOLFF

Following his performance at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA on Sunday September 12, Jackson Browne will attend a reception to benefit the Plastic Pollution Coalition.

There are a limited number tickets which  include great seats for the Jackson Browne with David Lindley concert and the private aftershow reception.

The benefit tickets are partially tax-deductible.  To purchase tickets or for more information, visit our partner, the Guacamole Fund.

“There is no such thing as a free plastic bag. Every time you get a plastic bag at the grocery store, that cost is included in the price of your groceries,” said Lisa Boyle, co-founder of the Plastic Pollution Coalition. “It’s a cost we can no longer afford.”
Right now, when people buy food, the cost of bags is embedded in the price of food. We pay about 2-5 cents for plastic bags and 5-23 cents for paper bags.  Based upon average bag usage, the City of San Francisco Department of the Environment estimates costs of about $18-$30 per a year per person.

Then, we pay to clean the mess caused by these same bags.  Statewide, about $375M is spent each year to clean and landfill discarded bags. This is money that should be going to vital citizen services (and jobs) instead.

In many countries around the world people shop without single use plastic bags: all of China, parts of Africa (the bags were too great for inland blight, and clogged water pumps), part of Australia, Mexico City, parts of India, etc. 25% of the world’s population lives in a place where there are no single use bags.

Sadly,  lower income people in every country are the ones most affected by the inland urban blight caused by blow-away single use bags.

And finally, please note: the bill has a provision for free reusable bags to lower income people and a gradual ramp up to allow for time to save bags.

A ban on single use plastic bags will save everyone money.

Join the movement and take the (S.U.P.E.R) HERO PLEDGE today!