
Plastic Pollution@SEA: National Academy of Sciences Releases a Congressionally Mandated Report
December 2, 2021
Dr. Kara Lavender Law, Research Professor of Oceanography at Sea Education Association, is a co-author and committee member of The National Academies of Sciences' report "Reckoning with the U.S. Role in Global Ocean Plastic Waste." The report, requested by congress as part of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, outlines the United State's contribution to global ocean plastic waste and its role in addressing the issue.
The report recommends the U.S. establish a comprehensive federal policy and research strategy to reduce its contribution of plastic waste to the environment and ocean. This strategy should be developed by a group of experts by Dec. 31, 2022 and implementation should be assessed by Dec. 31, 2025.
“We suggest that one way to reduce plastic waste would be to make less plastic,” said Dr. Lavender Law. “Recycling cannot manage the vast majority of the plastic waste that we generate.” The panel provided a menu of potential ways to fix the plastics problem, starting with “national goals and strategies to cap or reduce virgin plastic production.”
“This report is a sobering reminder of the scale of this problem,” Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), said in a statement. “The research and findings compiled here by our best scientists will serve as a springboard to our future legislative efforts to tackle this entirely solvable environmental challenge and better protect our marine ecosystems, fisheries, and coastal economies.”
More about the report and its finding at:
- NPR: 2 minute listen. Report says fixing plastics' pollution in the oceans requires a new approach.
- Washington Post: U.S. is top contributor to plastic waste, report shows. Scientists reveal the U.S. role in the ‘deluge’ of plastic littering the world’s oceans in a congressionally mandated report.
- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine
Law will also participate in a webinar to review the state of the science and research gaps related to plastics and microplastics in food and water. Invited speakers will discuss the state of the science, discuss human health impacts, policy and regulatory implications, and consumer risk perceptions of microplastics in food and water. Register for the December 8, 2021 webinar at the Academies’ website.
SEA scientists, crew and students have spent decades collecting floating microplastics in plankton nets, "The data," Dr. Lavender Law says, "has been invaluable in detecting and describing the scope of the problem, and also provides a baseline to evaluate changes in time."
We encourage students interested in learning more about plastics research to look at our Summer 2022 "Ocean Exploration: Plastics Expedition" - a six week credited program for undergraduates interested in gaining a better understanding of the world's oceans through hands-on research and personal experience.
Contact: Douglas Karlson, Director of Communications, 508-444-1918 | dkarlson@sea.edu | www.sea.edu
Share This Story
Recent News
SEA Names Recipents of Navigational Star Awards
Sea Education Association is pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural Navigational Star Awards. These awards recognize individuals [...]
Dr. Jeff Schell Receives Henry L. and Grace Doherty Chair of Ocean Studies
SEA Professor of Oceanography Jeff Schell has been named the inaugural recipient of the Henry L. and Grace Doherty [...]
Students Research Biodiversity in Sargasso Sea
For Immediate Release, Woods Hole, MA, April 11, 2022 This spring, students from colleges and universities around the country are sailing [...]
SEA President Peg Brandon Announces Upcoming Departure
After more than eight years at the helm of Sea Education Association (SEA), President Peg Brandon has announced that [...]
Colgate Student Studies Climate Change in Hawaiian Voyage
SEA in the NEWS Skyler Bertrand ’23 Studies Climate Change on Voyage Through Hawaiian Islands Colgate University News March [...]
St. Michael’s College Student Discusses Reef Ecology on WDEV Radio
SEA in the NEWS Vermont Viewpoint with Ric Cengeri WDEV Radio St. Michael's College student Nadia Racz recently discussed [...]