56 companies responsible for half of global plastic pollution that researchers could trace & more environmental news.

[View this email in your browser]( Friday, April 26, 2024 "Not only are plastics polluting our oceans and waterways and killing marine life – it's in all of us and we can't escape consuming plastics." — Marco Lambertini [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [X]( 56 Companies Responsible for Half of Global Plastic Pollution That Researchers Could Trace A new study on plastic pollution in 84 countries has linked half of branded plastic pollution to only 56 firms, with about 24% of the branded plastic waste analyzed connected to only five companies, including The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Danone and Altria. [Read More]( Related: [Plastics Producers Lied to the Public About Recycling Being Feasible, Report Reveals]( Climate Damage Costs Could Total $38 Trillion per Year by 2050, Study Finds [Climate change]( damage worldwide will cost approximately $38 trillion annually by 2050, according to a new [study]( by Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). The impacts will be felt all over the world, but will most affect countries that have contributed the least to the [climate crisis](. [Read More]( Related: [Climate-Related Damage Costs $16 Million per Hour on Average Globally, New Study Estimates]( Microplastic Levels in Seabed Creatures Depend on Feeding Patterns and Location, Study Finds A new [study]( led by scientists from the University of Exeter has found that the risk of [seabed creatures]( being exposed to [plastics]( depends on how they feed and interact with their environment, rather than simply reflecting [pollution levels]( in their local area. [Read More]( Related: [High Levels of PFAA (Subgroup of PFAS) Found in Sea Spray]( ‘It’s Got to Be a Fight’: Author Adam Welz on Surviving Climate Breakdown and Saving Species of a ‘Tarnished Eden’ Adam Welz’s [The End of Eden]( is an extraordinary document of a planet under stress. Taking a deep dive into the scientific history of our planet, Welz brings the research into the moment by exploring how species around the world are being forever altered or eliminated, in ways that few people are aware. EcoWatch spoke with Welz from his home in South Africa, where he’s busy working on a book about the history and future of nature conservation. [Read More]( Related: [New PBS Documentary Focuses on a More Hopeful Future]( Endangered Species 101: Everything You Need to Know To understand what “endangered species” means, it’s important to unpack the [Endangered Species Act]( (ESA), which followed the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, the first piece of federal endangered species legislation. Enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1973, the ESA states that the federal government has a [responsibility to protect endangered and threatened species](. They must also protect the areas or regions necessary for the survival of the threatened species, called “critical habitats.” The ESA set forth definitions of both “endangered” and “threatened” species. As stated in the Act, endangered species are “any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range,” and threatened species are “any species which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.” Species in both categories are called “listed species,” and can become “delisted” if they are no longer endangered or threatened. It’s important to note that species can be listed as endangered at the state, federal and international level. They are managed under the ESA if they are listed at the federal level, but many states have their own versions of endangered species laws too. [Read More]( Related: [Overfishing 101: Everything You Need to Know]( Do you get this newsletter daily? If not, [sign up here]( or forward to a friend. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2024 EcoWatch, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up for EcoWatch Top News of The Day Our mailing address is: EcoWatch 1122 Oberlin RoadRaleigh, NC 27605 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](