The inside story of ‘the largest conservation agreement in the history of the world’ & more environmental news.

[View this email in your browser]( Thursday, March 9, 2023 “Far and away, the greatest threat to the ocean, and thus to ourselves, is ignorance. But we can do something about that.” — Sylvia Earle The Inside Story of ‘the Largest Conservation Agreement in the History of the World’ On Saturday, March 4, world leaders finally agreed on a treaty to protect the [high seas](. The accord reached by the [Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction]( establishes a mechanism for sharing the benefits of scientific discoveries from [marine life]( enforces environmental impact assessments for new human activities in international waters and makes it possible to create protected areas in the open ocean. [Read More]( Related: [UN Treaty to Protect High Seas Finally Negotiated After More Than a Decade of Talks]( ‘Unprecedented Levels’ of Plastics Entered World’s Oceans After 2005, Study Finds The amount of [plastic]( floating in the world’s oceans rose by an “unprecedented” degree over the last decade and a half to reach more than 170 trillion plastic particles in 2019. That’s the shocking finding of a new study from scientists at the [5 Gyres Institute]( the University of California, Riverside, the Stockholm Resilience Center and an international host of academic and environmental research organizations. The [research]( published in the open access journal PLOS ONE Wednesday, presents another datapoint in favor of a robust [UN treaty to reduce plastic pollution](. [Read More]( Related: [Ocean Plastic: What You Need to Know]( Non-Native Plants Outnumber Native Plants in UK and Ireland, 20-Year Study Finds A major 20-year-long study has revealed devastating impacts on native plants in UK and Ireland from climate change and agricultural activities. The findings show that native plants are now outnumbered by non-native species. [Read More]( Related: [Loss of Birds and Mammals Makes It Harder for Plants to Adapt to Climate Change]( 99% of People Breathe Dangerous Particulate Matter, Study Finds Only 0.001 percent of the world’s population breathed in air considered safe by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2019. That’s the conclusion of a first-of-its-kind study published in The Lancet Planetary Health Monday that used a combination of air quality data and machine learning techniques to assess global concentrations of [particulate matter (PM)2.5]( between 2000 and 2019. [Read More]( Related: [Check Mate: Air Pollution Can Harm the Thinking of Even the Best Chess Players]( Collagen Craze Linked to Deforestation in Brazil, Investigation Reveals From supplements to skin care, collagen has been buzzing in the wellness world. But this popular ingredient is linked to the [deforestation]( of tropical forests in Brazil, according to a recent investigation. [Read More]( Related: [Deforestation 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 © 2023 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](