Coastal Blog
May 2012
May 31 2012
Texas Open Beaches Act Takes a Hit
On March 30, 2012, the Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of private property rights over the public beach access rights of the people of Texas. Surfrider Foundation Texas Chapters have pledged to resurge support to strengthen the state's beach access law.
May 30 2012
Illinois Call To Action - Prevent A Bad Bag Bill
June 4th Update: IL SB 3442 bill thinly passed the House and State Senate so it now sits on the Governor's desk for final approval or veto. Ask Governor Quinn to veto this horrible bill by signing our action alert TODAY!
May 23 2012
LA and SB Move Forward with Plastic Bag Bans!
The Los Angeles and Santa Barbara City Councils each voted this week to move forward with plans to ban plastic checkout bags at grocery stores, convenience stores and similar retailers within each of their respective city limits. Both cities have held a series of public hearings on the issue and…
May 22 2012
Does Recycling Increase Consumption?
The world marvels at how much Americans consume, whether if it's a disproportionate share of world energy, lots of fresh water in our daily lives or throwing away over four pounds of trash per person per day. A recent study shows how providing recycling bins can lead to an increase…
May 18 2012
Give A Hoot: Replace NPK With OWL
Ocean Friendly Gardens Basic Class
What's in a typical bag of fertilizer at the neighborhood nursery? More than you thought - and not what you hoped for. What is the Ocean Friendly Garden approach to building soil health, the foundation of an OFG?
May 18 2012
West is Best: Relocation of the Malibu Lagoon Inlet
Given that this system is already highly managed, we are advocating for additional management of the location of the inlet breach. Our goal is to establish a management plan for inlet relocation so that inlet breach is mechanically moved to the West.
May 17 2012
How Big is the Floating Island of Plastic in the Pacific?
That's a trick question because there is no floating 'island' of plastic pollution but researchers recently released a study showing that plastic in the ocean has increased 100-fold in the past 40 years. Yes, that's correct. Plastic pollution did not double or triple during that time, it increased by a…
May 14 2012
Ventura Chapter Teams With City For Ocean Friendly Gardens Program Series
Slightly overcast weather - perfect for working - greeted 30+ volunteers at an OFG Workday. The Workday was the next step in the OFG Series,
May 14 2012
Hawaii Becomes the First State in the U.S. to Ban Plastic Bags!
When the Mayor of Honolulu signed into law the plastic bag ban on May 11, Hawaii became the first state in the nation where every county is covered by a plastic bag ban. This was not done by the state legislature, but instead by all four County Councils - a…
May 14 2012
Will your reusable bag make you sick?
Nope – but any inanimate object could potentially carry a virus, germs, bacteria or mold. A recent report from Oregon documented norovirus virus was transferred on a bag of groceries that was being kept in a hotel bathroom. The report stressed that the carrier could be any inanimate object or…
May 10 2012
Atlantic Coast: Seismic Surveys Proposed for Energy Exploration
The federal government has proposed seismic surveys off the South and Mid-Atlantic coasts to assess potential oil & gas resources. Check out our Not the Answer page for information on how to take action by the May 30 comment deadline!
May 07 2012
Ma’alaea Saved
Coastal Preservation Shoreline Armoring Ocean Ecosystems Surf Protection
Environmental campaigns are most often marathons, not sprints. You have to be prepared to be in it for the long haul. An extreme example of this is our Save Ma'alaea campaign, which has extended for over 20 years. Ma'alaea, on the island of Maui, is home to a small boat…
May 07 2012
Why I Support the National Ocean Policy (And You Should Too)
Despite a lack of support from congress, the National Ocean Policy is taking hold in states and regions across the country. It's now time for the federal government to match the efforts being made on the ground.
May 02 2012
Another Beachfill Botched!
Coastal Preservation Beach Dredge & Fill
In trying to remedy one problem of beachfill, steep and dangerous beaches, the Army Corps has created another problem; a beach full of rocks in Cape May, NJ.
