The 50 Issues

Issue #40: The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

A Wave of Destruction

Every year, 15 billion pounds of plastic are produced in the U.S., but only 1 billion are recycled. Where does the rest end up? Well, unfortunately, some of it finds its way into our oceans, where it joins plastic and trash from around the world and is swept up in currents to make its way to the trash vortex of Hawaii. The vortex is a vast collection of trash, mostly plastic, that has reached the size of Texas in proportion.

Read about the North Pacific Trash Vortex

The 5 million copy bestseller that sparked a green revolution in the 1990's is back with a new message!

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Join Forces With

partner Greenpeace has been defending our oceans, winning bans on incineration at sea, ocean dumping, and high seas drift nets for 35 years. But today our oceans are in crisis, facing threats such as factory fishing, global warming, and pollution. Join us as we work to create marine reserves from Alaska's Bering Sea to... read more


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Petition to Ban Plastic Bags
Marine Debris Factsheet

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  • Hit the Coast
    Ocean Conservancy's Annual International Cleanup is the world's largest single day volunteer effort to improve the health of the ocean and its wildlife....
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  • Paper or Plastic? Neither
    Warning: after reading this, you might never take a plastic grocery bag again. Great information from Algalita Marine Research on the perils of plastic, especially plastic grocery bags, and the environmental harm they cause—especially in our oceans.
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Environmental News

news Warning on Plastic's Toxic Threat

Plastic waste in the oceans poses a potentially devastating long-term toxic threat to the food... read more

news Santa Monica Seeks to Prohibit Plastic Bags

Santa Monica may soon join cities such as San Francisco and Oakland in banning single-use plastic... read more