The Chef Andrew Scholar Program is a paid internship for college students based in South Florida who are passionate about empowering their community to go zero-waste through outreach, education, and advocacy.

When I first transferred to the University of Miami during my sophomore year, I felt completely out of place. I had left behind the comfort of my previous school and stepped into a new city where I didn’t know a single person. Miami was vibrant and full of life, but I found it difficult to connect and struggled to build meaningful friendships. I wanted more than just to attend classes and pass exams—I wanted to feel like I belonged. I craved a sense of community, a way to get involved, and a deeper connection to the city I now called home. That search led me to Debris Free Oceans.

Joining DFO as a Chef Andrew Scholar completely changed my perspective on Miami. It wasn’t just an internship—it was the gateway to a community that quickly started to feel like family. I found people who cared about the same things I did and shared a passion for protecting our environment. I also found a space to grow both professionally and academically. Through my time with DFO, I learned about the scale of plastic pollution, what it means to live a truly zero-waste lifestyle, and how even small, local actions can contribute to global change.

More than anything, I discovered the power of community. Through beach cleanups, educational events, and day-to-day interactions, I saw how much can be accomplished when people come together with a shared purpose. I learned to speak publicly with confidence, to network at events with ease, and to communicate the importance of environmental action in a way that resonates with others. I also began to see the value in staying informed— understanding the science, keeping up with research, and using knowledge to guide our impact.

Now, when I walk through Miami, I no longer feel like an outsider. I see the neighborhoods we’ve cleaned, the people we’ve inspired, and the lasting connections we’ve built. I see a city that I’ve grown to love and a purpose that continues to guide me forward. My time as a Chef Andrew Scholar with Debris Free Oceans has helped shape my academic path, deepen my passion for sustainability, and most importantly, helped me find my place in this community. I am incredibly grateful and indebted to Amanda, Maddie, and Caiti for believing in me and helping me grow into the person I am today.

The Chef Andrew Scholar Program is a paid internship for college students based in South Florida who are passionate about empowering their community to go zero waste through education and outreach.

As I reflect on my journey as a Chef Andrew Scholar with Debris Free Oceans (DFO), many great things come to mind. As a curious and active individual, I have been able to learn and put my knowledge into practice through educational talks, beach and land cleanups, tabling events, and policy engagement activities.

When I began my training in August 2023, learning about microplastics and their effects on our environment and health was overwhelming. I was also concerned about how the educational talks would go since English is not my first language, and I had been in the country for only two years. However, this did not stop me from engaging with the material and, more importantly, transmitting this valuable information to my community. I became more confident with public speaking, and I am grateful to the DFO team for pushing me out of my comfort zone. I had never imagined myself leading cleanups with almost 150 students and having a successful day, but through DFO, I experienced it.

These ten months with DFO not only allowed me to raise awareness about the impact of plastic pollution in our communities but also helped me become a Miamian. I learned from my community, discovered places I had never been to before, and had the chance to meet incredible people.

I am grateful for the opportunity to advocate for our environment through this internship and for the amazing memories I created during this time. I want to recognize the role of the DFO staff in this fantastic experience. Thanks Bonnie, Bethany, Maddie, Caiti, and Amanda for all your support and guidance.

It’s time to organize and advocate! The Florida State Legislature is in session, and there are several important bills on the table that could redirect power to our local governments. This is particularly beneficial for plastic waste mitigation and management because local officials can fashion policies that are more relevant to our unique local contexts.

The 2021 Florida Legislative Session began on March 2nd, and it is scheduled to end on April 30th. During this time, state-level House and Senate members meet with their issue-specific committees to discuss bills. Legislators decide which bills will be put on their committee meeting agendas based on how important they determine the different issue areas to be for their constituencies. When residents don’t express their interest in a bill, it’s unlikely to make it very far in the legislative process. There’s a chance that any bill won’t be heard, so potentially beneficial proposals may miss their chance to become state law.

This month, some members of the Debris Free Oceans team logged onto Zoom with hundreds of fellow Floridians to express our support for two plastic-related bills:

One of the biggest obstacles that plastic-free advocates face are preemptions. These laws essentially block local governments from prohibiting the use of certain single-use plastic products. HB 6027/SB 594 Preemption of Recyclable and Polystyrene Materials would repeal the existing preemptions on plastic bags, plastic containers, and polystyrene foam.

→ In 2008, lawmakers passed a bill prohibiting local governments from regulating plastic bags until the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) issued recommendations. In 2010, the FDEP completed a detailed report on strategies to discourage the use of single-use plastic bags, but the Legislature still hasn’t acted on those findings.

→ In 2016, lawmakers passed a bill to preempt local regulation of polystyrene foam in food-service-ware. Polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam, is a petroleum-based plastic material commonly used in single-use take-out containers. It is rarely recycled properly, often shows up as litter in our communities, and never biodegrades.

If you’ve been wondering why plastic straws are such a common target for local bans, meanwhile there isn’t as much regulation addressing bags, bottles, or take-out-ware … It’s largely because of these preemptions! If HB 6027/SB 594 were passed, you could expect to see more city and county-level actions taken to manage plastic pollution and reduce non-essential plastic consumption.

It’s important to know that banning non-essential single-use plastics isn’t something we’d be doing on our own. To-date, 127 countries, 400 U.S. cities, and eight states have banned single-use plastic bags (which each affect more producers and consumers at a time than individual city or county-level actions). In the U.S. there’s been some variability in the efficacy of bag bans based on how they are implemented, what alternatives are offered, and what other legislation accompanies the bans. Removing Florida’s preemptions on local regulation is an important first step for local leadership to start addressing the ways that plastic consumption and pollution affect their residents. Our municipalities will likely take action based on local interests, but they can also learn lots from successful policy bundles and programs in other jurisdictions.

The second bill we are supporting is HB 1563/SB 1348 Auxiliary Containers, Wrappings, and Disposable Plastic Bags Used by Retail Establishments. This directs the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to update its plastic bag report and requires the Legislature to act upon the findings of this new study.

As we’ve seen in the recent past, public participation and pressure will be critical to ensure that plastic pollution prevention is prioritized by our state lawmakers.

Ready to take action? Plastic Free Florida has loads of action items, resources, and information about these bills! I encourage you to browse their site and use the tools to build a relationship with your legislators.

Find your FL state representative here.             Find your FL state senator here.

You can start with a simple email, phone call, or Zoom meeting. Plastic Free Florida has some sample scripts and prompts to streamline the process, but we encourage you to put your own personal spin on the contents.

Phone calls have been proven extremely effective, and video calls are a great way to forge a more personal, face-to-face connection with your representative(s). Access to digital communication is a major advantage for advocates; neither type of call takes up too much time from your schedule or theirs. Make the most of that privilege, and be sure to encourage your colleagues and neighbors to do the same! Legislators are elected to represent our communities, and they’ll certainly benefit from hearing about what we’ve all experienced and hope for the future of our Sunshine State.

Throughout their noxious life cycle, petrochemical products used to make household plastics inflict persistent harms on human health and the environment. It’s becoming very clear that we need to break free from plastic, so what’s stopping us?

“Research shows that knowledge isn’t the only thing that will change behavior. You usually need much more,” according to Caitie Nigrelli, an environmental social scientist at Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant.

Plastics are nearly impossible to avoid, so for those of us strapped for time or cash plastic-free living can easily seem unrealistic. That’s one of the main motivations behind Debris Free Oceans’ Sustainability Consultation program! Individuals, groups, and businesses at all levels need effective and accessible alternatives to successfully phase-out a material that is so embedded in our lives. DFO provides consultation services, free of cost, to facilitate local businesses’ transition away from single-use plastics and towards more sustainable alternatives.

The program was initially developed as a means to assist businesses because, just as the responsibility for addressing this crisis does not all fall on consumers, many small businesses lack the capacity to align their purchasing policies with their values. DFO’s sustainable business consultations are individually tailored to make that connection a reality! In turn, businesses are equipped to contribute to the health and well-being of their communities into their long and fruitful future.

While businesses may reach out to DFO when seeking consultation services, our team often initiates contact with the leadership teams of local ventures that would benefit from this program. Buyers with the ability to use their purchasing power are seeking out more plastic-free alternatives by the day, and businesses need to be ready to play their part!

According to a recent survey of consumers from the US & UK by Globalwebindex:

• More than half of the participants said they’ve started making a conscious choice to use less disposable plastic in the last year.
• 42% of consumers said that recycled and/or sustainable packaging materials are important in their day-to-day shopping.
• In only seven years, the percentage of consumers who are willing to pay more for these alternatives has grown from 47 to 59%.

That said, avoiding plastics is no easy feat for buyers or businesses. There are a host of distracting and misleading products promoted as alternatives. In reality, many of these “greenwashed” materials are still contributing to economic, social, and environmental damages. Ethical small businesses often have the right intentions of creating positive social impact, but are forced to dodge the misinformation that’s out in the markets.

“It’s basically when organizations succumb to the temptation to present a different image from what’s really there,” according to Renee Lertzman, Ph.D., Project Inside Out founder and a psychologist who specializes in the mental toll of climate change. “It’s a particular image or facade that purports to be in alignment with sustainability and climate issues—but it’s not the real deal.”

DFO is proud to play a role in making compostable and reusable products more easily accessible through our virtual tools and one-on-one consultations. Be sure to check out the “Sustainable Business” drop-down menu to browse some of our suggested responsible products, submit your favorite plastic free-alternatives, and plug n’ chug metrics for a quick calculation of how much you could save by swapping reusables for plastics.

At the end of the day, the economic burdens associated with phasing-out plastics should not fall on any one small business or organization. In order for alternatives to truly be more accessible, we need systemic change. DFO targets businesses that are more likely to need cost-free consultation services in order to make the switch, and our work isn’t possible without the support of city and county governments.

“Business practices closely intersect with standards set by law and policy, which is ultimately a reflection of society’s shared values.” – Caiti Waks, Co-Founder and Director of Debris Free Oceans

The public sector (including different levels of government and policy-making bodies) plays an important role in making sustainable business practices more accessible. DFO’s team is proud to be working alongside the City of Miami Beach as they pave the way for municipalities to play an active role in this transition through their #PlasticFreeMB initiative!

In 2019, the DFO team worked with the City of Miami Beach to launch the #PlasticFreeMB Program, which recognizes businesses as they voluntarily progress along a spectrum of plastic-free practices:

• Level 1 Businesses, such as Surfcomber Hotel or Buenos Aires Bakery & Cafe, have phased out plastic straws or plastic bags.
• Level 2 Businesses, such as Ben & Jerry’s or David’s Café Cafecito, have phased out plastic straws, plastic bags, and one of the following eligible items.
• Level 3 Businesses, such as Biscayne Cowboys or the Miami Beach Convention Center, have eliminated all single-use plastic utensils, stirrers, straws, take-out containers, coffee cups, lids, and bags and/or switched over to 100% reusable products.

The timeline of developing, implementing, and enforcing local ordinances is often slow to create change, but this voluntary business recognition program has already created a ripple of positive impact through the promotion of sustainable business practices. In addition to promotional support and access to interactive consultation resources, the #PlasticFreeMB Program includes a unique educational component in which DFO will be working with schools to reach at least three hundred students and leading three community workshops for adults and businesses to learn more about their role in mitigating the plastic pollution crisis. This will be a critical component for the collective shift in purchasing policies and consumer preferences in the City of Miami Beach. We can only truly begin to create change once we achieve a strong shared understanding of the challenges at hand.

Just as each business consultation is unique, so are our partnerships with municipalities. The City of Miami Beach and the DFO team are currently in the process of growing our capacity to extend these working partnerships to more cities and businesses. The City of Miami Beach distributes their #PlasticFreeMB marketing package to cities interested in replicating the program and DFO provides the tools and consultation services to bring the transition to life. During the Summer of 2020, the City of North Bay Village joined in to launch #PlasticFreeNBV!

For more information about our business consultation services, visit our Sustainable Business page. To connect with our team regarding partnerships or the forthcoming Plastic Free Cities initiative, email hello@debrisfreeoceans.org!

Plastic is problematic from cradle to grave: all stages of the life cycle of plastics release pollution and create physical hazards that plague frontline communities with chronic illnesses, negatively impact local economies, and contribute to the decline of our natural environment. Our dependence on plastics for day-to-day tasks has become a characteristic of the modern industrial era, and it may be difficult to imagine a world without so much waste.

That’s why Debris Free Oceans has recently endorsed the #PlasticFreePresident campaign to amplify demands that can help our country to begin the large-scale transition to a circular economy. A circular economy is an economic system that eliminates waste by keeping products and materials in use through innovative design and technology. 

We can transform our extractive, throwaway economy to a regenerative, inclusive one that’s good for our environment and creates quality job opportunities. We need to stop plastic pollution at its source while improving our waste-management systems, developing new business models, phasing out the worst plastic offenders, and shifting to reusable non-plastic alternatives. The federal government needs to be a catalyst for innovation!

Our sustained civic action and participation in the 2020 general election have led to a moment where this type of change is within reach. We’ve elected a President and Vice President who prioritize environmental justice, environmental stewardship, and economic growth through a sustainable economic system. Once in office, President-elect Joe Biden can take action on the following eight demands without Congressional approval. While some have the potential to catalyze immediate changes, others are longer-term measures that will require consensus at all levels of government and consistency from the general public to be most effective.

The #PlasticFreePresident campaign is advancing the following 8 actions for advocates to promote for President-Elect Biden and his administration:

1. Use the purchasing power of the federal government to eliminate single-use plastic items and replace them with reusable products.

There is a long history of consumer activism in the United States (suggested read: Buying Power by Lawrence B. Glickman). The concept of buying or purchasing power refers to the potential for collective shifts in spending patterns to determine the trajectory of the markets. When it comes to plastics, this would look like diverting our hard-earned dollars from low-quality plastic items and favoring longer-lasting, plastic-free reusables. When sufficient consumers make this change, our preferences are amplified and clearer to producers. Companies selling more sustainable products should succeed, and overtime increased demand for their products enables them to scale their operations and reach more consumers. Meanwhile low-quality plastic producers are forced to assimilate more sustainable alternatives or risk suffering losses. This is an indirect way that market forces can change production and consumption norms over the long-term.

The federal government is the single largest purchaser of goods and services in the United States, spending more than $450 billion on products and services each year. That means the government is likely the country’s largest consumer of disposable plastic products.

By reforming their purchasing practices, the federal government could greatly reduce the footprint of plastic waste and bolster demand for plastic-free and reusable goods.

2. Suspend and deny permits for new or expanded plastic production facilities, associated infrastructure projects, and exports.

When we think about the negative effects of plastic production, it’s easy to focus on the end of the plastic life cycle: its contribution to our global waste footprint and potential to end up as marine pollution. However, it is just as important to recognize that every piece of plastic is derived from fossil fuels and emits excess greenhouse gases throughout each phase of its life cycle (suggested read: Plastic & Climate: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet).

In the next 10 years, the petrochemical industry is projected to increase plastics production by at least 35 percent. This includes over 300 new projects slated for territories within the United States. New and expanded facilities produce raw material for single-use plastics using fossil fuels. Because plastics are made from crude oil or fracked natural gas, these bans would curb the impacts of plastic pollution and the climate crisis simultaneously.

3. Make corporate polluters pay and reject false solutions.

Plastic producers must be held accountable for the social, financial, and ecological damage they are causing. The President can hold corporations accountable by supporting legislation such as the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act; calling for investigations on plastic producers, transporters, and manufacturers; and imposing more stringent regulation to minimize disinformation about recycling and product sustainability.

Additionally, the Biden administration can minimize greenwashed, false solutions to the plastic pollution crisis by rejecting funding for projects that ultimately worsen the scope and scale of environmental injustices. Some of these false solutions heavily marketed by the petrochemical industry include: chemical recycling, waste-to-fuel, waste-to-energy, incineration, gasification, pyrolysis, and plasma arc.

4. Advance environmental justice in petrochemical corridors.

Plastic production and refining facilities are often sited near fossil fuel infrastructure. In the United States, these clusters marginalize low-income and racial and ethnic minority communities in the Gulf Coast, Appalachia, and the Ohio River Valley (to name a few).

Fenceline communities are most directly impacted by the air, land, and water pollution released throughout the production of plastics. The #PlasticFreePresident campaign demands that executive agencies conduct their responsibilities transparently and facilitate spaces for historically excluded individuals living in fenceline communities to contribute meaningfully in petrochemical permitting decisions.

In order to advance a transition away from the petrochemical and fossil fuel industries, executive actions will be critical. The President can direct federal agencies to collect more data on environmental quality and the health of affected communities, develop mechanisms to increase investment in their local economies, and call for investigations on violations of their rights to sovereignty, dignity, and quality of life.

5. Update existing federal regulations to curtail pollution from plastics facilities by using the best available science and technology.

The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to protect human health and the environment. This federal agency is required to ensure that our nation’s air, water, land, wildlife and human life are not harmed by industry activities. However, the EPA is not as effective in curbing the effects of advancing industrial processes when its standards are not updated. Public health and the natural environment are increasingly harmed by their reliance on standards that are growing decades old. The President has an important responsibility to direct the EPA to update its performance standards, regulatory guidelines, and research agenda.

6. Stop subsidizing plastic producers.

For most of our nation’s history, the federal government has subsidized the fossil fuel industry. In 2020, the United States provided more unconditional financial support to the fossil fuel sector than any other G20 country has provided to all energy sectors combined (suggested read: The Climate Transparency Report 2020). It’s time to stop the flow of federal funds to the petrochemical industry and the fossil fuel industry (which supplies the inputs for plastic production). These funds can be redirected to advance innovation in sustainable waste management and support the growth of reusable plastic-free alternatives.

7. Join international efforts to address the global plastic pollution crisis through new and strengthened multilateral agreements.

The United States’ extractive and wasteful economy does not exist in a bubble. Our actions have a direct effect on the global economy and an indirect effect on the decisions made by other countries. For many years, the United States has been counterproductive in others’ efforts to address the global plastic crisis. It is time for the U.S. to become an active champion of circular economics, encourage our allies to address the global plastic crisis, and begin targeting global patterns of production, consumption, and disposal. This can be achieved by forging legally-binding agreements with other major players in the production and waste management of plastics. Cooperative action can be a powerful agent in bringing justice to the low-to-middle income groups that have been marginalized by the life cycle of plastics beyond our borders.

8. Reduce and mitigate the impacts of discarded and lost fishing gear.

Some of the most dangerous hazards posed by marine debris come from lost or discarded fishing gear in the open ocean. This includes gill nets, traps, and heavy metal equipment that change the biochemical composition of the marine environment, entangle and kill marine organisms, impede navigation, introduce toxic chemicals into the food web, and impose massive cleanup costs for coastal communities. The President can work with other federal agencies to mandate more stringent reporting, monitoring, and retrieval projects to recover lost materials. There are many unique, innovative solutions that can be employed generate new products from the materials that are recovered. One example is Netplus, an alternative to virgin fibers that’s made of recovered fishing nets. They’ve worked with 50 fisheries in South America and collected over 2.6 million pounds of discarded material to date!

In 2021, we will urge President Biden to take these actions during his first year in office so that we may collectively build a safer, healthier, and more equitable society. We urge you to learn more about the power of having an actively plastic-free president and join us in this advocacy throughout the coming year!

It’s election season! The COVID-19 pandemic has created unfamiliar, new circumstances for even the most experienced voters to navigate this year. This blog post breaks-down the upcoming phases of the electoral process to make our roles as voters and advocates as clear as possible.

First things first, let’s run through the timeline.

August 18th, 2020 is the primary election date for the State of Florida. In simple terms, you can consider this the “first round” that narrows the field of candidates for offices specific to your district. For the primary election, it is in your best interest to have a declared political party in your voter registration. This is because Florida is a closed primary state where only members of political parties get to vote in the partisan races, such as for congressional seats. There are also very important non-partisan races that we vote on in the primaries, such as county judges or mayor.

Throughout Miami-Dade County, ballots will differ based on the district that you are a registered resident of. You may see candidates for county mayor, county commissioners, school board member seats, state attorney, property appraiser, state legislators, county judges, and party committee persons (among others).

You can register for the first time or update an existing registration any time before the deadline: July 20th, 2020.

November 3rd, 2020 is the general election for all US states. In simple terms, you can consider this the “final round” in which voters make their final choice from the party nominees and independent candidates running for the presidency and other offices specific to your district.

You can register for the first time or update an existing registration any time before the deadline: October 5th, 2020.

As early as you can in the election season, it’s important to (1) if you are a first time voter, register or (2) if you have voted in the past, verify and update your registration. If you will be living at a different address during the different elections, it will be especially important to update your registration before the deadlines.

To minimize the spread of COVID-19, all Florida voters can request to vote by mail in the upcoming elections. Fortunately, requesting to vote from home with an absentee ballot does not require an excuse in most states.

All Florida residents can successfully request a vote-by-mail ballot by following these 3 steps:

1. Visit https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/supervisors/
2. Select your county for the Supervisors of Elections’ contact info.
3. Request a vote-by-mail ballot via the application on their website; or by email, fax, mail, telephone call, or in-person meeting.

It is recommended that you do this at least 10 days before the date of the election. For example, you would be on the right track if you’ve requested a mail-in ballot before August 8th for the primary election on August 18th. This is because we want to be mindful of delays in the time it takes for the request to be received, ballot to be mailed, completed, and returned. I strongly encourage you to submit this request sooner rather than later!

Once you receive a vote-by mail ballot, you can complete it on your own time just as you would in-person. It is very important that you follow the steps for packaging/mailing or turning in your ballot to make sure it is submitted in time and can be counted. There will be clear instructions on the ballot itself and in the other materials included in the envelope, but there are a host of additional resources to help you along the way provided by the County.

Mail-in ballots must be returned (1) by mail via USPS or (2) in person at a secure drop box.

If you choose to mail your ballot, it may be returned via the United States Postal Service and must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Postage is paid for you, so no stamp is required. Once mailed out, you can also track the status of your ballot online!

If you choose to submit the completed ballot in-person, be prepared to respect the COVID-19 protocol at your polling place. This will likely include wearing a face covering, using hand washing stations, and maintaining 6-feet of distance between yourself and other community members. You can drop off the ballot in a secure drop box at an Early Voting location or the Stephen P. Clark Center Voter Information Center (VIC) during their open hours or at the Miami-Dade Elections Department no later than 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Whether you choose to vote-by-mail or submit your ballot in-person, it is recommended that you make use of the Early Voting window to avoid crowds or lines for all elections. Click here for updated access to early voting locations and schedules.

For answers to additional questions regarding the vote-by-mail process, reference this resource.

If you chose to vote in-person, you will be required to bring a form of photo ID that includes your name, photo, and signature such as a valid driver’s license. If you are unable to provide that, reference page 11 of this resource for alternatives.

Before election day, it is recommended that you learn about the positions and candidates that you’ll be voting on. Miami-Dade County has an excellent resource that generates a custom sample ballot, based on your address, so that you can get a sense of exactly what you’ll be asked at the polling place.

Additional Resources:

If you have any questions about the electoral process at all, do not hesitate to reach out to a local civic engagement organization or county official to ensure that you are able to effectively participate in this important process.

A collaboratively-developed resource on the candidates and their platforms, as well as this collection of questionnaire responses organized by issues and candidates for the primary elections in Miami-Dade County.

Voter Help and Election Protection Hotlines:

English: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)

Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682)

Arabic: 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287)

Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urudu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, and Vietnamese: 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683)

Information that residents of any state may find useful on: new registration, registration status, vote-by-mail and absentee ballots, early voting periods, election dates and reminders, voting rights, in-person voting at polling places, voting in the age of COVID-19, and completing the 2020 census.

On June 30th, the US House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis released Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America. The report outlines policy recommendations for the federal government to address the risks posed by climate change in a way that advances justice and equity, benefits workers and the national economy, and protects public health.

The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis was created by Speaker Pelosi at the outset of the 116th session of Congress to make science-based policy recommendations to the standing committees of jurisdiction on how to solve the climate crisis.

Here’s a glimpse at some of the themes addressed in the Committee’s recent report:

Investment and Economic Growth

A great deal of the plan addresses the need for investment in clean energy technology and infrastructure in order to propel our economy to thrive at net-zero emissions no later than 2050. Advancement of renewable energy generation coupled with more efficient transmission systems would support a transition to clean energy for households and businesses across the Nation. The report also calls for congressional action to support the launch of new economic sectors that would catalyze progress on different aspects of our climate goals. Expanding research on low-carbon building materials, for example, would address the often overlooked waste and carbon footprint of the construction industry.

Did you know that cement, a key ingredient in concrete, is responsible for approximately 8% of global carbon emissions? If cement were its own country, it would rank among the top 5 highest contributors of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.

By investing in the manufacturing of clean energy, electric vehicles, circular supply chains, and zero-emission technologies; the federal government can promote economic activity in a way that aligns with the urgent demands of the climate crisis.

This plan also calls for investments to elevate the electrification and transportation sectors. Advances in energy storage technology will be particularly important for the clean energy transition to be scaled across residential districts and economic sectors.

With investment and economic growth comes the opportunity for job creation! The recommendations laid out in this plan set the stage for the creation of high-quality, good-paying jobs that build local workforce capabilities, acknowledge and uplift vibrant regional economies, and strengthen workers’ rights to organize.

New Standards for Innovation

In addition to funneling federal dollars into the economic sectors that will propel the Nation forward in this transition, Congress can encourage innovation that aligns with climate action goals by setting new regulatory standards.

One well-known recent example are the Obama-era fuel economy standards which were established to push for production of vehicles that travel further on the same amount of fuel. This is also known as fuel efficiency, and it’s an excellent transitional mechanism for reducing the need for gasoline and decreasing air pollution associated with fuel combustion and transportation in general.

The plan sets forth recommendations for new standards for clean energy generation, energy efficiency, vehicle emissions, fuel carbon, infrastructure resilience, industry performance, labor and economic opportunities, and the pollution and leakage coming from the declining fossil fuel industry.

Justice and Equity

In setting forth a national net-zero emission goal, one of the most important aspects of measuring progress and maintaining accountability will be assessment of how costs and benefits are being distributed. This requires specific attention on interventions and impacts in historically marginalized communities of color and low-wealth communities. Many of the 12 pillars in this plan integrate the principles of environmental justice, in such a way that the health and knowledge of historically marginalized communities may be centered in federal climate and environmental policy.

The urgency for environmental justice is addressed through clean-up initiatives for remediation in communities that have been disproportionately exposed to pollution (also known as “EJ communities”). The report calls for prioritization of EJ communities in new federal spending, meaningful engagement with these individuals, and support of academic and government research on how the impacts of federal policies are affecting their neighborhoods.

Community Resilience

Another critical theme of the recommendations is the need for adaptation in currently and foreseeably vulnerable communities. Climate scientists have been warning of the human health and public safety risks associated with the increasing global mean surface temperatures and unpredictability of extreme weather events for over four decades. As such, there is no doubt that mitigation and innovation must be coupled with emergency preparedness and adaptation as priorities.

One of the many initiatives outlined in this report is the establishment of a National Climate Adaptation Program. This is intended to support state, local, tribal, and territorial governments in making sure their homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure can withstand the impacts of climate change. Risk management needs will range vastly: to bolster the structural integrity of industrial and manufacturing facilities, the resilience of our homes and local infrastructure, and the stability of agricultural systems fronted with climate-related hazards.

Notably, there is an entire pillar dedicated to making the agricultural industry a tool for climate action. Agriculture is arguably one of the most profoundly threatened systems that we rely on in the context of climate change. Recommendations in the report include the integration of adaptation and mitigation practices for new and otherwise disadvantaged farmers, incentives for them to implement efficiency and renewable energy technology on their lands, and expanded resources for the protection of farmland.

There are many important steps that have been and must continue to be taken in order to advance a global agenda for just climate action. I encourage you to learn more about climate action proposals from the local to the transnational level, including the US House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis’s report Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America.

Systemic injustices and corruption have become especially salient throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public consciousness and civic action are soaring amidst record levels of unemployment, sensationalized video exposing the horrific realities of police brutality, and intensification of the climate crisis.

Scientists have come to an overwhelming consensus that climate change is caused by the emission of greenhouse gases from human activity, and high-level decision-makers across the globe are increasingly recognizing the climate crisis as a threat-multiplier. This term is intended to convey how the risks and hazards associated with climate change overlap with and exacerbate existing sociopolitical, economic, and human health issues.

Well stated by Rosemary DiCarlo, Head of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs for the United Nations (2018):

“The risks associated with climate-related disasters do not represent a scenario of some distant future. They are already a reality for millions of people around the globe – and they are not going away.”

Inherently oppressive policy mechanisms, such as redlining, have concentrated polluting infrastructure responsible for excessive emissions in Black, Latino, and Native American communities (1) (2) (3). While accelerating global warming and amplifying climate-related risks, pollution exposure increases racial and ethnic minority communities’ vulnerability to a number of developmental and chronic respiratory illnesses. Unsurprisingly, disproportionate exposure to pollution likewise contributes to the greater vulnerability of marginalized communities to contracting and dying from COVID-19.

A demonstrator addresses protesters in Harlem. [The Guardian/Flo Ngala]

Acknowledging the parallels between these intersecting crises, the Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee of the US House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a remote hearing on June 9, 2020 entitled Pollution and Pandemics: COVID-19’s Disproportionate Impact on Environmental Justice Communities.

Mustafa Santiago Ali, the Vice President of Environmental Justice, Climate, and Community Revitalization of the National Advocacy Center at the National Wildlife Federation was among the witnesses. In his testimony, Ali draws an unsettling parallel between deeply rooted systemic racism, the militarization of policing in the United States, and exposure to toxic air- and water-borne pollutants:

“Black communities are dealing with the systemic racism that has infected the policing in our communities that is literally choking us to death. The rolling back of environmental rules and regulations has us gasping for air due to the cumulative public health impacts from the burning of fossil fuels in our communities. Covid-19 continues to devastate black, brown and indigenous communities both in infections and deaths. When we say, “I Can’t Breathe” we literally can’t breathe.”

Jacqueline Patterson, Senior Director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program, also highlighted the intersections between the current crises and expressed the need for an integrated approach for recovery in her testimony.

Frontline communities across the nation are actively seeking and testing their own interventions to recover and adapt in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, economic downturn, systemic inequality, and climate change. Community-led approaches acknowledge and build upon the distinct capacities and strengths of their neighborhoods, organizations, businesses, government institutions, and individuals’ identities to address social needs.

Rising sea levels threaten the Louisiana coastline where offshore drilling occurs. [Getty/Drew Angerer]

Amid historic protests against the injustices that have long oppressed Black Americans, President Trump signed an executive order to eliminate regulations used by and for the protection of frontline communities fronted with potentially harmful, federally-funded development projects.

Among the most significant environmental laws in the United States, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) creates a pathways for citizens to partake in a thorough review process for federal actions. For example, state or local officials must complete an environmental review before federal funds may be allocated for any project they’d like to propose. Any American citizen can comment on the proposal and call attention to environmental impacts not previously accounted for by the responsible federal agency. It is required that this feedback be taken into account and acted upon before the project can receive approval for federal funding. This process enhances transparency, holds decision-makers more accountable to the American public, and sheds light upon alternatives with potential co-benefits not previously identified.

The NEPA review process is among a slate of environmental statutes and regulations weakened by President Trump’s recent executive order. This is significant—even more so in the context of the compounding crises burdening historically marginalized communities. NEPA is widely considered landmark legislation, representing a historic achievement in the face of development projects that generated detrimental consequences by exacerbating environmental injustices. Rather than being perceived as obstacles to recovery, thoughtful regulations merit consideration as instruments for ensuring that long-term value is derived from federally-funded projects.

As we navigate violently compounding crises, we must hold public officials accountable for the bigger-picture outcomes of their actions and demand that they prioritize the democratic participation of frontline communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic is an excellent example of how collective action can reduce our environmental impact and mitigate severe social problems. When everyone takes action based on the evidence-based recommendations of public health experts, we collectively slow the spread of the virus and protect our communities. Similarly, as more individuals (including our elected officials and corporate elites) heed the insights of climate and biological scientists regarding the impacts of climate change and plastic pollution, we reduce the risk of exacerbating harsh impacts for frontline, coastal communities.

In spite of all lessons that we could learn from this global devastation, multinational fossil fuel corporations have driven up oil production and created a rather undesirable situation for environmental interests. The supply of oil is at a peak, meanwhile demand has collapsed due to lowed economic activity during the pandemic. This has driven the price of oil below zero for the first time in history! Global oil consumption has been in free-fall as more countries introduce unprecedented measures to fight the coronavirus outbreak. The fossil fuel industry has failed to profit from this overproduction, and they shifted their efforts from fuel refinement to ethane cracking.

Simply stated, they’re diverting the methane gas and oil that we are not consuming as fuel to produce more plastic products. Ethane cracker plants are the facilities used to process the carbon-rich inputs used to create all kinds of plastic products. Their industrial activities cause immediate health and environmental detriment to nearby communities, known as frontline or fence-line communities, while exacerbating plastic pollution impacts around the globe. 

There’s more: Our team identified direct efforts by fossil fuel industry giants to ramp up demand for non-essential single-use plastics, especially plastic bags, by taking advantage of public fear and uncertainty during this time. What better time to take advantage of the public and run a manipulative campaign than a global pandemic? We are not surprised, as the fossil fuel industry has a long history of using misinformation to advance their profits at our expense. Still, this is upsetting and it’s actively misleading many concerned consumers.

The Plastics Industry Association is currently lobbying to quash plastic bag bans, even going so far as requesting that the United States Department of Health and Human Services publicly declare that banning single-use plastics during a pandemic is a health threat. Click here to read their letter.

The spread of misinformation has led many of us to question whether it’s okay to continue using reusable bags for our occasional, ultra-cautious grocery trips.

In a study cited by the Plastics Industry Association in their letter to the US DHHS, researchers at the University of Arizona and Loma Linda University found that reusable bags can contain bacteria, and users don’t wash reusable bags very often. The study was funded by the American Chemistry Council, which represents major plastics and chemicals manufacturers. Most notably: the study recommends that shoppers simply wash their reusable bags, not replace them.

There is no evidence that single-use plastics are safer than reusable items, and it’s important for all of us to recognize that single-use plastics have a number of opportunities to become contaminated during their manufacture, distribution, inventory stocking, and use. They are exposed to open air and surfaces like any other item you may be concerned about cross-contamination from. Single-use plastics could only be proven more sanitary if packaged individually in sterile conditions and handed to the customer in intact sterile packaging—much like you would imagine a syringe is packaged before use to draw blood. Clearly, that isn’t practical or realistic.

Here’s a breakdown of our options based on currently available scientific evidence:

The New England Journal of Medicine, the world’s leading medical journal for over 200 years, published data in mid-March of this year that shows SARS-CoV-2 is more stable and has a longer lifetime on plastic and stainless steel than on copper or cardboard. Viable SARS-CoV-2 was detected up to 72 hours after application on plastic, while none was measured on cardboard after 24 hours.

There is no evidence presented here to back the claim that “single-use plastics are often the safest choice” as has been pushed upon the US DHHS. In fact, the findings suggest that cardboard is a safer single-use material than plastic with respect to COVID-19 viability.  

Another scientific study focused on the stability of SARS-CoV-2 in different environmental conditions showed that the virus is more stable on plastic than on printing or tissue paper, wood, cloth, glass, or banknotes. SARS-CoV-2 remained detectable on plastic for 4 days, while on paper it was not detected after 30 minutes, on wood or cloth after 1 day, and on banknotes after 2 day.

According to the Center for Disease Control, COVID-19 is most often spread directly from person-to-person. However, viral spread from contact with contaminated surfaces or objects is possible. Guidelines issued by the CDC do not make a distinction between the items this may include, so we can safely assume that their recommendations apply to single-use and reusable items equally.

Single-use items are not sterile and are bound to be exposed to microbes before reaching their end users. This means that handling a single-use plastic bag, utensil, container, or cup likely poses an equal risk of infection as any reusable item.

That said, Maine, Massachusetts, and a growing number of other states are still moving quickly to allow for delays and suspensions of plastic bag bans. In New Hampshire, the governor actually issued an emergency health order requiring stores to use single-use paper or plastic shopping bags. 

We, at Debris Free Oceans, acknowledge that the nature of COVID-19 poses unusual risks. The virus may be contracted and transmitted asymptomatically, and it is understandable that reusable items such as shopping bags may be an object of concern. We urge you to make that decision based on your individual circumstances, but acknowledge that banning reusable items is an unsupported attempt that will not be a long-term solution to cross contamination.

Judith Enck, a former regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, has called the plastics industry’s recent actions “shameless” and exploitative. We agree with her statement that it is understandable to use single-use materials occasionally, when necessary or beyond our control, but “in terms of overturning or delaying laws, [Enck sees] no independent data that supports that move.”

We are all struggling in some way to navigate this new normal. Pro-environmental habits, plastic waste reduction among others, may bring about a sense of normalcy and fulfillment amidst all the current uncertainty. 

First and foremost, we strongly suggest that you wash all materials that may pose risks for cross contamination: reusables (bottles, bags, wash cloths) as well as commonly touched surfaces (steering wheel, door handles, cell phone, credit cards and wallet). If you find yourself under circumstances where you must resort to single-use materials, we suggest that you prioritize non-plastic alternatives in the best interest of your well-being and environmental health.

We stand in solidarity with all those who have made sacrifices to stay home, stay distanced, and protect our communities. We are privileged with the time and resources to consider reusables when so many of our neighbors, family members, friends, coworkers, and local leaders are charged with the challenges directly posed by this dangerous pathogen. Adhering to the guidance of public health professionals is the least we can do to support the courage and generosity of the healthcare workers and first responders at the frontlines of this crisis.