Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Ocean Day in Sacramento and Movement for SB 568 Polystyrene Ban
On April 4, 2011, over 60 individuals from 30 environmental groups around the state descended on the Capitol for the 4th annual "Ocean Day", in order to educate state legislators and their staff about the important ocean issues of the year. The agenda included advocacy for plastic pollution and water quality issues, marine protected areas, and sustainable marine ecosystems and fisheries. Surfrider Foundation had eight representatives from our network and staff present to help with the lobby day, including Humboldt Chapter's Jen Savage, Monterey Chapter's Tony Tersol and Central Coast Manager Sarah Damron pictured below.
Also, on April 4th, Ocean Advocates were able to express their support for SB 568, a bill to prohibit polystyrene take out ware in restaurants throughout the state. Polystyrene foam particles have been found as a leading component of beach and marine litter. In addition to harming marine life, such as sea turtles, marine mammals, and sea birds every year, reports have linked polystyrene to threatening human health by leaching toxins into our food chain. In order to address this problem, already 47 local jurisdictions have banned polystyrene food containers in California. Yesterday, the Senate Environmental Quality Committee heard this bill and passed it on to the Senate Floor by a vote of 5 to 2.
Labels: Ocean Day, ocean litter, polystyrene
