Trump’s EPA to Focus on Plastic Trash in the Oceans

Sometimes progress is made in small steps, and so it goes with the fight against single-use plastic bags and bottles worldwide.

In a story that was largely ignored by the MSM, the EPA and President Trump have made commitments to fight plastic trash in the oceans.

 Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in an interview Monday that during an upcoming summit with his G-20 counterparts in Japan, he will emphasize the importance of curbing marine debris, rather than seeking new action on climate change.

SFGATE

Many of this administrations critics have chosen to ignore this step forward, primarily because of the U.S. position on the Paris Accord and climate change. Sadly, this is a mistake on multiple levels. Acknowledging some progress is better than ignoring the sudden change.

That having been said, the G20 Summit is now past and the plastic issue has been raised. The agreement, however, is less than satisfactory. It is mostly more rhetoric, more blue skies, more waiting until 2050 when we already know there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans!

Treehugger calls the G20 plan to halt ocean plastic pollution toothless!

[…] and they are right! As Katherine Martinko points out,

If this sounds like greenwashed mumbo-jumbo to you, you’re not alone. Critics of the so-called ‘Osaka Blue Ocean Vision’ point out that there was very little discussion as to how countries are supposedly going to achieve their noble goal, nor is any of it legally binding; countries are expected to make appropriate changes voluntarily.