More Plastic in Oceans Than Fish?
I was startled when I read this prediction: By 2050, we’ll have more plastic in oceans than fish. Today, by weight we have about 20% plastic in oceans, as compared to fish, which is still a startling statistic. But a new report shows that we may have passed the tipping point. Why–and what can you do? Read on!
Transgender Fish Found; Fertility Compromised
The latest U.S. Geological Survey found that 85 percent of male smallmouth bass in and near wildlife refuges in the Northeast show compromised fertility: They have eggs where their testes should be, according to the Washington Post. Earlier, surveys had found as much as 100 percent of fish in the southern Potomac River were affected, and 90 percent in West Virginia. A reported 37 species of fish have been identified as exhibiting “intersex changes” that affect fertility, and although scientists have not yet identified the culprit, many believe endocrine disrupting chemicals are to blame.
More Reasons to Eat Less Fish
Stories about radioactive tuna from the 2011 Fukushima meltdown that showed up 6,000 miles away on California’s shores sounded too crazy to be true. The FDA said the radiation was nothing to worry about in the United States, since you’d have to eat pounds of the stuff before being affected. But according to a 2011 Government Accountability Study, the FDA only inspects .1% of the fish we import for consumption.
