Mary Catherine O'Connor

Guardian: Will clothes companies do the right thing to reduce microfiber pollution?

May 13, 2017 by mcoc

Over the past few years, evidence has been mounting that synthetic textiles such as polyester and acrylic, which make up much of our clothing, are a major source of pollution in the world’s oceans. That’s because washing those clothes causes tiny plastic fibers to shed and travel through wastewater treatment plants into public waterways. These […]

Categories: Gear, Lifecycle, Oceans, Policy, Technology • Tags: apparel, food chain, marine pollution, mermaids, microfiber pollution, Patagonia, plastic soup foundation, polymers, synthetic fabirc, textile science

Guardian: Only 14% of plastics are recycled – can tech innovation tackle the rest?

February 22, 2017 by mcoc

The world recycles just 14% of the plastic packaging it uses. Even worse: 8m tons of plastic, much of it packaging, ends up in the oceans each year, where sea life and birds die from eating it or getting entangled in it. Some of the plastics will also bind with industrial chemicals that have polluted […]

Categories: Energy, Food and Agriculture, Lifecycle, Oceans, Technology • Tags: Agylix, biocellection, Cadel Deinking, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, hdpe, ldpe, plastic, plastics recycling, recycling

Guardian: Microfibers are polluting our food chain. This laundry bag can stop that

February 12, 2017 by mcoc

For the past three years, Alexander Nolte and Oliver Spies, surfing buddies and co-owners of Langbrett, a German retailer with four stores that sells surf gear and outdoor apparel, have been haunted by news reports connecting many of the products they sell to an emerging but serious environmental threat: microfiber pollution. Synthetic textiles, such as […]

Categories: Action Sports, Gear, Oceans, Policy, Recreation • Tags: Alexander Nolte and Oliver Spies, Guppy Friend, microfiber, microfiber pollution, Patagonia

Guardian: Peter Metcalf, Patagonia take on Utah officials over public land rights

January 14, 2017 by mcoc

Utah, a state rich in epic landscapes and national parks, is becoming ground zero for a fight between the $646bn outdoor industry and state lawmakers over public land management. At a trade show for outdoor clothing and gear makers in Salt Lake City this week, two prominent figures from the industry called on their peers […]

Categories: Action Sports, Energy, Gear, Policy, Recreation, Wilderness • Tags: Black Diamond, outdoor industry association, Outdoor Retailer, Patagonia, Peter Metcalf, Utah, Utah Governor Herbert

Home at Last: The Kashia Band of Pomo Indians Returns to the California Coast

December 15, 2016 by mcoc

Partnering with local agencies, The Trust for Public Land devised a plan that would return the land to the Kashia while allowing for an addition to the California Coast Trail. Land+People (The Trust for Public Land’s magazine: Go to Page 30) “Close your eyes,” instructs Reno Franklin. Chairman of the Kashia band of Pomo Indians, Franklin […]

Categories: Climate Change, Food and Agriculture, Oceans, Policy, Recreation, Wilderness • Tags: Kashia band of Pomo Indians, Kashia Coastal Reserve, Reno Franklin, Trust for Public Land

SIERRA: Outdoor Afro Provides Opportunities to Hike and to Heal

December 12, 2016 by mcoc

Rue Mapp sees nature as a vehicle to help African Americans address the violence in their past and present. SIERRA Magazine Growing up in Oakland, California, Rue Mapp learned to love the outdoors. She was an avid Girl Scout, and she spent her summers roaming the family ranch in nearby Lake County. As an adult, […]

Categories: Action Sports, Climate Change, Recreation, Wilderness • Tags: black lives matter, Eric Garner, Harriet Tubman, Outdoor Afro, Rue Mapp, Sierra Magazine, Underground Railroad

Guardian: The Latest Weapon in the Fight Against Illegal Fishing? Artificial Intelligence.

November 20, 2016 by mcoc

A $150,000 reward is up for grabs for any data scientist who can write code for facial recognition software that can pinpoint illegal catch on fishing boats. The Guardian Facial recognition software is most commonly known as a tool to help police identify a suspected criminal by using machine learning algorithms to analyze his or […]

Categories: Climate Change, Food and Agriculture, Oceans, Policy, Technology • Tags: artificial intelligence, facial recognition software, illegal fishing, kaggle, silicon valley, the nature conservancy

Outside: Why Is It So Hard to Get Answers About Deepwater Horizon?

October 24, 2016 by mcoc

A new book and movie explore the causes, legacy, and drama of the oil spill. But neither probe deeply enough. Outside It seemed inevitable that the deadly 2010 explosion of the BP-operated Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling platform, which caused millions of gallons of oil to gush into the Gulf of Mexico, would eventually get the Hollywood […]

Categories: Climate Change, Energy, Oceans, Policy, Wildlife • Tags: BP, BP Blowout, BP Blowout: Inside the Gulf Oil Disaster, British Petroleum, Daniel Jacobs, deepwater horizon, Donald Vidrine, John Browne, John Malkovich, Mark Wahlberg, Peter Berg, Tony Hayward

Guardian: My (Imagined) Trip Off the Meatless Wagon

October 23, 2016 by mcoc

The Impossible Burger is making a big impression on foodies, chefs and vegetarians, but can it find its way onto the McDonald’s menu? The Guardian I hold the burger with both hands and bring it, somewhat trepidatiously, to my mouth. I commit myself to at least one bite. As I close my eyes and chew, […]

Categories: Climate Change, Energy, Food and Agriculture, Technology • Tags: Chris Cosentino, David Chang, impossible burger, impossible foods, Pat Brown, Tal Ronnen, Traci Des Jardins

Guardian: How to Visit America’s National Parks Without the Congestion

August 27, 2016 by mcoc

Traffic congestion has become part of the experience of visiting popular national parks in the US. Now, more parks are beefing up their public transport options. The Guardian If you’ve ever visited an iconic national park like Yellowstone, Yosemite or Glacier, your first glimpses of arresting, postcard-perfect vistas were probably framed by a car window. […]

Categories: Climate Change, Policy, Recreation, Wilderness, Wildlife • Tags: arcadia national park, bus, climate change, island explorer, National Parks, National Parks Centennial, public transit, transportation, Yellowstone, Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System

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