One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
SeaWorld Bags Use Of Plastic Bags This Summer
Photo by motleypixel via Flickr
In an effort to reduce ocean pollution, SeaWorld in San Diego will stop giving out plastic bags at its theme-park gift stores on June 18. Park reps said "the move could save more than 1 million plastic bags from being used. They will offer customers paper and reusable sacks," reports the San Diego Union Tribune.
The ban coincides with the opening of SeaWorld's Turtle Reef, a new attraction with a focus on ecological responsibility. Notes the San Diego Union Tribune, "plastic bags can be a major problem for some types of sea turtles, especially leatherbacks, that mistake them for jellyfish."
Turtle Reef will feature more than 60 threatened and endangered hawksbill and green sea turtles, including some that hatched at the marine-life park in 2009. One aquarium at the Turtle Reef gift shop will have floating bags and another will have jellyfish to provide a visual display of how similar they can look in the water.
Based on statewide data for 2009, only 3 percent of all plastic carryout bags were recycled, leaving "more than 51,000 tons of them to collect in landfills, beaches and parking lots," reports the San Diego Union Tribune.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
