MURDER AND ATTEMPTED MURDER
CHARGES.
>>> OVER THE PAST MONTH, WE’VE
SHOWN YOU JUST HOW BAD THE TRASH AND POLLUTION PROBLEM HAS BECOME
AND POLLUTION PROBLEM HAS BECOME
IN MIAMI-DADE.
WHILE IT IS JUST AS BAD IN
BROWARD.
>> IN TONIGHT’S DON’T TRASH OUR
TREASURE, LOCAL 10 ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATE TAKES US TO THE BEACH
ADVOCATE TAKES US TO THE BEACH
WHERE HE MET UP WITH SOME EAGLE
WARRIORS ON A MISSION TO MAKE A
DIFFERENCE.
>> Reporter: IT’S A BEAUTIFUL
MORNING.
[ SOUND OF WAVES ] >> Reporter: AND TEENAGERS COLE
>> Reporter: AND TEENAGERS COLE
AND NICOLE CAME TO THE BEACH TO
FISH AT THEIR FAVORITE SPOT.
>> WE FISH UP HERE A LOT.
>> Reporter: INSTEAD, THEY’RE
PECKING UP TRASH. >> YOU SEE IT ALL THE TIME.
>> YOU SEE IT ALL THE TIME.
YOU COME TO THE BEACH AND
THERE’S TRASH EVERYWHERE.
>> Reporter: LIKE THOUSANDS OF
BEACHES ACROSS THE PLANET, THIS
ONE ALSO IN THE GRIPS OF A
CRISIS. >> TRASH IS A PROBLEM EVERYBODY
>> TRASH IS A PROBLEM EVERYBODY
KNOWS ABOUT AND NOBODY REALLY
DOES MUCH ABOUT IT, EVEN US.
>> I AM DEFINITELY SEEING THE
PROBLEM GET WORSE ...
>> Reporter: SHE USED TO LOVE TO PADDLE BOARD HERE.
PADDLE BOARD HERE.
HER INTIMATE ENCOUNTERS WITH
MARINE LIFE WERE AWESOME.
BUT SO WAS THE TRASH SHE SAW IN
THE OCEAN. >> I WOULD STAND UP PADDLING IN
>> I WOULD STAND UP PADDLING IN
THE WATERWAYS, COLLECT ALL OF
THIS GARBAGE ON MY BOARD AND
FELT THE NEED DO SOMETHING ABOUT
IT.
>> Reporter: SHE’S NOW THE SOUTH
FLORIDA FIELD REP FOR OCEANA, AN INTERNATIONAL NONPROFIT WITH THE
INTERNATIONAL NONPROFIT WITH THE
SOLE MISSION TO PROTECT THE
WORLD’S OCEANS AND ATTACK THE
PLASTIC POLLUTION PROBLEM
HEAD-ON.
>> A GARBAGE FULL OF LAST
PARTICULAR EVENTS THE OCEAN
EVERY MINUTE. EVERY MINUTE.
EVERY MINUTE.
>> Reporter: KILLING OUR MARINE
LIFE AND POISONING US.
RIGHT NOW THE WORLD DUMPS 8
MILLION METRIC YOUS OF PLASTIC INTO THE OCEAN EVERY YEAR.
INTO THE OCEAN EVERY YEAR.
AND BY 2050, GLOBAL PLASTIC
PRODUCTION IS EXPECTED TO
QUADRUPLE.
>> ALL OF THE SPOTS YOU’RE
SEEING IN THE ENVIRONMENT IT’S JUST GOING TO GET WORSE IF WE
JUST GOING TO GET WORSE IF WE
DON’T CURB THE PLASTIC
PRODUCTION.
>> THE EVIDENCE IS ALL AROUND US
RIGHT HERE.
THERE’S A PLASTIC BAG.
AN ICE BAG, A CAN, A STYROFOAM CUP, ANOTHER PLASTIC BAG, MORE
CUP, ANOTHER PLASTIC BAG, MORE
PLASTIC AND CANS OVER THERE.
>> UNFORTUNATELY NOT EVERYONE IS
GONNA CARE AND IT’S SO HARD TO
AVOID.
>> Reporter: JUST GO TO YOUR GROCERY STORE.
GROCERY STORE.
IT’S ALL AROUND YOU, ALMOST
EVERYTHING WE CONSUME IS
PACKAGED IN PLASTIC.
MOST OF WHICH WILL ONLY BE USED ONCE AND THEN THROWN AWAY.
ONCE AND THEN THROWN AWAY.
>> BUT THERE IS NO AWAY.
IT TAKES A SINGLE PLASTIC CUP
450 YEARS TO BIO DEGRADE.
IMAGINE THAT PLASTIC WATER BOTTLE, ONLY 9% OF WHAT WE THINK
BOTTLE, ONLY 9% OF WHAT WE THINK
IS RECYCLED IS ACTUALLY
RECYCLED.
>> WE’VE BEEN EITHER
INCINERATING IT OR BURYING IT,
WHICH CREATES GREENHOUSE GASES,
WHICH IS BAD FOR CLIMATE CHANGE. >> Reporter: THE ONLY WAY TO
>> Reporter: THE ONLY WAY TO
TRULY SOLVE THE WORLD’S PLASTIC
PROBLEM IS TO ATTACK IT AT THE
SOURCE.
>> SO IF WE COULD BE ABLE TO
HAVE A COMPLETE BAN, IT WOULD
MAKE IT SO MUCH EASIER, AND YOU WOULD SEE LESS OF US.
WOULD SEE LESS OF US.
>> Reporter: BUT THAT’S A VERY
SLIPPERY SLOPE.
>> AND IT’S VERY FRUSTRATING
THAT FLORIDA, OUR LEGISLATURE IS
NOT DOING MORE TO DEAL WITH THIS
PROBLEM.
>> Reporter: EIGHT STATES,
THOUGH, HAVE. AND HAVE ALREADY BANNED SINGLE
AND HAVE ALREADY BANNED SINGLE
USE PLASTIC BAGS AND ALTHOUGH IN
27 DIFFERENT CITIES, 15 IN SOUTH
FLORIDA HAVE PASSED SOME TYPE OF PLASTIC LEGISLATION BIEK LIKE
PLASTIC LEGISLATION BIEK LIKE
BANNING PLASTIC STRAWS, UTENSILS
AND EVEN STYROFOAM CUPS ON CITY
PROPERTY, OUR STATE IS
PREVENTING OUR CITIES FROM
BANNING ANYTHING ELSE. >> THE STATE LEGISLATURE WON’T
>> THE STATE LEGISLATURE WON’T
LET US DO IT.
YOUR MUNICIPALITY WILL ACTUALLY
GET SUE IF THEY TRY TO REDUCE
SOMEBODY’S PLASTIC.
>> Reporter: OCEANNA IS BANKING ON PUBLIC PRESSURE TO MOVE THE
ON PUBLIC PRESSURE TO MOVE THE
NEEDLE IN TALLAHASSEE.
UNTIL THEN MORE CLEAN-UPS, MORE
CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS AND MORE
PUBLIC EDUCATION ARE THE ONLY
WEAPONS WE HAVE IN THIS ONGOING PLASTIC WAR.
PLASTIC WAR.
ONE THE PLANET IS COUNTING ON US
WINNING.
>> THE OCEAN DOES A LOT FOR US,
AND WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT, SO
THE BEST WE CAN DO IS JUST GIVE BACK A LITTLE BIT.
BACK A LITTLE BIT.
>> THE U.S. IS THE NUMBER ONE
PRODUCER OF PLASTIC IN THE
WORLD.
SO WE HAVE A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY
TO STEP UP HERE.
OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE DONE SO, AND HAVE ALREADY BANNED SOME
AND HAVE ALREADY BANNED SOME
SINGLE USE PLASTICS.
IN MARCH, TWO MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS INTRODUCED THE BREAK
FREE FROM PLASTIC POLLUTION ACT OF 2021 THAT BLSES ON SUCCESSFUL
OF 2021 THAT BLSES ON SUCCESSFUL
STATE LAWS AND OUTLINES
PRACTICAL STRATEGIES TO REDUCE