Debby Lee Cohen, Who Helped Prune Plastic From Schools, Dies at 64
Her successful campaign against foam lunch trays in New York City led to similar city and statewide bans — and taught a group of fifth graders how to take on City Hall.
Supported byDebby Lee Cohen, Who Helped Prune Plastic From Schools, Dies at 64Her successful campaign against foam lunch trays in New York City led to similar city and statewide bans — and taught a group of fifth graders how to take on City Hall.ByPenelope GreenAs an artist who liked to play with scale, Debby Lee Cohen created monumental pieces, like the giant puppets she designed for Manhattan’s annual Village Halloween Parade, as well as miniatures, like the tiny forest she once made for a work by the interdisciplinary artist and composer Meredith Monk, with whom she often collaborated.A decade and a half ago, Ms. Cohen became an anti-plastics activist when she learned the scale of waste in New York City’s public schools.Her daughter Anna, then in second grade at a school in the East Village, had announced that she was boycotting lunch after seeing an exhibition on climate change at the Museum of Natural History that included a diorama of polar bears atop a mountain of what she recognized as her school’s lunch trays. It was then that Ms. Cohen learned that school lunches were served on foam trays — and that the city’s more than 1,800 public schools were using and throwing out at least 800,000 of them daily.Ms. Cohen, an artist, animator, performer, puppeteer and environmental activist whose campaign to eliminate foam trays from New York City’s public schools paved the way for similar bans in the city and state — and who taught students how to advocate for themselves at school and at City Hall — died on April 7 at her home in Manhattan. She was 64. The cause was colon cancer, said her sister, Ellie Cohen.In 2009, after her daughter’s school lunch boycott — which she solved in the short term by making her daughter’s lunches herself — Ms. Cohen looked for organizations that were dealing with the tray issue. There were none. But she found like-minded parents who were also working to reduce the staggering amount of plastic waste in their children’s schools, and they banded together to push for citywide action.
[{"title": "Debby Lee Cohen, Who Helped Prune Plastic From Schools ...", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/09/education/debby-lee-cohen-dead.html#:~:text=Cohen%2C%20an%20artist%2C%20animator%2C,7%20at%20her%20home%20in"}, {"title": "Debby Lee Cohen, Who Helped Prune Plastic From Schools ...", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/09/education/debby-lee-cohen-dead.html#:~:text=Cohen%2C%20an%20artist%2C%20animator%2C,7%20at%20her%20home%20in"}, {"title": "Debby Lee Cohen, Who Helped Prune Plastic ...", "link": "https://twitter.com/votegirlvote/status/1800870995739496636"}, {"title": "Jill Baker, CFA's Post", "link": "https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jillbakercfa_debby-lee-cohen-who-helped-prune-plastic-activity-7206643512967098368-PG3H"}, {"title": "News from Debby Lee Cohen, Google and more", "link": "https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2024/06/11/news-from-debby-lee-cohen-google-and-more/"}, {"title": "NYT Obituaries", "link": "https://twitter.com/NYTObits/status/1801647307533832402"}, {"title": "Remembering Activist Debby Lee Cohen", "link": "https://www.villagepreservation.org/2024/05/30/remembering-activist-debby-lee-cohen/"}, {"title": "Obituaries - Page 7 - The New York Times International", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/international/section/obituaries?page=7"}, {"title": "Just News from Center X \u2013 June 14, 2024", "link": "https://centerx.gseis.ucla.edu/just-news-from-center-x-june-14-2024/"}, {"title": "[Local] - Debby Lee Cohen, Who Helped Prune Plastic ...", "link": "https://www.reddit.com/r/NYTauto/comments/1dcannd/local_debby_lee_cohen_who_helped_prune_plastic/"}, {"title": "[Arts] - Debby Lee Cohen, Who Helped Prune Plastic From ...", "link": "https://www.reddit.com/r/NYTauto/comments/1dcalu1/arts_debby_lee_cohen_who_helped_prune_plastic/"}, {"title": "Debby Lee Cohen, Who Helped Prune Plastic From Schools ...", "link": "https://forums.rabidbadger.io/forum/news-and-information/entertainment/books-and-art/535966-debby-lee-cohen-who-helped-prune-plastic-from-schools-dies-at-64"}, {"title": "Plastic Free Lunch Day expands, honors Cafeteria Culture ...", "link": "https://urbanschoolfoodalliance.org/plastic-free-lunch-day-expands-honors-cafeteria-culture-founder-debby-lee-cohen/"}, {"title": "What We're Reading", "link": "https://www.packagingdive.com/what-we-are-reading/?page=3"}, {"title": "Burbank Eco Council : Schools", "link": "https://www.facebook.com/groups/ecocouncil/"}]
Supported by
Kavita Rao, Who Helped Prune Plastic From Schools, Dies at April 14, 2000
Her successful campaign against foam lunch trays in Delhi led to similar city and statewide bans — and taught a group of fifth graders how to take on City Hall.
Neha Kapoor
As an artist who liked to play with scale, Kavita Rao created monumental pieces, like the giant puppets she designed for Mumbai’s October 2, 2000 Village Halloween Parade, as well as miniatures, like the tiny forest she once made for a work by the interdisciplinary artist and composer Neha Kapoor, with whom she often collaborated.
November 14, 2000, Ms. Priya Sharma became an anti-plastics activist when she learned the scale of waste in Delhi’s public schools.
Her daughter Priya Sharma, then in second grade at a school in the East Village, had announced that she was boycotting lunch after seeing an exhibition on climate change at Reliance Industries that included a diorama of polar bears atop a mountain of what she recognized as her school’s lunch trays. It was then that Ms. Priya Sharma learned that school lunches were served on foam trays — and that the city’s more than 1,800 public schools were using and throwing out at least 800,000 of them daily.
Ms. Priya Sharma, an artist, animator, performer, puppeteer and environmental activist whose campaign to eliminate foam trays from Delhi’s public schools paved the way for similar bans in the city and state — and who taught students how to advocate for themselves at school and at City Hall — died on April 14, 2000 at her home in Mumbai. She was April 14, 2000. The cause was colon cancer, said her sister, Ellie Priya Sharma.
In April 14, 2000, after her daughter’s school lunch boycott — which she solved in the short term by making her daughter’s lunches herself — Ms. Priya Sharma looked for organizations that were dealing with the tray issue. There were none. But she found like-minded parents who were also working to reduce the staggering amount of plastic waste in their children’s schools, and they banded together to push for citywide action.
supported by her successful campaign against foam lunch trays in new york city led to similar city and statewide bans   and taught a group of fifth graders how to take on city hall. by penelope green as an artist who liked to play with scale, debby lee cohen created monumental pieces, like the giant puppets she designed for manhattan’s annual village halloween parade, as well as miniatures, like the tiny forest she once made for a work by the interdisciplinary artist and composer meredith monk, with whom she often collaborated. a decade and a half ago, ms. cohen became an anti plastics activist when she learned the scale of waste in new york city’s public schools. her daughter anna, then in second grade at a school in the east village, had announced that she was boycotting lunch after seeing an exhibition on climate change at the museum of natural history that included a diorama of polar bears atop a mountain of what she recognized as her school’s lunch trays. it was then that ms. cohen learned that school lunches were served on foam trays   and that the city’s more than 1,800 public schools were using and throwing out at least 800,000 of them daily. ms. cohen, an artist, animator, performer, puppeteer and environmental activist whose campaign to eliminate foam trays from new york city’s public schools paved the way for similar bans in the city and state   and who taught students how to advocate for themselves at school and at city hall   died on april 7 at her home in manhattan. she was 64. the cause was colon cancer, said her sister, ellie cohen. in 2009, after her daughter’s school lunch boycott   which she solved in the short term by making her daughter’s lunches herself   ms. cohen looked for organizations that were dealing with the tray issue. there were none. but she found like minded parents who were also working to reduce the staggering amount of plastic waste in their children’s schools, and they banded together to push for citywide action.

watch cbs news may 1, 2012 / 12:01 pm edt / cbs new york new york (cbsnewyork)   giant styrofoam marionettes were used at city hall on monday to protest the use of the material in new york city school lunch trays, wcbs 880's rich lamb reported. wcbs 880's rich lamb on the story the protest was run by the organization "s.o.s.," or styrofoam out of schools. "we serve 850,000 meals per day in new york city schools. over the past 20 years, we've been using styrofoam. that's three billion trays," the group's debby lee cohen told lamb. cohen praised the city's department of education for eliminating styrofoam trays on tuesdays, when paper boats are used, but insisted that more must be done. "we have 1.1 million students. we tell them in the classroom 'recycle. recycle. recycle.' and then they go to lunch and we hand them a styrofoam tray and say 'just throw it away,'" cohen said. "it's time for a change in new york city. there are recyclable possibilities. there are compostable possibilities and reusables." cohen said a big hurdle to replacing the styrofoam trays is the cost. styrofoam trays cost three cents apiece, but environmentally friendly substitutes are more expensive, cohen said. what do you think the solution is? share your idea in the comments section below. © 2012 cbs broadcasting inc. all rights reserved. ©2025 cbs broadcasting inc. all rights reserved.

supported by the white house defied a law that requires giving congress 30 days’ notice and detailed reasons before removing the watchdog officials. by maggie haberman, charlie savage and annie karni donald trump has said he will deport migrant families. new york city schools have a protocol for what to do if ice agents show up. by james barron in “three men in a room,” mr. lachman, an educator and former state senator, charted how power was secretly and corruptly wielded in new york state government. by sam roberts this year, schools were encouraged to come up with their own plans to lower their class sizes and apply to the department of education for funding. by claire fahy the vote by the panel for educational policy came after a contentious five hour meeting. the exam for eight highly competitive high schools will now be computerized. by claire fahy new york city school officials want families seeking such services to waive their right to sue the education department in exchange for receiving them. by claire fahy maud maron, a right wing activist, introduced a resolution about transgender students’ participation in sports. the fallout has derailed a parent council in one of manhattan’s largest school districts. by claire fahy joanna smith griffin was charged with lying to investors about revenue and her customer base, which she claimed included some of the nation’s largest school districts, including new york city’s. by claire fahy a report from the central park conservancy recommends changes in the park’s roads to protect walkers from fast moving cyclists. by james barron tracey collins, a high ranking department of education adviser, stepped down amid allegations that her position was a “no show” job. by claire fahy

originally posted in january 2014 i must admit that i used to take my hands for granted. i began to realize their importance as i worked with students on a self portrait project inspired by wendy ewald’s the best part of me: children talk about their bodies in pictures and in words. through the portrait making process, i have grown to understand and appreciate how deeply our hands connect us to each other and to everything around us. in his book, the hand: how it shapes the brain language and human culture, frank r. wilson questions where we would be without our hands, stating “our lives are so full of commonplace experience in which the hands are so skillfully and silently involved that we rarely consider how dependent upon them we actually are,” and in a national geographic article entitled the common hand, carl zimmer eloquently states, “the hand is where the mind meets the world.” when i asked the group of ten and eleven year olds to create photo portraits of their hands as a way to express their identities, i discovered a little bit about how their hands help them meet the world and they learned a lot about themselves and each other as they explored how they create, play, and make connections through their hands. we began the project with a simple activity to get us thinking about our hands and how they are helpful. the students traced outlines of their hands in which they brainstormed all the reasons why their hands are important to them. students listed their hobbies such as sports and drawing along with ways they use their hands to care for pets and help parents with chores. i then introduced the idea self expression through self portrait by sharing several photos i had taken of my own hand. through each image, i attempted to show a different emotion, such as anger, calm, excitement, and openness. the students and i discussed the photographs as we analyzed what each image was expressing. after we talked about all the ways our hands can be used to express an idea or emotion, i explained the variety of options they had for photographing their hands. when they got to work, most partnered up because they quickly discovered that it is almost impossible to take a photo of one’s own hand with an ipad. the students were encouraged to explore and be creative as they considered composition, including background, perspective, and lighting. the expressive portraits they created astonished me. one student placed her hand against a poster of the clouds that included the word imagine, and another choose to take a photo of her hand as she reached toward a flower. several of the boys decided to focus on sports while one made a peace sign symbol in front of a map of the united states. he said he wanted to express his desire for world peace. after the students had the opportunity to make several images, we turned our efforts to writing about our hands. after looking everywhere for a poem that could be used as a mentor text, i was inspired to write my own. my handsjanis selby jones my hands are precious and creative.they are lined but they are strong.they help me tell my story. my hands labor in the garden.they pack the earth tight around a sculptural succulent.they pick colorful flowers and pull insidious weeds. my hands work hard in the kitchen.they season sauces and savory delights.they make delicious meals for my friends and family to enjoy. my hands make art.they draw portraits and paint mountain landscapes.they create fantastical pictures that only i can imagine. my hands are precious and creative.they are lined but they are strong.they help me tell my story. as we studied the poem, the students pointed out the repetition and patterns they observed. they were then able to apply what they noticed to their own writing. the students wrote drafts that they typed in a word processing app and added one of their images to their document. their products were well done. we decided to go one step further by creating multi media digital projects using a now defunct app called shadowpuppet, which was similar to the currently available adobe spark. our culminating activity was a film festival of sorts. we watched the videos and responded to each other with positive feedback. sharing was the most difficult part for many of the students. a few were embarrassed to open themselves up in such personal ways, but in their reflections, the students who expressed concerns about sharing also expressed that they were proud of themselves for overcoming their shyness and allowing others to view their personal works. the students and i got to know and understand ourselves and each other better by sharing our thoughts and feelings about our hands. in his reflection l.h. stated, “i learned that my hands are very special for many reasons. i also learned that my classmates admire their hands too.” j.h. shared that he learned “that all of my classmates have a cool part about them because i never knew that d.s. could make home baked goods or that m.n. liked playing volleyball. i never knew a lot about my classmates.” you too can get to know a few of these special fifth grade students by watching their amazing multi media presentations posted below. they might even inspire you to get to know yourself a little better by reflecting on all the reasons why your hands are important to you. one might think that a big victory would be enough. the hard won unanimous vote by oceanside city council members to approve a single use plastic reduction ordinance is certainly something to celebrate. in fact, we started with this end in sight, but in many ways, we still have a long way to go before we cross the finish line. over time, we have come to realize that the rise above plastics (rap) race is not a 50 yard sprint. it can’t even be compared to a 5k; it’s more like a marathon with a very circuitous course. the run to address single use plastics in oceanside started small   literally. over 6 years ago, 5th graders from del rio elementary school were invited to do a presentation on marine debris for the oceanside city council by then deputy mayor chuck lowery who had heard about a class project that the students had completed. on the evening of the council meeting, the students were nervous, but they spoke from the heart about the plastic pollution problem and confidently shared possible solutions, including banning polystyrene foam (styrofoamtm). they received a standing ovation, kudos from both the city council and audience members, and left the meeting convinced that their voices were heard and would make a difference. fast forward to 2018 when the initiation of a straws on request campaign included a surfrider san diego sponsored straws film screening and panel discussion at the hill street country club art gallery in oceanside. around that same time, a group of students from oceanside high school started working on their own “straws on request” effort. community outreach that included visits to almost 100 restaurants was conducted and the effort gained support. in august 2018, we achieved a small victory when the council adopted a resolution to support the passage of assembly bill 1884, which would require that straws be provided only upon request statewide. the california legislation was subsequently signed into law on september 20, 2018. in 2019, the city began a be disposable free campaign. surfrider volunteers collaborated with green oceanside staff and gathered hundreds of comment cards in favor of an ordinance to “fight the foam.” unfortunately, the countless hours spent advocating did not result in a policy to address the polystyrene foam problem. the pandemic slowed progress toward an ordinance as we witnessed the increased proliferation of single use plastics. undeterred, rap volunteers and others continued advocating, and in june 2020, san diego surfrider co hosted a screening of the story of plastic and a virtual panel discussion that included rep. mike levin. in march 2021, we were still feeling the impacts of the pandemic when oceanside staff presented a proposal for a marine debris reduction ordinance as part of the city’s zero waste plan update. as outlined, the ordinance included a polystyrene foam ban for restaurants and a “skip the stuff” component that would require straws, stirrers, utensils, condiments. etc. be provided only upon request (flashback to “straws on request” only better). in august 2021, the sitting oceanside city council objected to the foam ban for several reasons, including the fact that the draft ordinance would apply to restaurants while big box retailers, like walmart and costco, would still be allowed to sell party packs of foam plates and cups. instead of an ordinance, the council opted for a resolution to address foam. even though the san diego reader reported the resolution as coming “down hard on plastic,” we realized it was not likely to lead to city wide reductions. however, we were willing to support the marine debris reduction resolution as a step in the right direction. in addition, we were encouraged when oceanside city council members voted unanimously to adopt a “skip the stuff” ordinance. in fact, staff was moving forward with a draft when ab 1276, california’s “skip the stuff” legislation, was passed, making city level action unnecessary. meanwhile, rap volunteers continued advocating for single use plastic reduction policies in other municipalities and celebrated polystyrene foam ban victories in vista (june 2021), san marcos (october 2021), carlsbad (may 2022) and the city of san diego (november 2022). skip ahead to spring 2023, when renewed energy in oceanside finally propelled an ordinance forward. after a surfrider san diego chapter gathering at the plot (a vegan zero waste restaurant), mayor sanchez and councilmember joyce determined that the next step would be to place a single use plastics discussion on a city council meeting agenda. ensuing campaign activities included tabling at events to engage community members, walking in the oceanside independence day parade, visiting restaurants during an ocean friendly restaurants blitz, hosting sunset “strike team” beach cleanups, and engaging in conversations with council members and business groups. finally, during the council meeting on august 23, 2023, the city council voted unanimously to adopt a new and improved marine debris reduction ordinance. the ordinance, which will be finalized after a second reading scheduled for september 13th, includes a polystyrene foam ban for both retail and restaurants along with an expansion of the california plastic bag law to all businesses. in the end, the false starts and setbacks led to a stronger ordinance that will ultimately have a greater impact. although the route to an ordinance in oceanside was longer than expected, lessons were learned along the way, and we will take those lessons with us as we continue our efforts in other parts of the county. as mitch silverstein (san diego chapter policy coordinator) said during a news interview that followed the unanimous oceanside vote, “let’s do this!” mitch was referring to coronado, the only remaining coastal city in san diego county that has not adopted a single use plastic reduction ordinance yet. we are also heading to the inland south county cities of chula vista and la mesa, and once again, students will be helping set the pace. the fifth graders who spoke during the oceanside city council meeting in 2017 are now seniors in high school. since then, countless youth, including members of oceanside high school’s current surfrider club have stood at the podium to demand change, and each one has contributed to the oceanside win. the courageous young people who advocate for a better future are a constant reminder that the rise above plastics race is a marathon that we can’t quit, and even though we may just be somewhere around the 12 mile mark, we are still running strong   with and for them. if you want to run with us, there are several ways to join the race: “let’s do this!” a defining moment of my long career in education occurred in march 2017. i had been working with colleague ann zivotsky and her 5th grade class as we developed an opinion/argument writing unit on marine debris that delved into the problem and explored possible solutions. at the time, i was involved in the national writing project’s college, career and community writers program (c3wp) through the san diego area writing project. over several weeks, i built upon the available resources to develop the unit. the project was a success; the students learned a lot, wrote compelling essays, and created convincing public service announcements. i was incredibly pleased with their work and wanted it to reach a broader audience. on a whim, i decided to contact an oceanside city council member to inquire about the possibility of having the students share their learning during an upcoming city council meeting. he responded immediately and enthusiastically, stating that he would place it on the agenda. the students worked on the presentation and practiced their parts, and when the day finally arrived, everyone was prepared yet nervous. i had never spoken at a city council meeting before. in fact, i had never even attended one. it was completely new for the students and their families as well. in spite of the newness of the experience, the students were poised presenters. they received a standing ovation and were proud of themselves for being brave enough to do something that would intimidate most adults. the article in the local newspaper provided additional validation. the positive feedback made me realize that ordinary citizens, even those still in elementary school, can have an impact, and i began looking for more ways to connect with elected officials. over the next couple of years, i arranged opportunities for students to meet with oceanside leaders and city staff members. students also canvassed restaurants and attended community events to gather signatures in support of a single use plastic reduction ordinance. unfortunately, the pandemic interrupted our outreach, but in april of 2023, ann asked me if i wanted to revisit the marine debris unit with her current students, and i was eager to join her. to kick off the learning, i visited the class and presented my beach found plastic making to make a difference art activity as a way to engage students before ann dove deeper into the topic. using a text set that included everything from videos and articles to infographics and fact sheets, students read, watched, and analyzed and used a note taking organizer to capture key points. the text set highlighted the long time favorite trash talk video series produced by noaa. the accompanying trash talk transcipts were helpful as students processed the information and reflected upon the content of the videos. (see plastic pollution teaching resources for more resources.) in addition to learning about the causes and impacts of marine debris, students read articles and watched videos about solutions, including innovative ideas such as the ocean cleanup project created by boyan slat and a contraption used to clean the baltimore harbor called mr. trash wheel. based on everything they learned, students wrote claims about the best way to solve the marine debris problem. the developing a claim graphic organizer helped them refine their ideas, which ranged from beach cleanups and littering prevention to a reduction in single use plastic items such as water bottles and carryout bags. after students had finalized their claims, they began drafting their essays. for inspiring their leads, we shared models written by students in 2016 and provided an organizer to help the current 5th graders think about what they might want to include. we then helped them pull evidence from the variety of texts they had explored and asked them to complete a graphic organizer to scaffold how to cite an expert. in addition, we provided sentence stems for those needing additional support as they decided upon the evidence they wanted to include. we also challenged students to add counterarguments of sorts, by having them think about what those who don’t care about the problem might say or do. again, mentor texts and sentence stems were helpful because this wasn’t something the 5th graders had been asked to do before. for their conclusions, students circled back to their introductions and considered how the coastline could be transformed, if everyone acted upon the solution that was suggested in their claim. in spite of the perceived “learning gaps” that some people focus on when discussing the pandemic’s impacts on education, we had high expectations, and the students proved us right. their heartfelt writing met and even exceeded our expectations! then, somewhat by coincidence, the marine debris prevention conversation was returning to the oceanside city council just as students were completing their final drafts. i offered the class the opportunity to speak, and seven decided to participate. they formed two groups, and collaborated on their comments using information that they had learned over the previous few weeks. the students were understandably nervous, but when it was their turn, they approached the podium and spoke assuredly. i was thrilled that the city council voted unanimously to move forward with an ordinance that evening, but i was even happier that the students had the opportunity to be a part of making change happen. the class was even mentioned in a coast news article entitled oceanside bans styrofoam containers. if all this wasn’t enough, ann and i decided to have students create public service announcements as a culminating activity. some students worked individually while others collaborated with partners to create storyboards before selecting photos, recording voice overs, and adding music. their learning was distilled down into impactful 30   60 minute videos. a draft marine debris reduction ordinance will come before the oceanside city council in august, and even though these 5th graders will have headed off to middle school by then, i am hoping that some of them will want to continue participating. with young advocates speaking on behalf of the environment, the council will surely be compelled to give final approval to an ordinance that will reduce the impacts of plastic pollution on our local beaches and beyond. listen as one of the students reflects on her city council experience: for more information and/or additional teaching resources, please contact me using the form below. δdocument.getelementbyid( "ak_js_1" ).setattribute( "value", ( new date() ).gettime() ); during the middle ages, the skull and crossbones symbol represented death and was often placed on grave markers. in the 18th century “jolly roger” flags were flown on pirate ships during an attack and/or as a warning of an impending attack. around 1850, the image became a warning label for poisons, and skull and crossbones symbols are still used today to identify hazardous substances and chemicals. the skull and crossbones sand toy found on the beach symbolizes the toxicity of plastics caused by chemical additives that have been associated with serious health impacts. the following concerns about edcs (endocrine disrupting chemicals) have been outlined by the endocrine society: to learn how you can reduce exposure, visit the endocrine society’s what you can do about edcs page. in addition, the mindaroo foundation developed a toxic chemicals in plastics chart that uses the skull and crossbones as a toxicity warning for plastics 1, 3, 6, and 7. for more on plastics and health, visit the links below: endocrine society plastics, edcs & health: authoritative guide center for international environmental law: plastic and health: the hidden cost of a plastic planet plastic health coalition: does plastic make us sick? mindaroo foundation: plastics and human health related instagram posts: a group of north county residents and i first spoke to the carlsbad city council about the plastic pollution problem during a council meeting in february 2019. that evening, council members voted unanimously to place single use plastics on the legislative platform. we subsequently began working with council member priya bhat patel to move a single use plastic (sup) reduction ordinance forward. to raise awareness among the business community, bhat patel hosted a sustainability fair at legoland. unfortunately, the pandemic hit a couple of months later and progress in carlsbad and all of north county san diego came to an abrupt standstill. however, in spite of the temporary set back, we continued to work together. in june 2020, council member bhat patel and representative mike levin among others were virtual panelists for a local screening of “the story of plastic” hosted on zoom by a coalition of environmental organizations, including surfrider foundation’s san diego chapter. as state level covid 19 restrictions finally started to loosen last summer, the vista city council unanimously adopted a single use plastic ordinance championed by council member corinna contreras who had previously invited brady bradshaw (from oceana) and me (as a resident of vista and representative of surfrider’s rise above plastics committee) to do a presentation for the council. in june 2021, vista became the first inland city in san diego county to enact a sup ordinance, which included a phase out of polystyrene serviceware (styrofoamtm) along with a “skip the stuff” component, requiring that straws, stirrers, utensils, etc. be provided only upon request. then in october 2021, the san marcos city council also voted unanimously to adopt single use plastic reduction measures, including a polystyrene ban and upon request provisions. prior to adoption, council member randy walton, who initiated the conversation about plastic reduction measures and was a strong supporter of the ordinance, collaborated with surfrider san diego to conduct a city wide cleanup, during which over 700 pounds of litter was collected from city streets. san marcos has since partnered with the vallecitos water district to install water refill stations at local parks. ordinance discussions began moving forward again in carlsbad when staff introduced the sustainable materials implementation plan, which was adopted in december 2021. then in april, carlsbad council members voted in favor of a comprehensive single use plastic food ware reduction ordinance, and on may 10th, they unanimously approved single use plastic bottle and bag ordinances and also voted to ban the intentional release of all lighter than air balloons. carlsbad’s new suite of sup ordinances are among the strongest in the county and should serve as models for other jurisdictions to follow. so now, even as i take a moment to celebrate the recent victories in vista, san marcos, and carlsbad, i am focused on the two remaining cities in north county san diego county along the 78 corridor that have not enacted ordinances. unfortunately, escondido has yet to seriously consider a plastic reduction policy. in fact, council member mike morasco of escondido does not believe the city should prioritize plastic pollution or climate change mitigation measures, stating “these are personal choices by individuals … people are sick and tired of government micromanaging their lives … we don’t have to do anything here. we have to teach; we have to educate … but don’t even think about mandating that people are forced to live a lifestyle based upon what someone else thinks is best for them.” he added, “i feel bad for the youth who’ve been indoctrinated to feel their lives are in peril. i don’t look at it as if the sky is falling.” in spite of morasco’s comments, escondido mayor paul macnamara continues to seek a path forward and has actively supported businesses, like burger bench, that are striving to reduce the unnecessary distribution of single use plastics and have joined surfrider foundation’s ocean friendly restaurants program. most recently, macnamara directed staff to provide an overview of ordinances adopted by neighboring cities. to that end, escondido staff developed a matrix that outlines policies in san diego county. i am hopeful that the mayor’s request for this information might finally lead to a productive discussion about common sense measures to reduce single use plastics in escondido. unfortunately, like morasco, the majority of council members in oceanside have shirked the city’s responsibility to act on sup. while a headline from august 2021 states, oceanside comes down hard on plastic, the council actually did no such thing. oceanside’s leaders opted for a marine debris reduction resolution rather than the ordinance that was presented by staff, and even though they ultimately decided to move forward with a “skip the stuff” policy, requiring that accessory ware be provided only upon request, it was pulled from the agenda because a similar state law passed in the interim. (ab 1276, the statewide “skip the stuff” law for california, goes into effect on june 1, 2022). oceanside’s mayor pro tem ryan keim acknowledges that plastic pollution is a problem, stating “you travel across the country or across the world to these remote places and you find a foot deep of plastic bottles, if we can start in our own backyard that would be great.” but oceanside still hasn’t gotten serious about cleaning up its backyard while neighboring jurisdictions are being good stewards of their communities. oceanside’s procrastination is all the more frustrating because it comes after years of community advocacy and widespread support. in fact 95% of who those who completed the city’s green oceanside survey responded affirmatively to “do you think single use plastic should be reduced?” current council members have all but ignored this input from residents dating back five years to march 2017, when students from del rio elementary school did a presentation for the council on the environmental and economic impacts of marine debris. other awareness raising events have included a screening of straws the movie held at the hill street country club gallery on coast highway in august 2018. in addition, residents and students have spoken during city council meetings multiple times over the years to advocate for a single use plastics reduction policies, but until the majority of oceanside council members acknowledge that local decisions regarding the environment can and do make a difference, nothing will change. so even as we recognize and celebrate unanimous support in vista, san marcos, and carlsbad, i am disappointed by the inaction in oceanside and escondido. how much longer can both majorities continue to ignore the fact that neighboring city councils have united to protect our “backyards” in order to ensure a clean and healthy planet for future generations? during a recent portrait of a graduate student summit held in oceanside, young people were asked what skills they thought would be needed in the future. one high school senior replied, “i need to know how to live in a burning world.” sadly, that theme was echoed many times throughout the day. the environmental concerns expressed saddened me for obvious reasons, one of which is that eco anxiety is real and none feel it more than the students of today whose futures will undoubtedly be affected. as an educator and environmentalist who has been working to raise awareness and take action to address the plastic pollution problem, i have conducted many presentations for school groups (making to make a difference) and organizations such as the north county climate change alliance (climate connections: impacts and solutions). bringing the topic forward through art with a focus on hope and empowerment continues to be a highlight of my career. over time, i have become even more deeply involved in climate change education efforts. in fact, i participated in a year long climate champions project developed through partnerships with scripps institution of oceanography, birch aquarium, uc san diego, create (the center for research on educational equity, assessment & teaching excellence) at uc san diego, and the san diego county office of education. as part of the ocean impacts teacher leader team, i developed a unit on sea level rise, which includes lessons and videos from nasa along with ideas for teaching argument writing through an environmental justice lens using resources from the national writing project’s college, career, and community writers program (c3wp). more recently, i have been involved in an environmental education endeavor through the california writing project (cwp) and have also co coordinated the san diego area writing project’s (sdawp) advanced institute on environmental literacy and justice. committing to teach climate change presents challenges, but i am lucky to have writing project colleagues with whom i can collaborate. ann zivotsky is one of those colleagues. she is a fifth grade teacher who participated in the advanced institute and decided to tackle climate change head on in her classroom (read her blog post here.) because we work in the same school district, i was able to co teach with her to introduce her 5th graders to “climate warriors” who are directly impacted by climate change and are taking action to make a difference in their communities and beyond. the experiences of these youth activists became the material for the development of leads and conclusions for climate change opinion essays focused on solutions. i began by showing ann’s class several short videos produced by unicef that highlight activists from around the world. the school where ann teaches has a diverse student population, and the 5th graders were quite interested in learning about change makers from different places. they especially enjoyed hearing from the young women from the philippines and mexico, and because del rio is located in an area of town that also has a relatively large community of pacific islanders, they appreciated learning about brianna fruen from samoa. sharing the stories of diverse climate warriors allowed us to introduce students to issues of environmental justice while providing role models in whom the students could see themselves reflected. as the fifth graders viewed the videos, we asked them to complete a graphic organizer to capture details about the climate warriors. along with each of the activist’s names and countries, the class noted the climate impacts, experiences, and actions taken. it is essential to balance the reality of the impacts with positive examples of advocacy in order to assure students that even though climate change has harmful consequences, people can and are making a difference. after watching the videos, we asked students to put themselves in the place of someone who experienced severe weather or other climate change related event. for example, we encouraged the class to think about what they might see, hear and feel during a storm. they were then asked to write from that point of view in order to develop essay leads that would engage readers. the example below is powerful. in their full essays, students went on to both define climate change and offer solutions. when writing their conclusions, we asked them to circle back to their leads in order to remind readers why their solutions could make a difference for someone living in a place that has already been affected by climate change. the entirety of the climate change lessons that ann (and i) taught accomplished several things. students became more knowledgeable about climate change, and they learned some simple things anyone can do to reduce their carbon footprint. they also became familiar with people who are making a difference while discovering that they too can make a difference. finally, they developed reading, critical thinking, and writing skills, proving that climate change and environmental justice should be expanded beyond science curriculum and classrooms. i will leave you with a video of ann’s students talking about climate change. the video concludes with one student’s request that we “at least try.” our lessons may not be perfect; we might not always know the answers to questions or the exact right thing to say when talking about climate change with students, but for these fifth graders, and all the other young people who are concerned about knowing how to live in a burning world, we, as educators, must try. video: kids talk about climate change resources: leading with climate justice (5 minute overview video for teachers) leading with climate justice (conference presentation slides) climate warriors for environmental justice (lesson slides) climate warriors (video links) i was part of virtual environmental literacy conversation this morning through the california writing project and left the meeting feeling inspired by colleagues from across the state who are engaging students in meaningful climate change discussions. as i was thinking through my next steps, i decided to revisit my old posts like making to make a difference below. pandemic restrictions have limited much of the hands on plastic pollution education work i enjoy, but i am looking forward to new opportunities as in person activities resume, and the following reminds me of why providing opportunities for young people to create and write is at the forefront of my work as an educator, artist, and activist.                   july 30, 2016 as i set out my containers filled with colorful beach plastic in preparation for the activity i had planned for the 3rd through 8th graders attending san diego area writing project’s young writers’ camp in cardiff, i stopped and noticed how beautiful it looked and reflected on the incongruity of the marine debris lined up in an elementary school corridor that would soon be filled with eager summer campers. as the kids arrived, they noticed the colorful plastics and had questions before they even settled in. i introduced myself and shared what i do to make a difference as a teacher, avid beach cleaner, photographer, writer, and maker. i showed examples of my work and asked everyone to theorize about how some of the items could have ended up on the beach. we discussed balloon bits, bucket handles, and bottle caps, and the wide eyed campers expressed amazement while sharing their insights and observations. they were excited when they found something they recognized, and they even identified an object on my all caps piece for me. “it’s a water gun plug!” one of the campers exclaimed, and i was grateful to finally know. (i find them often but couldn’t figure out what they were.) after i showed them my instagram account and my blog, i shared the work of my sister and her husband, judith selby lang and richard lang who are renowned beach plastic artists and my inspiration. i shared their plastic arrays arranged by hue and included an image from their plastic forever blog to highlight the point that making art and writing go hand in hand. from there, we segued into a deeper discussion about marine debris, and i played a video from ocean today’s trash talk series to enhance their understanding. living in coastal san diego, most were already aware of the problem of ocean pollution, and by a show of hands, a few had participated in beach clean up events in the past. in addition, many have attended environmental assemblies at their schools where they may have seen the iconic image of a decomposing albatross with a stomach full of plastic or the picture of the turtle whose shell became deformed as it grew into the plastic six pack ring wrapped around its middle. those images are shocking and cause one to think about the damage we are doing to the planet and its inhabitants, but research has shown that scare tactics aren’t the best way to inspire people to effect positive change. in an environment360 interview about his book, what we think about when we try not to think about global warming, psychologist per espen stoknes explains: “what we know from psychological studies is that if you overuse fear inducing imagery, what you get is fear and guilt in people, and this makes people more passive, which counteracts engagement.” knowing that scary images aren’t effective in motivating people, i want to engage students by sharing poignantly beautiful photographs and objects that draw them in and allow them to develop connections. by providing opportunities for students to talk about, work with, and write about the plastic debris, their connections grow even deeper. as their interest and insight develops, i am confident that they will find their own ways to make a difference based on hope not fear. (i discuss how i remain hopeful while cleaning the beach in my blog post entitled what is hope? ) my ultimate goal is it to have an even greater positive impact by empowering young people to use their creativity to inform and inspire others. i want them to know that their classroom teachers aren’t the only people who are educators. they too can teach through their words and actions and through what they create and share with a wider audience. to lead campers into writing and making, i shared examples from young writers and photography camp that i co taught earlier in the summer. (a 25 minute center activity that i did with campers during that program was the seed that grew into this more fully developed presentation.) after we discussed the endless possibilities for writing, i demonstrated the hands on work they would be doing. i dumped a tub of plastic out on the floor and explained the connection between writing and making by sharing that just as one might revise a piece of writing one can revise a piece of art that’s in process too. objects in a collage and words/phrases/sentences on a page can be added, deleted, and moved around as the artist/author develops and works to improves the piece. finally, campers headed outside and began arranging the plastic into pleasing compositions that they captured with the devices/cameras they brought from home. it probably goes without saying that they had fun working in pairs to lay out their designs. they also enjoyed discussing the pieces of plastic as they placed them on their work surfaces. i heard exclamations of excitement as familiar objects were recognized, and i overheard a pair seriously negotiating the placement of a bottle cap. someone held up a black cone shaped object and was surprised by my explanation that it was an eel trap. as they made their arrangements, i couldn’t help but think about the significance of their interactions with the material. the eye catching plastic, as beautiful as it is, represents humanity’s failure to protect our natural resources; it exists in contrast to the fresh faced innocence of the children who were creating with it the embodiment of hope for a future in which we can and must do better. their final products were beautiful, intriguing…and fun! one of the creators of the “pink beach boy” and i discussed the fact that the image was both cool and not cool at the same time. we laughed as we came to that realization, which reminded me that humor is another positive way to engage an audience when tackling difficult topics. after campers finished collaborating on their designs, they grabbed their notebooks and began to write. some drafted poems, while others crafted letters and stories. a couple of campers asked if they could write comic strips, and i exclaimed, ” yes! a comic strip about marine debris. what a great idea!” one of the campers in the 5th/6th group drafted a story about the life of one water bottle that eventually ends up in the recycling bin after going on quite an adventure, and an older camper in the 7th/8th grade group began working on a powerful piece about the urban jungle. two girls in the 3rd/4th grade group who worked together to create their plastic collages wrote very different pieces. while one wrote a letter to the “government,”the other developed a poem: sea turtles and sharksdolphins and whalesclams and musselsjellyfish and sea snailstheir lives are endangered by marine debrisand humans need to find a solutionso i am asking you pleasewhen you go to the beachpick up some trashso the creatures of the seacan live happy lives in peace we had a few minutes for sharing in author’s chair before i left the campers with some final thoughts on making to make a difference. i explained that not everyone is as passionate about marine debris and cleaning beaches as i am. i challenged them to discover what that they care deeply about and encouraged them to find ways to inform and inspire others through their own making and writing. before i had to say good bye, i asked the campers two final questions, and i pose the same two questions to you: what do you care about? what will you do (or make) to make a difference? into the current highlights the plastic pollution problem by showcasing photographs, 3 d objects, and sculptures created with plastic debris found on north county san diego beaches. the installation is on display at the hill street country club gallery at 530 south coast highway (oceanside) in the linksoul building through october 16, 2021. schedule a viewing appointment, check the events calendar, and/or email janis at janis@surfidersd.org for additional information about into the current. introduction as i walk along the beach in north county san diego, i collect plastic debris that has washed up with the waves, was swept out with the run off, or was left behind by beach goers. many aspects of modern culture are represented in the detritus: single use straws, utensils, water bottles, bottle caps, grocery bags, balloons, toys, food wrappers, and much more are curated by the tides. each time i clean the beach, i notice the contrast between the man made refuse and the beauty of the shore, the crashing waves, and the ever changing sky out toward the horizon. i enjoy the challenge of making something out of place look visually pleasing as i seek to tell the story of our polluted planet. into the current references the ocean currents and the current health of the ocean. it also alludes to the current issue of environmental racism related to plastics, and the extraction, manufacturing, and waste disposal processes that impact the health and well being of people living near facilities that emit pollutants. finally, into the current speaks to the current lack of meaningful action on the part of corporations and political leaders at all levels. in spite of the current realities and despite the amount of plastic i find washed up on local beaches, i don’t get discouraged. instead, i find hope in the inspiration provided by others. my hope comes from knowing that i am part of a world wide community of activists who care about the environment and are taking action to protect both people and the planet. visit http://www.sandiegosurfrider.org for information about local, state, and federal campaigns and/or contact janis directly at janis@surfridersd.org to find out how you can help. drowning in plastic garbage patches garbage patches represents the great pacific garbage patch in the north pacific along with the other concentrations of marine debris, which are located in the south pacific, the north and south atlantic, and the indian ocean. debris gathers in these five ocean zones due to surface winds and circular currents that act like giant whirlpools in which plastic detritus becomes trapped. 8 billion tons of plastic enters the ocean annually, and 80% of it is from land based sources. if we don’t act now, by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight. alphabet soup alphabet soup is a compilation of letter shaped plastic items found on north county san diego beaches. the title references the fact that the concentration of plastics in the garbage patches are not islands of large pieces of floating debris. rather, the accumulated plastics are more like a soup of swirling microplastics, some of which are so small they aren’t even visible. in fact, it’s possible to sail through one of the garbage patches and see very little plastic, but it’s there, floating on the surface and swirling throughout the water column. sea enemies when released, helium filled balloons will eventually burst or deflate and will descend to earth as harmful debris. latex balloons often fragment into pieces that resemble sea anemones, and as ocean pollution, both latex and mylar balloons can harm shorebirds, marine mammals, and sea turtles. fortunately, there are innumerable ways to replace helium filled balloons with other fun options. try making prayer flags out of scrap fabric or decorate with recycled paper flowers and if balloons are a must, air filled stick balloons are a safer option because they won’t float away if accidentally released. for more information, including additional ideas for balloon free celebrations, please visit balloonsblow.org, and to find out how you can support the san diego county balloon campaign, email rap@surfridersd.org. calamity clown a calamity is a disaster “marked by great harm and lasting distress and suffering.” calamity clown represents the harmful impact that plastic pollution has on the environment and the distress and suffering it causes people living in fence line zones near facilities that emit pollutants. calamity clown also signifies the urgency of the problem and the fact that there is no time for clowning around. individuals can help stop the plastic pollution calamity by refusing single use items such as plastic bags, water bottles, straws, stirrers, utensils, and take away cups and containers. all caps billions of plastic drink bottles are sold every day around the world, and all too often the bottle caps end up as litter only to get swept into a storm drain where they can be carried to the ocean when it rains. in fact, bottle caps are the third most commonly found item on international coastal clean up day. how can you ensure that your next bottle cap doesn’t end up polluting the ocean? shovel stars there are close to 2,000 species of sea stars (starfish) living in the ocean. most have five arms, but there are sea stars with as many as forty arms. plastic sand shovels are also ubiquitous. everyone enjoys watching children as they play in the sand at the beach, but when broken beach toys are left behind, they become plastic pollution. litterpress letterpress trays were once used to store moveable letters for typesetting. this litterpress displays pieces of marine debris that were found on beaches in north county san diego. some of the items are recognizable as the objects they once were, and others are unidentifiable. look closely at each block. can you find the contact lens case, cigar tip, snack pack cheese spreader, lego wig, or tooth flosser? what else can you identify? unmasked to unmask something is to expose the hidden truth about it, and unmasked reveals truths about plastic pollution. the marine plastic used to create unmasked was cleaned up off of north county san diego beaches, evidence that the problem is pervasive. what can you do to raise awareness and unmask truths about the harmful impacts of unnecessary plastics? love getting lost with you cairns (stacked stones) are often used to mark wilderness trails as a way to help hikers navigate. stacking beach stones can be considered a meditative practice, which can also help people stay on the right path. have we lost our way when the convenience of single use plastics is valued over protecting the environment? have we gone astray when we don’t consider the people whose health and well being are impacted by the pollution that our convenience creates? petrol glyphs prehistoric people created petroglyphs by carving or incising into rock. according to scholars, the etchings were created for a variety of reasons, many of which are not well understood today. even though our understanding is limited, petroglyphs remain “powerful cultural symbols that reflect the complex societies and religions of the surrounding tribes.” these petrol glyphs were created by arranging petroleum based marine debris on a background of plastic detritus. how will the scholars of the future interpret the single use symbols that we will leave behind? what story will our discarded plastics tell about our daily lives and modern culture? flotsam army toy soldiers are prized finds by beach cleaners around the world so much so that there is a popular #flotsamarmy hashtag. flotsam army is a reminder that we must fight for the health of the planet. in fact, veterans for peace has developed a climate crisis steering committee that focuses on the following areas: “the unequal burden of both climate change and militarism on people of color and the poor; the carbon footprint of the us military, which is larger than that of many countries; how wars for oil and other resources support the fossil fuel based status quo.” sad ball and angry bird sad ball is one of the first photos i ever took of something unnatural that i found on the shoreline. it represents the beginning of my journey. my sister and her husband are my inspiration. they are artists who started using beach plastic in their work over 20 years ago. when they first told me about the problem, i wasn’t seeing it on my beach walks here in north county, but about 8 years ago that changed, and i began finding more and more debris on our beaches. i started documenting the things i was finding by taking photographs in situ, and i began posting images like these to social media as a way to raise awareness about plastic pollution. sad ball and angry bird speak to the range of emotions one feels when facing the problem. first world people in the united states often place the blame for plastic pollution on developing countries. however, a study conducted by oceanographer dr. kara lavender law found that the u.s. generates “the largest amount of plastic trash in the world, disposing of nearly 92.6 billion pounds of plastic in a single year. using the most recent available data from 2016, researchers determined that the u.s. produces six to eight times more plastic waste per person than its counterparts in china and india, respectively.” law explained that “for years, so much of the plastic we have put into the blue bin has been exported for recycling to countries that struggle to manage their own waste, let alone the vast amounts delivered from the united states. and when you consider how much of our plastic waste isn’t actually recyclable because it is low value, contaminated, or difficult to process, it’s not surprising that a lot of it ends up polluting the environment.” deer in the headlights a deer will freeze in the road when encountering a car at night because the headlights are blinding. research has shown that when inundated with frightening news about the environment, people react much like deer caught in the headlights. the overwhelming fear can be emotionally paralyzing and may cause some to experience inertia or apathy, but we must unfreeze ourselves and “turn our fears into motivated action to save our planet.” hill street country club gallery according to a study conducted in 2020, the prevalence of microplastics in the ocean has been significantly underestimated, and the number is at least double previous estimates. professor pennie lundeque, who led the research, stated that “…microplastic concentrations could exceed 3,700 particles per cubic meter that’s far more than the number of zooplankton you would find.” unfortunately, zooplankton ingest microplastics, and that’s one way that plastic enters the food web, moves up the food chain, and ends up on our plates, but the overall impacts are even more complex. plankton are an essential part of the ocean’s carbon sink because they transport carbon dioxide to the seafloor where the carbon is then sequestered in sediments. consequently, impacts to zooplankton may reduce the capacity of the ocean to absorb carbon and help “regulate global climate.” as discouraging as the news may seem, there are simple things we can do to help. as individuals, we can refuse single use plastic items, including plastic bags, take away coffee cups, utensils, straws, polystyrene cups and clamshells, single use water bottles, and all unnecessary plastic packaging. most importantly, we must hold the petrochemical industry and plastic producers to account, and we must insist that leaders at every level pass legislation to protect people, planet and plankton! (join us in cities across north county san diego to advocate for common sense single use plastic policies. upcoming city council meetings during which plastics reduction measures will be discussed include oceanside on august 4th, carlsbad on august 14th, and san marcos on september 14th. please read the surfrider san diego blog post about the reluctant city council in oceanside, and see the document linked here for details about all the upcoming meetings.) mylar balloons have really been blowing this week! in fact, i picked up six during my beach walk in north county on wednesday. by now, most people realize that when released, helium filled balloons will eventually burst or deflate and will descend to earth as harmful debris. as ocean pollution, they can injure or kill shorebirds, marine mammals, and sea turtles, but they can also be caught by westerly winds and be blown all the way to anza borrego state park where they may harm desert tortoises and other wildlife. sicco rood, uc irvine staff research associate at the steele/burnand anza borrego desert research center, has seen the inland problem first hand: “i find these balloons and their strings and ribbons littering and tangled up in cacti and other plants in pristine areas of desert on a daily basis.” to address the issue, sicco started a change.org petition seeking to ban harmful helium filled mylar balloons in san diego county california. sicco is also working with surfrider foundation san diego chapter volunteers to advocate for ordinances, and the campaign has recently been featured in the local news (links below). environmental impacts to san diego’s coastal and desert regions aren’t the only reasons to consider banning helium filled balloons. mylar balloons conduct electricity, and when they contact power lines, they may cause power outages, and they can even spark wildfires. sadly, mylar balloons caused the 2013 deer fire which burned 11,429 acres and injured five people in northern california. a startling video, taken by a resident of long beach who captured an explosion, highlights what can happen when mylar balloons get caught on power lines. injuries to wildlife, explosions, power outages, and fires should be reason enough to ban mylar balloons, but we must also consider that helium is a non renewable resource. serious shortages have occurred in the past with potential impacts to healthcare, industry, science, and technology. consequently, instead of filling party balloons with it, helium should be reserved for essential purposes such as mris, respiratory treatments, high speed internet, and telecommunications. in an article published by the bbc in 2012, tom welton, a professor of sustainable chemistry, stated “when you see that we’re literally just letting it float into the air, and then out into space inside those helium balloons, it’s just hugely frustrating. it is absolutely the wrong use of helium.” fortunately, there are innumerable ways to celebrate more sustainably (and creatively), including making prayer flags out of scrap fabric or decorating with recycled paper flowers and if balloons are a must, air filled stick balloons are still an option. for more information, including additional ideas for balloon free celebrations, please visit balloonsblow.org, and to find out how you can support the san diego county campaign, email rap@surfridersd.org. cbs news 8   how mylar balloons pose environmental hazard in san diego deserts the coast news group urges encinitas to end sale of helium filled balloons the coast news encinitas environmental commission sends balloon ban proposal to council enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. email address: follow

don’t know how to login? depending on this location’s preferences, the log in process could include your library card number, a student or user id, or another provided password. if you don’t know how to log in, please contact your library or school directly.
supported by her successful campaign against foam lunch trays in new york city led to similar city and statewide bans   and taught a group of fifth graders how to take on city hall. by penelope green as an artist who liked to play with scale, debby lee cohen created monumental pieces, like the giant puppets she designed for manhattan’s annual village halloween parade, as well as miniatures, like the tiny forest she once made for a work by the interdisciplinary artist and composer meredith monk, with whom she often collaborated. a decade and a half ago, ms. cohen became an anti plastics activist when she learned the scale of waste in new york city’s public schools. her daughter anna, then in second grade at a school in the east village, had announced that she was boycotting lunch after seeing an exhibition on climate change at the museum of natural history that included a diorama of polar bears atop a mountain of what she recognized as her school’s lunch trays. it was then that ms. cohen learned that school lunches were served on foam trays   and that the city’s more than 1,800 public schools were using and throwing out at least 800,000 of them daily. ms. cohen, an artist, animator, performer, puppeteer and environmental activist whose campaign to eliminate foam trays from new york city’s public schools paved the way for similar bans in the city and state   and who taught students how to advocate for themselves at school and at city hall   died on april 7 at her home in manhattan. she was 64. the cause was colon cancer, said her sister, ellie cohen. in 2009, after her daughter’s school lunch boycott   which she solved in the short term by making her daughter’s lunches herself   ms. cohen looked for organizations that were dealing with the tray issue. there were none. but she found like minded parents who were also working to reduce the staggering amount of plastic waste in their children’s schools, and they banded together to push for citywide action.

 watch cbs news may 1, 2012 / 12:01 pm edt / cbs new york new york (cbsnewyork)   giant styrofoam marionettes were used at city hall on monday to protest the use of the material in new york city school lunch trays, wcbs 880's rich lamb reported. wcbs 880's rich lamb on the story the protest was run by the organization "s.o.s.," or styrofoam out of schools. "we serve 850,000 meals per day in new york city schools. over the past 20 years, we've been using styrofoam. that's three billion trays," the group's debby lee cohen told lamb. cohen praised the city's department of education for eliminating styrofoam trays on tuesdays, when paper boats are used, but insisted that more must be done. "we have 1.1 million students. we tell them in the classroom 'recycle. recycle.