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Plastic Free July is a simple idea developed in 2011. It aims to raise awareness of the amount of plastic in our lives by encouraging people to eliminate the use of single-use plastic during July each year. Plastic Free July is an initiative of the Western Metropolitan Regional Council (WMRC) in Perth, Western Australia. It was developed by clever Earth Carers staff. It has now gone worldwide.

"I'm thinking, you know, it was good shit, plastic. It answered a myriad of "how to" questions, and thus occasioned a fabulous efflorescence, an unprecedented burst of wealth. Maybe plastic was Death disguised as Santa Claus-something for everyone from the ever-expanding plastic sack-but certainly this would be a tough planet without the plastic used in our technology. Maybe a good motto for homo sapiens as a species is, Live fast, die young, and leave a pretty archeological record. Our stratum will be a bright, shiny smear of plastic."

We're not going to stop making plastic any time soon. But to prevent that plastic from spreading everywhere, we need to do a better job managing it. A recent conference brought together experts to think of some easy ways to do just that.

"THE Newman Government has back-flipped on a proposed plastic bag ban amid concerns of a voter backlash. A day after telling The Courier-Mail the ban was being considered as part of an overall waste strategy, Environment Minister Andrew Powell has confirmed he's now changed his mind. A spokeswoman for Mr Powell said the Government was no longer considering a ban on plastic bags and in a statement Mr Powell cited cost of living issues as the main concern."

"Ignorance has just become much harder, for citizens, industry and policymakers alike: CSIRO has released the damning results of a three-year study of marine debris around Australia's coastline and seas. Three-quarters of all the refuse is plastic, and almost all of that comes in small pieces. In Australian waters, it found up to 40,000 pieces of plastic per square kilometre."

"Los Angeles became the biggest city in the country to ban free plastic bags in grocery stores following a city council vote Tuesday. The 9-1 vote supports a ban that will take effect Jan. 1 for large stores, City News Service reported. Under the law, shoppers will have to tote their own bags, or pay 10 cents each for paper bags."

"Published on Jul 26, 2013 To learn more about plastic marine debris and how YOU can make a difference, please go to: http://www.healthebay.org/plastic"

"Another young creative mind working towards bettering our world. 19-year-old Boyan Slat has revealed his plans to the world regarding his Ocean Cleanup Array that could remove 7,250,000 tons of plastic waste from the world's oceans."

"We challenge the reader, on Oceans Day, to join us in a one-month "plastic de-tox" commitment. Start by counting how many disposable plastic items you use in one day, and decide how many of them you could do away without compromising your quality of life in any significant manner."

"Half of Australia's states and territories have now banned single-use, lightweight plastic bags, the latest being Tasmania. And while they are Australia's least-populated states and territories, pressure is growing on the governments of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia to do the same."

"Did you know that Australians dump 7,150 recyclable plastic bags into landfills every minute or 429,000 bags every hour? *Clean Up Australia. RED Group Holdings Pty Ltd was formed by a group of individuals who passionately believe that neither of these options is acceptable. One of their goals has been to create an innovative, closed-loop recycling model that encourages Australians, and particularly the next generation, to adopt a more sustainable approach to waste"

"Published on 6 May 2015 This 2-minute "explainer" shows how tiny plastic microbeads are designed to go down the drain and into our rivers, lakes, and oceans and we can do to stop this ridiculous assault on our public waters. TAKE ACTION: http://bit.ly/banthebead"

"Bottled water producers are facing increasing pressure as the product falls from favour among the industry's most loyal buyers. Figures provided to Fairfax by Roy Morgan Research show that in the 12 months to September last year 30 per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds said they drank bottled water, compared with 36 per cent in 2007. In the 14 to 25 age group, 33 per cent drank bottled water compared with 35 per cent in 2007."

"Milo an 11 year old schoolboy from Vermont in the United States started a project to reduce the use and waste of disposable plastic straws. As well as encouraging children to say no to straws, through Milo's project, restaurants and food outlets are now asking their customers if they need a straw, rather than automatically putting one with each drink. 'Do you need a straw? "

"- What does sustainability mean? - Why are we currently unsustainable? - What is an ecological footprint? - What's the problem with plastic? - What about water? - And biodiversity? - How are people faring? - How can we find a sustainable path? - What are some great sustainability initiatives? This video introduces the concept of sustainability and explains our current situation on this planet, even before any potential challenges from climate change are involved. From the Australian Research Institute for Environment and Sustainability (ARIES) at Macquarie University, Sydney. "

"Australian scientists have found a way to print large but extremely lightweight and flexible solar panels like money. World-leading scientists at the CSIRO said the A3-sized panels, which are created by laying a liquid photovoltaic ink onto thin, flexible plastic could soon mean everyone has the ability to print their own solar panels at home."

"Shining a Light on Sustainability is an introductory video from the Australian Research Institute for Environment and Sustainability at Macquarie University, Sydney.  This video introduces the concept of sustainability and explains our current situation even before any potential challenges from climate change are involved. What does sustainability mean? Why are we currently unsustainable? What is an ecological footprint? What's the problem with plastic? What about water? And biodiversity? How are people faring? How can we find a sustainable path? What are some great sustainability initiatives?"

We've made a new Coke ad -- with a twist! It exposes how this corporate giant is willing to let plastic pollution trash our oceans and kill our marine life. Chip in today to help get it on TV: http://bit.ly/cokead-YT

Climate change has altered the behaviour and interactions of many plants and animals, including when fish migrate and plants flower. But evidence has been lacking that such shifts have a genetic basis. Organisms often deal with environmental pressures by altering traits through a process known as phenotypic plasticity, which does not require genetic changes. But many organisms will need to evolve genetic adaptations to climate change to survive, and seasonal traits such as the timing of migration are those most likely to evolve as they are genetically heritable.