Laura Parker, National Geographic

Laura Parker

National Geographic

Washington, DC, United States

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • National Geographic

Past articles by Laura:

The world’s nations agree to fix the plastic waste crisis

A plastic pollution treaty, called Paris Plus, would come with a mandate—and more muscle than the climate accord. → Read More

Plastic gets to the oceans through over 1,000 rivers

Scientists used to think 20 rivers at most carried most plastic into the oceans, but now they know it’s far more, complicating potential solutions. → Read More

Plastic food packaging was top trash in global beach cleanup

A million volunteer-strong beach clean-up effort spanned 120 countries; it also turned up an artificial Christmas tree and a typewriter. → Read More

How the plastic bottle went from miracle container to hated garbage

The evolution of the plastic bottle from amazing to scourge of land and sea has played out inside of a generation. → Read More

Canada announces plan to ban single-use plastics by 2021

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the ban will likely include plastic bags, straws, cutlery, plates, and stir sticks. → Read More

The world's plastic pollution crisis explained

Much of the planet is swimming in discarded plastic, which is harming animal and possibly human health. Can it be cleaned up? → Read More

Microplastics spread throughout the deep sea reveal scale of plastic problem

The finding adds to the growing body of evidence that microplastics permeate our oceans. → Read More

Shipping plastic waste to poor countries just got harder

More than 180 countries have agreed to include plastic in a treaty regulating exports of hazardous waste. → Read More

Maine passes the U.S.'s first state ban on foam food packaging

The state joins several U.S. cities and counties in restricting the containers in an effort to reduce waste. → Read More

Biodegradable shopping bags buried for three years didn’t degrade

A new study casts doubt on the viability of biodegradable plastics as an answer to plastic pollution. → Read More

Plastic bag bans are spreading. But are they truly effective?

Kenya has the strictest penalties for bag use, but the consumer alternatives to plastic have come with growing pains. → Read More

Microplastic is leading to big problems for fish in the ocean

Newborn fish are mistaking tiny bits of trash for food. If they die, there’ll be fewer big fish—and that could rattle the food chain. → Read More

Support is surging for teens’ climate change lawsuit

The U.S. Constitution protects the right to a safe climate, say 30,000 kids and eight members of Congress in support of the suit. → Read More

Striking photos reveal plastic and plankton side-by-side

Hidden just beneath the surface of the ocean is a world where tiny ocean creatures must navigate a dense world of plastic soup. → Read More

5 key environmental impacts of the government shutdown

From trashed national parks to stranded marine mammals, the gridlock in Washington is causing real hardship on the ground coast to coast. → Read More

6 ways the border wall could disrupt the environment

Trump's plan to build a wall from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific could come with unintended consequences for wildlife and people. → Read More

A whopping 91% of plastic isn't recycled

Billions of tons of plastic have been made over the past decades, and much of it is becoming trash and litter, finds the first analysis of the issue. → Read More

Sea scallops suck up billions of plastic particles

A new study found rapid movement of the plastic throughout the mollusk bodies, surprising scientists. → Read More

Sperm whale found dead with 13 pounds of plastic in its stomach in Indonesia

The animal had swallowed plastic bags, bottles, flip-flops, and 115 drinking cups. → Read More

'Biggest case on the planet' pits kids vs. climate change

A pioneering lawsuit against the U.S. government has won the right to a trial, overcoming the Trump administration's efforts to cancel it in court. → Read More