It's a growing problem in the northern Pacific Ocean and one that could change life on our planet within the next 20 years.

"I remember the first time I felt it; I was paddling out on my surfboard and noticed a mushy, plastic-like substance sliding through my fingers. That's what started my obsession with the Great Pacific Garbage Patch," says charity fundraiser and environmentalist Veronica Grey. "The patch is located between Hawaii and California in the northern Pacific Ocean, where millions of small bits of plastic have gathered in a vortex of ocean currents known as a gyre."

As someone with ample experience raising awareness for worthy causes, Grey paired her professional skills with her personal passion for the ocean, creating the award-winning documentary "Aqua Seafoam Shame," (www.Pacific-TV.com), which spotlights the mess in the ocean that has garnered precious little media attention, she says.

"Fifteen years ago The Patch was the size Texas, but now it's the size of the continental United States," says Grey, who used her iPhone to shoot the documentary, which features renowned scientists, journalists and environmentalists.

Plastic in the ocean has far-reaching implications that, if not addressed within 20 years, could change life on this planet, she says. To date, 177 species of sea life are known to ingest plastic; other species feed on those creatures, extending the chain of damage.

"People eat the seafood that eats plastic, and the planet gets its rain from the oceans, which are being polluted at an exponential rate," she says. "We use significantly more of our planet's surface as a dump than for growing food; this has to change."

To begin addressing plastics pollution, Grey encourages people to use alternatives:

• Americans buy 2 million bottles of water every five minutes; ditch plastic bottles and use glass or recyclable cans.

• Carry a cost-effective canvas bag instead getting disposable plastic bags at the grocery store. We waste 10 billion plastic bags every week!

• Do not line your trash cans with plastic bags. Use paper bags or nothing.

• Skip the lid on your to-go drinks. The paper cup is normally recyclable but the lid usually isn't.

• Remember that each and every time you flush; it all ends up in the ocean. Be mindful of what you toss in your toilet!

About Veronica Grey

Veronica Grey is an award-winning author and filmmaker. A graduate of UCLA, she is a regular contributor to TV stations across the country and is the recipient of the 2011 New Media award from the Pare Lorentz Film Festival. "Aqua Seafoam Shame" is a critically acclaimed documentary that explores the diagnosis that 25 percent of our planet's surface is now a landfill, due to the Pacific garbage patch and plastics. The movie also explores the process by which conscientious companies, some because of her encouragement, switched from plastic to a more sustainable alternative. Grey was born on PI (3.14) in PI (Philippines Island) and she is recognized as a numbers savant.

Changes will save families, businesses and communities significant initial and annual costs

(DES MOINES) - The Governor's Office today announced the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has accepted Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds' alternative to the RICE rule. After signing an Executive Order, meeting with EPA head Lisa Jackson, and pushing for the elimination of burdensome regulations, Branstad has secured significant savings for Iowa families, businesses and communities.

"Lieutenant Governor Reynolds and I made a commitment to Iowans when we took office to fight burdensome government regulations regardless if they came from the state or federal government," said Branstad. "Recognizing this unnecessary onerous rule would raise costs on Iowa families, I signed Executive Order 72 to rescind the Iowa's adoption of the rule. I am pleased to learn the Environmental Protection Agency has listened to my concerns over the rule and opted against requiring generators to be retrofitted with expensive components."

Average Iowa families faced the potential of hundreds of dollars in utility bills if the RICE rule would have been implemented. As the RICE rule was originally written, back-up diesel generators used by municipal utilities in several of Iowa's rural communities would be required to be retrofitted with very expensive new parts, even though the engines are rarely used.  These new requirements would have meant higher utility costs for residents in sixty-seven Iowa communities.

"This is an issue that came up in one of our town hall meetings, and the governor and I pledged to take action," said Lt. Gov. Reynolds. "This is the benefit of visiting all 99 counties each year and listening to the concerns of Iowans."

Gov. Branstad met with EPA head Lisa Jackson on June 20, 2011, to express his concerns over the costs being passed on to Iowans. Branstad explained that the costs of retrofitting the generators, which would be passed on to Iowa consumers, were extraordinarily high given the little amount the generators are used each year and the rule should be rescinded.

Yesterday, the Governor's Office was informed the EPA finalized changes to the RICE Rule which will help keep utility costs low for hard-working Iowa families.  Specifically, the EPA updated the rule with a broader usage definition of emergency use, which will allow utility companies to use these important back-up engines during winter storms or power outages, without necessarily having to retrofit the engines with the expensive new components.

According to the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities, the following communities/municipal utilities utilize diesel engines and would be affected by the RICE rule: Algona, Alta, Anita, Atlantic, Bancroft, Bellevue, Bloomfield, Brooklyn, Cascade, Coggon, Coon Rapids, Corning, Dayton, Denison, Dike, Durant, Earlville, Estherville, Forest City, Cowrie, Graettinger, Grand Junction, Greenfield, Grundy Center, Harlan, Hopkinton, Independence, Indianola, La Porte City, Lake Mills, Lake Park, Lamoni, Laurens, Lenox, Manning, Maquoketa, McGregor, Milford, Montezuma, Mount Pleasant, New Hampton, Ogden, Onawa, Osage, Panora, Pella, Pocahontas, Preston, Primghar, Rock Rapids, Rockford, Sibley, Strawberry Point, Story City, Stuart, Summer, Tipton, Traer, Villisca, Vinton, Waverly, West Bend, West Liberty, Whittemore, Wilton and Winterset.

As severe winter weather spreads across the country, heavy snow can put a strain your roof, leaving your property at risk of costly damage.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a blizzard warning as far west as Colorado and as far northeast as Wisconsin. As a result, residents throughout the Rockies and Midwest could see significant amounts of snow on Wednesday through Friday.

If heavy snow is left on your roof, it can result in costly water damage, or even cause your roof to collapse. Safely remove snow from your roof by using the following guidance from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).

Find additional resources to prevent roof damage during severe winter weather at http://disastersafety.org/freezing_weather/prevent-roof-collapse/.

SAFELY REMOVE SNOW ON YOUR ROOF

• Snow removal equipment meant for pavement should never be used on the roof since they can damage the roof cover system.
• Stay grounded. Use a snow rake with a long extension arm that will allow you to remove the snow while standing on the ground.
• You are likely not a tightrope walker, so don't use a roof rake while on a ladder.
• Hire a snow removal contractor if you feel uncomfortable removing snow from your roof. Look for an established, licensed and bonded professional. Be sure to check references, and ask to see the contractor's certificates of insurance.

for more information about how to make your buildings more resistant to a variety of disasters, large and small. Follow IBHS on Twitter at @DisasterSafety and on

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(Lenexa, Kan., Dec. 6, 2012) - EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks and Des Moines Mayor T.M. Franklin Cownie will hold a news conference Monday, Dec. 10, to provide details about green infrastructure assistance for Des Moines, Iowa. EPA will provide design assistance from private-sector experts to help Des Moines demonstrate sustainable city planning designs that create vibrant neighborhoods with multiple social, economic, environmental, and public health benefits.

The focus of the project is a proposed streetscape plan for a one-mile segment of Sixth Avenue. The Sixth Avenue Corridor serves as the northern gateway to the city's downtown, and is an official Main Street Iowa Urban Neighborhood District and has direct access to the Des Moines River. The city plans to use the Sixth Avenue project to guide designs for other planned streetscape improvements throughout the community.

A team of designers and landscape architects that specialize in green infrastructure approaches will produce schematic designs and illustrations during a three-day design workshop that will take place in Des Moines early next year. Additionally, this project could be the testing ground for other city actions, such as changes to local codes and ordinances to better support sustainable growth and green building.

WHAT: News conference on green infrastructure assistance for Des Moines

WHEN: 10:45 a.m., Dec. 10, 2012

WHERE: City Council Chambers, City Hall, 400 Robert Ray Drive, Des Moines, Iowa 50309

WHO: EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks and Des Moines Mayor T.M. Franklin Cownie

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