Happy Earth Day. To celebrate, we decided to drop a bonus episode. This year, the theme of the day is protect our species. you know what species I love, whales.

To me they're gentle giants.

They remind me of how small I am and how massive the ocean is.

They're also so graceful in the water. And who doesn't love to try to make a

whale call every now and again?

Ooo!

I'm still working on that one.

This Earth Day, I went to Laguna Beach to talk to a handful of experts about how the ocean and the

whales are feeling the pain of plastics. I also called up a few professional athletes and activists doing good around the globe,

from surfer Rob Machado to the Girl Scout Shelby O'Neill

who got Alaska Airlines to give up plastic straws to my friends Allison Teal and Becky Mendoza to tell

us what they're doing.

I'm Shelby Stanger and this is Wild Ideas Worth Living. I promise this episode won't be all doom and gloom.

Yes, it's a heavy subject.

And I'll be sharing some daunting facts with you.

But a majority of the show will focus on the incredible people and organizations that are innovating and making personal changes to lessen the impact our daily habits have on the environment and in particular on the ocean. So let's get the disheartening stuff out of the way.

According to National Geographic Planet or Plastic Initiative, 18 billion pounds of plastic waste enters the world's oceans from coastal regions.

There's already 5 trillion pieces of plastic floating around in our oceans.

And remember those whales I love? There's a horrifying trend these days

where they're washing up on the shore with anywhere from 50 to 80 pounds of plastic in their

stomachs. Did you all know that plastic can last anywhere from 450 years to forever?

Yep, that's right forever.

...