Sight Unseen



Trash on the beach.

I visited Galveston island in Texas one time.  It was the second time I had seen the ocean, the first was in Hawaii.   In Hawaii the beaches are beautiful, trash is uncommon, or was when I was there in 1985.  However, Galveston was filthy.  Early in the morning, just before sun rise, a big machine moves across the sandy beach to pick up all the trash left by visitors from the day before, or picks up the trash that washed up on the beach overnight.  Things like dirty diapers, snack wrappers, empty bottles, plastic bags, containers and even glass.  I had actually gone out to watch the sunrise over the ocean and became sickened at the sight of all the trash.  I had also found some shiny black, what appeared to be rocks, and asked someone nearby what it could be.  They replied it was oil, from the spill.  It hardens over time and then washes up on the beach.  



DANGER to Wildlife

Putting trash where it doesn't belong is not only esthetically displeasing but also poses a great danger to wildlife.  Even biodegradable items which you toss from you car window can have dire consequences to wildlife.  For instance, birds and other small animals will attempt to eat the food, and if not hit by traffic then larger predators may attempt to eat the small animals and in the process get hit by traffic.  Therefore, even biodegradable items should not be thrown from your car.  Animals attempting to satisfy their hunger can be killed.

 



There have been many cases where helium balloons which have been released for celebrations, or accidentally, have gone into the ocean only to become lodged in the digestive systems of marine animals.  Not all balloons pop so in the ocean they resemble jellyfish, a common food source for many marine animals.  In addition, the strings which birds use to build their nests can pose a threat to baby birds as their wings and legs become entangled.  The thought that trash could have cruel and debilitating consequences for wildlife should be enough to make a person think before they toss.  The pictures below, although disturbing, are not the most gruesome.  Instead, they are a prime example of what can happen when trash ends up were it doesn't belong.

A Mallard Duck entangled in plastic.

A Razorbill entangled in balloon with string attached.

A Water turtle entangled in plastic.

A Hedgehog with its head stuck in a carrot can.

Beauty and the Beast

Is this beautiful to you?  Can you imagine this picture without the trash?  Me too, so lets put it where it belongs; in a trash can!  Leave the roadsides litter free!

Why do people litter?

This is the question I wonder often.  Luckily, the Keep America Beautiful organization conducted studies to answer this question.  They discovered that people litter intentionally.  "Littering is a personal choice that can stem from a lack of personal responsibility for one’s actions and surroundings; litterers may also have a sense of entitlement—a feeling that other people should clean up after them."

They say the majority of the reason people litter is because of their attitude.  If we can change attitudes we can change littering. 

For more statistics and details on why people litter, please visit:
http://www.kab.org/site/DocServer/Executive_Summary_-_FINAL.pdf?docID=4601

Littering Alternative - Seed Bombs!

If you feel the need to litter why not choose something which beautifies instead of harming the environment.  Seed bombs are a great way to do this and you still get to throw them.  You can make them yourself or order them online.  What is a see bomb?

A seed bomb is compressed soil which contains native grass and flower seeds.  The seed bombs are thrown and the sporadic planting looks more natural.  The first seed bombs were introduced as part of the green movement by the "Green Guerillas" in 1973.  Tomato seeds mixed with compost were thrown on vacant land in New York.    This same concept can be used to beautify our environment with wildflowers. 

This is a great link for learning how to make seed bombs, however, there are many choices available to you on the web.  This page is detailed with easy to follow instructions.
http://www.wildflower.org/seedgrant/Seed_Ball_Activity_2011.pdf

You can also buy seed bombs already made.  There are also many options for this as well.  My suggestion for purchasing is a small owned business with lots of native wildflower choices.  Please visit:
http://www.redriverbombs.com/


So the next time you get the urge to throw something out your window, grab a seed bomb!

Personal Costs to You

There are fines for littering in Kansas and they are as follows:

Misdemeanor. First conviction: fine of not less than $250 nor more than $1,000. Second conviction: fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $2,000. Third conviction: fine of not less than $2,000 nor more than $4000. In all cases, requirement to pick up litter for length of time at court's discretion.

You might be saying to yourself the chances of being caught throwing trash out your window is slim to none.  Think again!  The following article, "Kansas Woman Blames Daily Littering of Lipton Tea Bottles on Impulse Control" describes a farmer in Kansas who set up a game camera and caught a lady throwing trash from her SUV onto his land.  Her fines with court costs were $1160 according to the article.

You never know who is watching!

To read more about the Lipton Tea litterer visit: http://www.wacktrap.com/people/smart-people/kansas-woman-blames-daily-littering-lipton-tea-bottles-impulse-control

Litter on our Roadways

Did you know that tobacco products comprise approximately 38% of all roadway litter?  Did you know that 46% of roadway litter is from packaging products?  items such as bags, containers, napkins, cups, etc.  Also, 76% of this is from pedestrians and motorists.  This means people are throwing things out their car windows?  Do you do this?

You might be saying "this really doesn't affect me".  "Of course people are going to throw things out their car window as they are driving.  What is the harm? Someone else will pick it up."

The harm is that litter in a community can decrease  your property value by 7%.  If that doesn't bother you, maybe knowing that this litter can end up clogging up storm drains or getting into the water supply and possible contaminate your drinking water. This affects us all.  Maybe you drink bottled water, so you still throw your trash out the window.  After all, why would you leave trash in your clean car?

To clean up all this litter it costs 11.5 billion per year and even if you think you are not paying for it, you are through costs and taxes. 

Please don't throw trash out your window.  Please think before doing it and put your trash in the cans that are in your home, convenience store, outside of businesses, at rest stops and pretty much every where you go.  Your car won't mind to wait a few minutes. 

Each time you throw, even the smallest piece of litter out your car window you are contributing to a big problem; think about it!