Day 72 - Oct. 30

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica, CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

estimated pounds collected today - 1.4

estimated pounds collected to date - 333.5
The Plastic Pollution Coalition - Is just that, a coalition of individuals, organizations, scientists, and other like-minded people that are coming together to find solutions to the devastating amount of Plastic Pollution that is poisoning our world. Here, in their own words, is their mission statement:

Mission

The Plastic Pollution Coalition, a nonprofit organization, is a coalition of individuals and institutions involved in the study and remediation of plastic pollution worldwide. The Plastic Pollution Coalition promotes strategic planning, coherent communication, and synergistic action to reduce the negative impacts of plastics on the environment, wildlife, marine life, and human health.

I met someone after the Blogger Beach Cleanup who is a part of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, Beth Terry, who has an amazing blog called Fake Plastic Fish, chronicling her choice to live her live with as little necessary plastic as possible.

She is an accountant, as well as a passionate and knowledgeable advocate for living as plastic free. On her site is a charted spreadsheet of her plastic consumption over the last two years.

Please visit her site and click on the graph at the top to see her progress charted in a very concrete and meticulous way. I don't know where she gets the time and energy! She is a wealth of knowledge, and I am so glad to have met her.
I find mostly trash made from plastic on the beach. I would guess that it is well over 80% of what I am picking up.

Do I think that my beach cleanup efforts are going to make a dent in the plastic pollution problem facing our world, and evidently, our oceans?

No.

Beach cleanups are good for raising awareness in a tangible way by collecting concrete evidence that illustrates the enormous problem.

What I have been wanting to do is find other people who are as disturbed, as in need of community to tackle this gigantic problem, as angry, but as passionate about finding and realistically implementing solutions big and small. The Plastic Pollution Coalition is just that, and I am really excited to help out.

Tackling plastic pollution will require change across all sectors of life: individuals; businesses; governments; and global solutions. Will you join us and visit the Plastic Pollution Coalition and take their S.U.P.E.R. Hero pledge?

Single

Use

Plastic

Emergency

Response
The beach is a place that has always, and continues to inspire me. I get the chance to see beautiful examples of what is under the surface of our "blue heart" as Sylvia Earle calls the ocean.

In California, our Kelp Forests are a state treasure. I'd much rather photograph kelp, than plastic bags that wash up. Today, I got to end my cleanup by doing just that.
This Wed. in Los Angeles is the Environmental Youth Conference at the LA Convention center. The keynote speaker is the woman behind Green Ambassadors, Jordan. She started the Environmental Charter School in Lawndale California where my friend and fellow Surfrider member Lindsey Jurca teaches.

At least two members of Team Marine will be speaking that day too.

I have mentioned them in earlier posts, but I'll say it again here.

They are a group of 14 11th, and 12th grade environmental activists that work tirelessly on issues like climate change, plastic pollution in the ocean, and ocean water quality testing. They've do more, and know more than me by a long shot. Visit their website to get an idea of what they have accomplished and what they are up to this year.