Beach - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA
trash collected for 20 minutes
estimated pounds collected today - 1.5
estimated pounds collected to date - 369.8
Grateful that I have put parameters on collecting for The Daily Ocean that allow me to be imperfect, I finally got out to the beach today. My head is so fully engaged in editing my book for this weeks deadline, that I forgot to take a picture of Life Guard Tower 26! Feels very strange to start a post without a picture of 26. Oh well, three cheers for imperfection.
Take out. My husband Garen said that Urth Cafe used to use recycled, and biodegradable plastic alternative packaging and cutlery for their take out. Well, they don't anymore. Even if the place that I am getting my "to go" lunch from is a fairly responsible, organic coffee selling establishment (like Urth Cafe), when the containers fall on the beach, it is still liter.
Think I'll still ask Urth Cafe to switch back to more responsible containers, even though when cutlery made from cornstarch, or other plastic alternatives ends up in the ocean, it doesn't biodegrade.
Solution - bring your own reusable alternatives. Feel silly taking a Tupperware container to the cafe? Well, the alternatives for now, just aren't there.
Sea Gulls love picking at food left on packaging. Searching for a free meal, they leave trash strewn all over the beach to drift into the water. The picture above is of the contents from the Urth Cafe Bag that started off in the trash can.
We are trying to ban single use plastic bags in Santa Monica. Sign our petition please by clicking HERE.
Sea Gulls love picking at food left on packaging. Searching for a free meal, they leave trash strewn all over the beach to drift into the water. The picture above is of the contents from the Urth Cafe Bag that started off in the trash can.
We are trying to ban single use plastic bags in Santa Monica. Sign our petition please by clicking HERE. As Megan Kilroy of Santa Monica High School's Team Marine reminded me in her email yesterday,
"Every year the USA throws away 100 billion plastic bags with less than 5% getting recycled. Plastic bags are the leading contributor to marine debris with over 100,000 marine mammals and sea birds dying every year due to either consuming our becoming entangled in plastic."
The Daily Ocean has been written up in the blog, PLANET CONNECT written by Philipe Cousteau for NEEF, the National Environmental Education Foundation.
The Daily Ocean has been written up in the blog, PLANET CONNECT written by Philipe Cousteau for NEEF, the National Environmental Education Foundation.I'm thrilled! Thanks so much for your interest. Here is a link to their blog. And NEEF's website.
GO SARA!!!
ReplyDeleteOur plastic bag tax in Washington DC has made a major difference. NO ONE takes bags anymore at grocery stores, CVS, Target, etc. It's only $.05, but they're not out anymore. It's only been two weeks since it was enacted, but it's night and day here. I will hope to remember to report back when we get some stats from the city on the reduction in plastic bag usage. Downside - I am running out of my dog poop clean up supply.
ReplyDeleteDan - Thanks for your comment! I believe that DC is seeing a real change in a short period of time. Hopefully, Santa Monica will follow along shortly!
ReplyDelete