life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CAtrash collected for 20 min.
1.5 pounds
667.3 pounds total
The tide line was littered with tiny bits of fragmented plastic and styrofoam. I got 200 feet from the first life guard tower in 20 min. The distance that I usually cover is about 2 football fields pushed together.
The tide line was littered with tiny bits of fragmented plastic and styrofoam. I got 200 feet from the first life guard tower in 20 min. The distance that I usually cover is about 2 football fields pushed together. This is a perfect example of when the low tally of pounds would make you think - hooray! - but in actually the collection was the fragmented bits of plastic that are insidious, and dangerous.
The fish don't know thes fragments are not food. And you don't have to be a marine biologist to deduce that eating plastic does not do, "a body good." (obscure milk commercial reference in quotes - ah the power of advertising that I remember that from 15+years ago...)
But don't take my word for it. Look at 5 Gyres links to read about bio-accumulation of toxins in marine life from ingested plastic.
I didn't take very good photographs tonight. I was late-ish to the beach so the light was fading, and I felt a little rushed. The sun sets promptly at 6 o'clock these days. Not only was it not a good night for photographs, it was a yucky night for the cleanup.
I didn't take very good photographs tonight. I was late-ish to the beach so the light was fading, and I felt a little rushed. The sun sets promptly at 6 o'clock these days. Not only was it not a good night for photographs, it was a yucky night for the cleanup. Besides from the fragments of plastic that is engrossing and tedious to clean up, I found a maxi pad. A really newly used maxi pad that was discarded in between the cement gaps in the wall from the beach to the parking lot.
Not only did it make me scratch my head, it almost made me gag. So I left it. I know it doesn't belong in the ocean. And I hope it doesn't get there, but I just couldn't bring myself to be the one to dispose of that piece of human refuse.
