Day 200 - Feb. 21, 2011

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

1.7 pounds 

757.3 pounds total

COMMUNITY COLLECTION DAY - 113

JEN & DENISE - thank you! (follow her on twitter, check out her nutrition knowledge)

trash collected for 20 minutes

3.4 pounds 

699.2 pounds total

DISCLAIMER - Garen got a RX filled from his doctor for a new seasickness medication that is supposed to make you sleepy. We were told to take one before our trip to make sure that we can function well while taking it. Today is my day and well...my post may be less energetic than usual. It made Garen sleepy-ish...It is making me VERY sleepy. 

Can you tell the difference between the photo on the right, and the photo on the left? (insert Jeopardy music here while I give you a moment)

The arm on the left is Denise picking up a black single-use plastic bag minutes before Jen, on the right, found her own. 

Same beach. 

Same day. 

Two people. 

Same destructive trash.

Oh look, another one! No, Jen did not drop hers on the sand and then step next to it. Nope. This picture was taken of a DIFFERENT black plastic bag only seconds later, which was lying next to a freshly made footprint that I saw being made.

Jen and Denise found this Flying Disc on our way off of the beach. We joked that it was their consolation prize from the ocean. 

This is a joint effort. To illustrate that point, I got contacted be a woman named Kanna who is involved in Sea Pulse films, and has a troop of Plastic Zombies. Yup, you read that right. Here is a link to the post she wrote for Valentine's Day, where she included a photograph of a balloon that I'd taken last year. 

Her project is extremely cool - Dance 4 Oceans

"Have you realize that so much plastic trash is ending up in the ocean instead of recycle centers or landfills? The last several years, I have had opportunities to help rescue marine animals along the coasts of Los Angeles. There are lots of animals are suffering from the entanglements and ingestion of plastic trash. I just couldn't stop thinking there must be a way to raise awareness of this problem. What if I walk like a zombie that was killed by plastic trash....? Yes. That's how the whole thing started!"

My friend Siel of green LA girl, who also writes for Mother Nature Network among many other blogs, wrote about a 20 Minutes a Day Challenge that was proposed by Michael Nobbs of Sustainably Creative.

I think he might be on to something...

"If you read my blog regularly, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of doing things in small chunks of time. It constantly amazes me how much it’s possible to get done working in this way and recently I’ve been looking back at some of the things I’ve achieved in regular small steps."

What would you do with 20 minutes? My 20 minutes has gotten 755+ pounds of trash off of the beach. Who knew?

Be part of Ocean Voices, a collaborative project between Wallace J Nichols and sound artist Halsey Burgund who along with the voices of 1239 voices and counting have creative a visionary project for the oceans. People from around the world have recounted their personal experiences with the ocean, and have then been set to music. You can add your voice!

And check out this video put out by NPR/PBS from July of 2010 at the Museum of Science in Boston that let's us hear one of their enchanting performances. 

This was the last item of trash we found when we were back in the parking lot. So this is the last picture in my post. 

Day 198 - Feb. 16, 2011

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

6.3 pounds

747.6 pounds total

If you have found The Daily Ocean, or read it regularly and have not stumbled upon The Flotsam Diaries then please check out its latest post - CROSSROADS. I hope Harry doesn't mind the comparison, but something struck me today while I was reading his blog. 

"Last March, I took the red pill. And there's no going back. Now I have to decide what the Flotsam Diaries will mean, going forward. I believe we're here to make a difference. And, somehow, I know this is a place where I can make a difference."

I started The Daily Ocean in March of 2009. Maybe there is something about March? When I started, I had no idea if this little blog would make a difference, but like Harry, I believe that somehow, "this is a place where I can make a difference." Thanks for the inspiration Harry. 

It was a very windy out on the beach. We had the odd rainy day today in Southern California which cleared the skies, brought the wind and made me nostalgic for the north eastern weather that I grew up in. Well, I was nostalgic for about10 minutes until I could no longer take pictures because my fingers were frozen. I knew that it would be chilly out there today, but I also know that there would be plenty of trash to collect because of the rain. And I was right. 6.3 pounds is 4 pounds above my winter average when we have had dry weather.

Heal the Bay is launching this cool new program - MPA WATCH - BE A MARINE PROTECTED AREA STEWARD. The first session is March 3rd at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium at 6:30 pm. 

"Become one of the first volunteers trained for Heal the Bay's new volunteer program, MPA Watch! Get started by attending training sessions which include one classroom training and one field training."

Garen and I are a BLUEANGELS for Wallace J Nichols. And here is one of the many reasons why. Only two months into the year, J sent out an email to his BLUEANGELS (people who support his work with tax deductible monthly donations of any denomination so that he can work for the ocean - the only thing he ever wanted to do)

Here are just a couple of the creative, innovative and outrageously cool projects that he has in the works.

After reading this list, you will want to become one of his BLUEANGELS too.

SEEtheWILD

BLUE MARBLES PROJECT &  THE BLUEMiND SUMMIT 

and much, much more!!

Thanks to Google Alerts, I found a blog that I've never read before that had included The Daily Ocean in a recent post. The title of the post is, "ONE PLASTIC BEACH DOWN, SO MANY MORE TO GO. This blog is written by the University of Oregon Humanities Dept.. I am glad to see the issue of trashing the ocean is taken seriously in the mainstream academic world. 

The moon over the beach in Santa Monica tonight. 

Day 196 - Feb. 8, 2011

life guard 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

10 pounds

739.8 pounds total

I pulled over before driving into the beach parking lot to grab this plastic bag. If you look along the curb in the picture to the square cement patch in the grass, you will notice a hole in the sidewalk at the edge of the street. The bag would have probably ended up in that storm drain. I could get the bag now, or later, I thought. The beach was close, but I saved the bag a trip.

I really don't know what to say about straws. Well, I do. I find too many off them. Do we really need them? If I did feel like I needed a straw, couldn't I find the time to buy a reusable one made from stainless steel? I tell you what, I've never found one of those on the beach. 

Plastic straws...I've found countless.

With two minutes left in the collection for the night I noticed this beach chair. I was going to walk right by, but then I asked myself why this broken chair was not also trash? I didn't want it to be trash, I didn't want to carry it across the sand, and neither had the owner who once it had gotten crushed, didn't want to haul it off of the sand either. 

So I grabbed it. I took it to the parking lot, weighed it and realized that I was going to have to take it home to deposit it in the dumpster behind our house. If I left it next to a trash can, wouldn't it be almost the same thing as abandoning it on the sand?  

Was not too thrilled to put this chair in my car. How had it gotten crushed into the fully open position in the first place? I quickly moved on to another thought....

The chair came home with me, added 8.2 pounds to the night's collection, and ended up in the dumpster. 

"emotional incentives, when combined with economic incentives, present a formidable team for biodiversity conservation" - Wallace J Nichols

Day 185 - Jan. 14, 2011

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

1.9 pounds

710.5 pounds total

Next weekend in Venice CA at the Electric Lounge, SEA PULSE presents films about the beauty, and the threats to the world's oceans. Come and join us if you live locally. Team Marine of SAMOHI will be screening the 10 R's that they produced last year. If you can't make it, you can also check it out on VIMEO. 

The Center for Environmental Health came out with a report about, "Disney Reusable Bags from Safeway Found With High Lead Levels." I cringed at first when I saw this. Not more fuel for the fire of pro plastic bag lobbyists! But then I read on. Here are some informative high-lights that will hopefully inspire you to check out the post from their site in full.

"A front-group for the plastic bag industry calling itself the “Center for Consumer Freedom” (talk about SPIN!) claims in a nationwide ad campaign that high lead levels and bacteria in reusable bags suggest that proposals to ban disposable plastic bags are misguided and driven by “junk science.” In fact, CEH’s testing confirms that the vast majority of reusable bags do not pose lead hazards, but those few that do are made of plastic." 

"According to Consumer Reports, the CCF’s claims regarding the threat from bacteria in reusable bags are also overblown. The consumer watchdog traced the claims about bacteria in reusable bags to a single study paid for by the plastics industry. Contrary to the CCF’s ads, even this plastics industry study found no bacteria that normally cause disease in the reusable bags tested."

"ADVENTURES IN CLIMATE CHANGE" is a website that contacted me recently. I had not heard of them, and was thoroughly impressed by the scope of coverage that is available there. From blogs, news, video, slide shows and interviews, they cover interesting topics relating to, and about climate change. 

Aren't most things related to climate change in one way or another?

Wallace J Nichols needs you to become a BLUE ANGEL. Can you spare a small monthly donation so that he can have one employer -- the ocean?

I was dreading heading out onto the sand last night because it had been such a beautiful, warm day in Santa Monica. Sounds strange, doesn't it? Let me explain. It's my experience that when we have unexpected nice days in the off season, people will flock to the beach. This usually means that I find more trash left behind. So last night I braced myself for a hefty collection in my 20 minute beach cleanup. To my surprise, I came back close to my winter daily average with 1.9 pounds (my ave. is 2).

Two pounds is better than the summer average of four, but the picture above was the last thing I took off the beach as I walked to the parking lot, and that is never good.

Day 163 - Oct. 17, 2010

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

4.6 pounds

659.4 pounds total

This is a picture of me and Emilia. She is a senior at Harvard-Westlake High School in the LA area. She came along tonight to take photographs of a beach cleanup for her photography class. It was so fun having her out there.

Thanks Emilia, for being interested in helping the oceans and creating art. Two things that I care about a lot. Probably why you asked to come along tonight...

Lewis and Clark would be crazy not to take you. Stay in touch!

Here is a link to her funny, well thought out blog - "THAT'S EXACTLY MY POINT"
It has been raining in Santa Monica a lot over the past week. I like it, but what I don't like is what it does to the bay. Especially that first flush of liter that comes through the storm drains and empties right into the ocean.

Team Marine of Santa Monica High was there to capture it with some sickening photos. They also did an emergency beach cleanup. They estimate that they collected around 200 pounds of trash from the beach. This estimate may be on the low side considering they stuffed - like have to stand on top of to pack down - stuffed four trash barrels worth. How much can an oil barrel sized trash can hold? Check it out.
Live in the LA area? Hey even the SoCal area? Come out to support the Los Angeles ban in single use plastic bags! If you would like to brush up on some of the reasons -- and there are many -- to ban these destructive things then watch BAG IT! first. I think it will make you want to call in sick to work that day and join us. Here's the info. We need a BIG turnout.

"Please mark your calendars for the Los Angeles County bag ban hearing on November 16^th at the County Supervisors building downtown. The hearing starts at 9:30am"

What can I say under this picture???

We all know to cut these up, right?

I'm going to dedicate an entire post about this tomorrow, but I wanted to mention the BLUE MARBLE PROJECT that Wallace J Nichols started. He has more creativity to help the ocean than any person I've ever met.

"SAVING THE OCEAN ONE BLUE MARBLE AT A TIME - BLUeMaRBLeS - THROUGH RANDOM ACTS OF OCEAN KINDNESS"

"It's a simple idea: commit a random act of ocean kindness by sharing a blue marble forward with someone doing good things for our blue planet and tell them to do the same."

Day 125 - June 4, 2010

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

1.7 pounds /2 = .8 for the COMMUNITY COUNT COLLECTION - DEAN MIYA

492.3 pounds total

213.4 pounds for COMMUNITY COUNT COLLECTION in 31 days
Dean Miya came out with me tonight for Day 125. Dean found my blog online, read it, and realized that I collected right where he surfed most often and so he contacted me. Not only did he come out to be a part of my Community Collection Count (and you can too), but he also donated to help me get to Sacramento to lobby for AB 1998 - the proposed ban on single-use plastic bags in CA that passed the State Assembly last week!

So another big thank you to Dean for his support.

He told me about a film that he and his wife just saw in the Mountain Film Festival in Telluride Co. recently called BAG IT. (I have the trailer in a post below)

BAG IT -"What starts as a film about plastic bags, evolves into a wholesale investigation into plastic and its effect on our lives, bodies and waterways."

I just watched the full length film. Now I am sitting here on a Saturday night feeling like we can't just BAG IT. The definition of BAG IT being used here as synonymous with giving up. There is way too much at stake. What is happening to our bodies and environment is just not ok. But if you've found The Daily Ocean, you probably feel that way too. Here are some facts and thoughts swirling around my head from watching BAG IT.
In the USA we use 1 million single-use plastic bags a minute, that is 60,000 bags consumed every 5 seconds

We use 2 million plastic water bottles every 5 minutes in the USA

In 2008 - water bottle sales reached 12 billion dollars

single-use plastic bags are the #1 consumer item in the world.

countries/cities/territories that have banned single-use plastic bags:

New Delhi, Bangladesh, Bhutan China in 2008, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tansania, Rwanda, South Africa, Ireland (bag fee - since inception a 90% reduction)...and there are many more

Why do we use something for only a few minutes that is made from a material you throw away and then lasts for thousands of years in landfills or in our oceans?

(re: plastic packaging and convenience items)

The average American produces 1 ton of trash per year.

Every day NYC produces enough trash to fill YANKEE STADIUM 3X

THE RECYCLING SYMBOL IS NOT REGULATED - the chasing arrows -

ONLY 1 AND 2 ARE EASILY RECYCLED

every municipality has different guidelines for recycling except one thing is consistent - the tops of plastic bottles are not recyclable

massive human rights issues exist with recycling packaging. the plastics industry doesn't want to take back most "recyclables" so it ships them over seas to Asia where people are paid a low wage to sort through the trash from the USA and lots of it is melted down releasing lots of toxic fumes and chemicals directly into the atmosphere.

Adult Albatross bring 5 tons of plastic every year to Midway Atoll to feed their chicks. (Midway Atoll is in the middle of the pacific, further west from the most commonly known Hawaiian Islands...)

"No one is without power, everyone has the capacity to do something." - Sylvia Earle

At the end of the film, the narrator Jeb Barrier came up with a summary to explain his personal journey that inspired him, and director Suzan Beraza, to make BAG IT. Although I have just begun this blog (I am a third of the way through) I feel similarly -

I did start out writing a blog about beach cleanups because I knew there was something very wrong about the ammount of trash on our beaches and in our oceans, but like any journey it has become so much more..it led me straight to the environmental scourge of single-use plastics. I collect trash to illustrate our global, growing problem that is going to take each and every one of us to change.

You with me?

The stakes are too high to not get involved, starting wherever you are, right now at your computer, in your house, in your community. And thanks to those of you who work tirelessly on our behalf. I am proud to know a handful of people interviewed in BAG IT - check them out, what they are up to, support them and again, a huge THANK YOU

Wallace J Nichols

Beth Terry

Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummins

Oceana

Surfrider

Day 124 - May 29, 2010

Why I collect plastic trash from the beach, and try to spread awareness about the detrimental environmental impacts that it has on us, on marine wildlife and on the planet.

photo courtesy of Wallace J Nichols.

There are to many examples of what motivates me to write The Daily Ocean to include in one post, but I've included a few of them here.

A baby sea turtle has roughly a one in 1,000 chance of making it to adulthood. Sadly, this turtle ate the two plastic bits that you see to the side of the photograph and it killed him.

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

3.4 pounds

491.5 pounds total

The above video is of Manuel Maqueda of the Plastic Pollution Coalition and a team of people that went with him to visit Midway. Midway Atoll is part of the outer chains of the Hawaiian Islands leading west into the pacific towards Japan and one of the most isolated locations in the world.

Science knows that over 90% of the plastics out there are under 10 mm in size.

We can't combat the monstrous problem of the plastic pollution in our oceans by cleaning it up. This is a falsity that does not make any sense. Beth Terry, who writes the blog Fake Plastic Fish, recently reiterated something that Capt. Charles Moore of Algalita said on the Colbert Report when he was on recently being interviewed about the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch."

Basically he said - trying to clean the gyre would be like trying to bail out a bath tub with the tap still running.

Here are 10 things we can do about it though courtesy of Team Marine

in their video called the "10 R's"

Please also go to 5 gyres to learn more about all of the oceanic gyres that are clogged with trash and what we can do about it.

The 10 R's by Team Marine from Green Planet on Vimeo.

Day 123 - May 25, 2010

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

1.5 pounds

488.1 pounds total

In the short video above I called the Pacific, "my ocean." I quickly corrected myself realizing that it is not "my" ocean. Now as I sit here to write up last night's collection I want to take that back. It is "my" ocean, and "your" ocean. Although I do not live on the Gulf of Mexico, it is "my gulf" too. I think Wallace J Nichols put it well in his Huffington Post article,

"Gut feeling, We're all ocean activists now."

This wrapper was completely intact with no candy inside. I thought a hollow, perfectly wrapped wrapper was rather strange. Say that 10x fast...

Even cute crabs are pollution when they end up in the ocean and are made of plastic.

You've got to see what these guys are up to. Surfer's Healing and their online store

Here is a link to my post that I did about them a few days ago. They are totally inspiring.



Almost a straw a minute tonight. W-O-W...

From "Oceans - The Threats to Our Seas and What You Can Do to Turn the Tide"

"The United States burns more than 20 million barrels of oil a day, about the same as the industrial behemoths Japan, Russia, Germany, China, and India COMBINED."

- Caught in the Same Net - Carl Safina

Day 91 - Jan. 21, 2010

life guard station 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

estimated pounds of trash collected today - 3.3

estimated pounds of trash collected to date - 382.8
There was a break in the week long storm front that has rolled over us here in southern California, so I headed to the beach to see what had washed up, and what had been uncovered.

This little yellow bug is a cute find, but still plastic left on the beach...

Kite Surfing inbetween thunderstorms takes the term "Extreme Sport" to a whole new level.

My neighbor Marvin is an avid surfer who I routinely see tying his board up to go out to Topanga, but when I saw him the other morning he made the point of telling me that he will not go into the water for a whole week after it rains in LA. In fact, he thinks people that only wait the recommended 72 hour limit are taking too much of a risk.

What's the problem?

Bacteria levels (fecal matter), and viruses wash into the water from run-off and storm drains causing stomach flu symptoms, ear, nose, and throat infections, and plenty of variations there of. WOW.

Well the Teach and Test Club at Santa Monica High School which is co-sponsored by Heal the Bay and Surfrider test the water quality in the Santa Monica Bay. Check out their site here.
My fellow local activist and blogger Whitney of Eco-Vegan Gal sent me a link to a recent post that talks about how she has invested in a handy tool called the Gopher to help her collect trash as she walks her dog in Venice. Find her post here. Thank you Whitney!
I'd like to direct you to a blog that I really like attached to the website for Wallace J Nichols who is an accomplished Scientist, Activist, and Author among many other things. His website is a great resource for Ocean Lover's as you will see by clicking here
We've had hail, pelting rain, lightning and thunder for the last week off and on, and I have to admit that I love the variation in weather. What I don't love is the trash that washes off our 90% concrete cityscape that is Los Angeles. But I guess that is why I started this project in the first place. Love the ocean, not what is happening to it.