Day 106 - March 18, 2010

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

4 pounds

425.3 pounds total

You can imagine my surprise when I turned on YAHOO this morning and saw FOX NEWS talking about the perils of trashing our ocean floor.

There was a study from Monterey to Long Beach of the ocean floor and what kinds of trash lay strewn across it. Well, as you can imagine, the findings weren't good.

From kitchen sinks, to unexploded military bombs the place is well, trashed. They went on to suggest how to prevent this from continuing to happen since recovering these items might prove more toxic to marine life than leaving them alone. I think we know the answer, but it was oh so fun to hear a FOX news anchor tell us.

But don't take my word for it, WATCH THIS.

Team Marine has done it again!

Watch their YouTube Video on their recycling program for Life Straws.

My friend at KISS MY COUNTRY blog has done it again! Read her engaging interview about Loggerhead Turtles being rescued by the 100's off the beach in JUNO BEACH Fl.

Loggerhead Marinelife Center Interview

More about the screening of TAPPED at Santa Monica High School next Wed. the 24th of March at 4:00 pm. Bring your friends, bring 10, 20, 30 people, we can fit them all and everyone will still be FREE!!!

Why should you come? Read a message from the Director Stephanie Soechtig below:

WHY SHOULD YOU HELP US?

Because we are taking on some of the media’s biggest advertisers (Nestle, Coke, and Pepsi) we cannot rely on traditional outlets to get the word out. One of our favorite talk shows couldn’t discuss Tapped on her show because Pepsi is her largest advertiser. So the time has come for us to call on our supporters to help us spread the word about the dangers we are facing and to protect our rights to access clean drinking water!!

Together, we can make a difference!

As those of you who have seen Tapped already know, bottled water is really a microcosm for some much larger issues facing our country: the world water crisis, the free-reign given to chemical corporations to use cancer causing agents in our products, the social injustice that effect minority communities across America, andplastic pollution.

It’s time to take action! www.tappedthemovie.com

Day 105 - March 16

Want another really good reason you should come? Because it is FREE so that:

"This movie is scheduled to be shown in Maine - but Nestle is trying to buy up all the tickets and make sure as few people see this film as possible."

- July 3, 2009 Susan the Bruce Blog

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

5.7 pounds

421.3 pounds total
Drew Albenze, the Chair of our West Los Angeles/Malibu Surfrider Chapter worked with a team of animators to create this short film. It rocks, I've seen it, spend a few seconds and watch.

"The Cycle of Insanity, the Real Story of Water"

Greenwashing. Do you know what that means? Or when that is happening to you?

Let me explain. It is when companies like Coca Cola try to divert responsibility from changing their environmentally damaging habits by slapping on some "green" looking advertising onto their products.

See the example above. Let's talk plastics for a second. See where it says "Plant Bottle"?

Fact - just because this plastic bottle was made from a plant based polymer plastic does not mean that it will bio-degrade, like the logo suggests, into dirt. In fact, it probably won't even make it into a recycling bin, (well this one did because I put it there, but you get the point)

Fact - bio-degradable - means that it belongs in a municipal composting facility. To date, I know of 2! One in Sun Valley, and one in the Bay Area. You think LA really sorts out all of their "compostable plastics" to get sent to Sun Valley? Yeah, I don't have to answer that for you.

Fact - to COMPOST ANYTHING EVEN FOOD, you need at minimum 135 degrees Fahrenheit, air and sunlight. Do you think those conditions occur in a regular landfill? Or in the ocean?

NO, they don't so really this "plant bottle" will see the same fate as it's cousin plastic bottles.

"ONLY 20% OF THE BOTTLES ARE RECYCLED, THE REST END UP IN LANDFILLS OR THE OCEAN." - TAPPED

DON'T GET "GREEN WASHED"

Sylvia Earle, famed Oceanographer, Aquanaut, Marine Scientist, and Ocean Activist won the 2009 TED prize. Watch her acceptance speech here. I re-watched it yesterday for inspiration while writing. She starts and ends her (this isn't a spoiler), speech by referring to "tomorrow's child" looking back on today, right now, and wondering why on our watch we didn't do something to save the dolphins, and whales, and ocean while there was still time?"

Here's something you can do, come to the FREE showing of TAPPED the documentary about the bottled water industry and so, so much more.

TAPPED - March 24th Santa Monica High School 4-6 pm. Bring everyone that you can.

First you have to know, then you care, then you can do something about it." - Sylvia Earle

"Tapped examines the role of the bottled water industry and its' effects on our health, climate change, pollution, and our reliance on oil."

Ahh warm weather brings back the people who bring the bottles back.

I don't think that it is a coincidence that over the winter, I rarely found a plastic water bottle on the beach. There were less people to be out enjoying the sunny days on the sand. Yesterday was 83 degrees here in Santa Monica, and well......I collected 8 plastic bottles in 20 minutes.

World Water Day is March 22nd, to kick it off the Director of TAPPED, Stephanie Soechtig and her Producer Sarah Olson will be driving across the country in a glass truck. Asking you to trade in your plastic water bottle for a KLEEN KANTEEN ONE! That is if you promise to

"GET OFF THE BOTTLE"

"Also beginning World Water Day, our Line Producer Sarah Olson and I will be embarking on a 30 day 30 city cross-country “Get Off the Bottle” tour. We’ll be driving a glass truck across the country, trading people their empty water bottles for a pledge to reduce their bottled water use. All those empty water bottles will go in the truck with the goal of ending the tour in New York City onEarth Day (April 22nd) with a truck full of bottles and the pledges of thousands! We’ll have our tour route mapped out on the website and you can follow us on Twitter as well as our daily blog from the road."

TAPPED THE MOVIE

Day 104 - March 13th

Did you miss the screening at SMC? Want to come to this one?

It's FREE, bring 10, hell bring 50 people. We've got Barnum Hall at Santa Monica High and it seats a huge amount of folks. Around 500 I believe. We want you there.

FaceBook it, Tweet it, Blog it, and don't forget to come!!!

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

2 pounds

415.6 pounds total

Plastic, plastic everywhere.

This week I can't help but think about the Sushi sting that took place in my backyard. Right on the heels of the Oscars, the team of people who made The Cove have uncovered that The Hump restaurant, less than 2 miles from my house, has been selling illegal whale meet. Sei Whale to be exact was served up on the menu, and guess what THEY ARE ENDANGERED.

Carl Safina weighs in on the killing of dolphins for food in this article.

The main problem with killing marine mammals — a much bigger problem than whether a small amount of killing is sustainable — is that it is cruel. Every real advance in human thought has had to do with expanding our circle of compassion. Cruelty to animals seems to parallel cruelty to people. So, I think the international condemnation of the dolphin killing is fair enough. There is no denying the fact that it is brutal business.

I'm going to end with this link to some stunning pictures of dolphins at play in the waves.

Eat Right to Keep the Oceans Clean

Claudia Kousoulas recently sent me a post to add to The Daily Ocean's Community Collection Count. Afterwards, I asked her to write about what she saw during her beach cleanups and how this has influenced her thinking about the food she chooses.
Claudia has a fantastic website reviewing Cook Books called Appetite For Books.

Below I have posted her insightful piece about how seeing so much plastic food related trash on the beach made her rethink, and recommit to a sustainable approach to the food she chooses to eat.

In my recent Miami beach clean-up, I realized how much of my trash was food related—wrappers, bottle caps, and bottles. It made me think twice about my own kitchen and what eating habits will generate less waste.

· I stopped buying bottled water a while ago when I learned that the EPA has tougher water regulations than the FDA. Taps water has fluoride, is certainly cheaper, and doesn’t generate mountains of plastic refuse. I use a refillable bottle if I really need to take water. But I’m not trekking through the desert and not really in danger of dehydration.

I shop at the farmer's market where the food is fresh, local, even inspiring, and isn’t over-packaged. Like most shoppers, I bring my own bag and if I start bringing a clean dishtowel, like No Impact Man does, for cheese or bread, my only trash could be compost.

· I already shop the outside aisles of the supermarket, says Marion Nestle. That’s where they put the produce, meats, fish, and dairy—real food. An apple doesn’t need as much packaging as a pop tart. Don’t forget to bring your re-usable bag!

· I’m going to bag the baggies. A year’s worth of plastic sandwich bags: $17.92, a reusable sandwich cloth sandwich bag: $5.00, clean oceans: priceless.

· I hate that deodorant in a sealed plastic container also comes in a box, sometimes with a plastic insert. It has more to do with display than security. Now I like a beauty treat as much as the next girl, but I try to remember that yogurt makes a great facial masque and olive oil is a good hair conditioner. And no mystery chemicals.

Claudia Kousoulas

Sarah Schumm joins the Community Count

The Community Collection Count - Sarah Schumm

Bay Area, CA

March 5th, 6th & 7th!

trash collected for 20 min. a day

14 pounds in 3 days

210.9 pounds collected in 29 days
An email arrived in my inbox with the title, "Seems I'm not alone.."

This made me curious. As soon as I started to read Sarah's email though, I understood exactly what she meant.

It means a great deal to me to know that there are other people out there, concerned for the health of our oceans, the conditions of our beaches, and every time I hear from someone else wanting to contribute to my Community Collection Count, it renews my hope. We all need hope.

Sarah explains what she is up to in her own words below:

I've been keeping a video blog about trash on Ocean Beach since January. In late December or early January of this year (even though I'm on the beach every day I don't remember exactly when it started) tons (actual tons! not exaggerating) of trash washed up on the normally clean shores of Ocean Beach. I tried to pick up two bags every weekend.

Shortly after I started, one of my friends gave me a video camera and it seemed like the obvious thing to do was start a video blog. I've been picking up and documenting the trash I've found since. The oldest piece I can accurately date is over 11 years old! But some of it is probably even older.
I set up little "Challenges" and make picking up the trash kind of a game:

picking up only one type of trash, picking up only one color of trash, picking up trash between two landmarks, that sort of thing.

The day before I read about your blog my plan was to walk beween two landmarks 7 blocks apart, picking up only bottle caps. I was out for an hour and a half and made it only one block. I wish I had a weight for you, it had to be at least 10 pounds, probably more. I don't know if it was my mood or what, but after only getting one block in over an hour and collecting probably well over a hundred, maybe hundreds of bottle caps, I really wish I had counted, I sat down on a log and made an entry for my video blog, quite literally on the verge of tears.
I was feeling hopeless, the trash seemed insurmountable. Only my closest friends and maybe possibly a couple random people even saw my video blog. I had told myself that if I saved just one bird, one otter, one seal, If I could convince just one person to cut back on plastic or give up bottled water, it would all be worth it, but at that point realizing I couldn't even make a dent in JUST bottle caps it seemed like there was no way that even if I spent the rest of my life picking up trash I was going to make a difference. I didn't even bother to post the entry. It was almost embarrassing watch myself and see that the trash reduced me to tears.

I think it was actually the next day that I read about your blog in Making Waves! Like getting the camera in the first place, it seemed like a sign that I should keep going. Even though I already knew there were other people just like me doing as much and more, when I read your blog I felt connected to them and it got me excited about doing the project again. I posted the entry about the bottle caps, and now I'm determined to keep picking up and documenting trash and blogging and improving my rather rough film making skills.

Here's a link to Sarah's video blog

Here's a link to her blog

Thank you Sarah, hope this is the first of many posts I'll add to The Daily Ocean featuring your projects and contribution to the Community Collection Count.

Day 103 - March 5, 2010

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

1.5 pounds

413.6 pounds total
Does this look like it was forgotten at the beach? Probably not. SO much personal hygiene trash washes ashore. I find it very odd. Dental floss picks? Hmmm...
The Teach and Test Club at Santa Monica High School just launched a mentorship program. They're inviting Middle School students to come to their school on a Sat. and go through the whole process of testing the ocean water. Here's a post about it from their blog.
I really like Greek Yogurt. In fact, I know that I have bought one of these very containers from Trader Joe's in the last year. But tonight I found yogurt in a glass bottle! Thrilling!

When grocery shopping I try to find items that aren't packaged in plastic. Manuel Maqueda of the Plastic Pollution Coalition pointed out to me that glass packaged items usually come from more local sources because the shipping cost of glass is higher. By switching back to glass packaging we may also be making the choice to buy our food locally, which is also a good thing. Less plastic, eating local, and saving the world one glass yogurt bottle at a time.

21 straws tonight. Please visit GLASS DHARMA for a sustainable solution to these suckers.

TAPPED the movie at Santa Monica College

Next Thursday night, March 11^th, Santa Monica College is hosting a screening of the movie

TAPPED: FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: 7:00 p.m.

SANTA MONICA COLLEGE, AET CAMPUS, ROOM 235

1660 STEWARD ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90404

“Tapped examines the role of the bottled water industry and its’ effects on our health, climate change, and our reliance on oil.”

Sponsored by the SMC Associates and the Plastic Pollution Coalition, the night is free and open to the public. Director Stephanie Soechtig will be there to conduct a Q&A after the screening.

Grab your friends and family, tell your co-workers, and spread the word!

The information uncovered by this film is so important that you won’t want to miss this opportunity. It will change the way you view the water you drink forever, which is a good thing.

Did you know:

• 40% of bottled water is drawn from municipal sources?
• The water gets filtered, put in a bottle and sold back to you for 1900x the cost of tap water?
• Only 20% of the bottles are recycled…the rest ends up in landfills and the ocean.

Day 102 - March 3, 2010

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

3.2 pounds

412.1 pounds total

*disclosure for todays weight - found 2 full unopened Bud's in the sand - heavy!

In case you thought that is was just our beloved Pacific that was turning into a plastic garbage dump, here's the research from the Sea Education Association on the Atlantic ocean, and the results aren't good. As Surfrider's Soup ENewsletter said,

"PLASTIC, PLASTIC EVERYWHERE"

Beth Terry of the amazing blog, Fake Plastic Fish, was interviewed by ABC. She's a powerhouse example of the will to change your life to reflect the change you want to see in the world.

Dr. Carl Safina has been speaking out on behalf of the Blue Fin Tuna for decades. Here's his latest op-ed piece in YALE 360 highlighting the importance of the upcoming meeting in March that may determine the future of the species, or their extinction.

Day 101 - Feb. 28, 2010

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

trash collected for 20 minutes

3.5 pounds

408.9 pounds total
The high tide line was the highest I've ever seen it tonight. Coming up way past the life guard tower, it left a line of debris and trash, (most of it plastic), in its wake that kept me very busy for twenty minutes.

I estimate that I cleaned a 40 foot square area in 20 minutes. I never got past the life guard tower, and certainly stayed far away from the water because of all the trash to pick up at the high tide line.

Plastic can take a beating and still come out looking used, sure, but not too far from the condition it was in when it was bought. I doubt this lighter was dropped on the beach. Let's imagine that somewhere in the middle of LA it fell from a jacket pocket, sat around in the gutter for a day or so before getting kicked into the storm drain, and then washed down the miles of underground pipe all the way to the ocean where it then got pushed back onto the beach.

Did you know that it is estimated that 80% of all trash in the ocean comes from land?

My beach parking lot during a February sunset.

Community Count Collection Grows - Lane fr. R.I.

Community Count Collection - Lane Johnson, R.I.

40 pounds

196.9 pounds total

Let me catch you up on what the Community Count Collection is.

If you go to, or live by a beach, you can do a Daily Ocean style cleanup.

Collect for 20 minutes, take some pictures of the beach and the trash, write a few words, send it to me, and I will post it here on my blog.

I will add the pounds of trash you collected to my running tally, and highlight your cleanup.

You can find the the ongoing tally of pounds of trash collected around the world if you look to the right of my blog and scroll down.

Lane Johnson from Rhode Island wrote me to tell me about how he and his girlfriend collect 100's of pounds of trash off of their Atlantic Coast beach as they walk their dogs.

Thank you Lane for sharing your thoughts and photographs. I have added 40 pounds to the Community Collection Count in you and your girlfriend's honor. Stay in touch, continue the good work, share what you find, and thanks for inspiring me to keep going.

When I asked Lane, "How many pounds of trash do you think you have collected?" He replied:

The amount in pounds? OMG! Honestly, my girlfriend and I have been doing this almost daily for 2 years, I started taking pictures in March 2009, we've removed considerable more amounts than my pictures depict.

I initiated my photo quest a bit late, starting on Jan. 1 of this year. Its been soooo cold and miserable here. We still do our pickin up, but come spring I plan to set up a screen table to rinse off the stuff better, seperate out easier and photograph what makes up a filled bucket.

Sara, it is unbelievable. The amount of stuff I mean. We play a game. We have even gotten some of the other people in the neighborhood to participate. The game, find the tampon(the casing). I know, you must know. (I DO!)

Anyway, whenever ya find one ya give a yell and name the color. Green! or PINK! maybe a Pearl!. LOL. So now on occasion we will be out there with the dogs, buckets in hand, and a person on the beach will yell "Tampon Applicator" and wave at us signaling where the prize was! Sorta gross, I know. Hey, they get it.

Some people listen when they ask what are we doing ? What's with the buckets? And they get an earful about PLASTIC, the gyres, and the fish. Then they look in our buckets. Most can't believe all the little pieces. They've also noticed the cleaner beach.

Each bucket probably weighs close to 35-40lbs is my guess. With glass, metal, and all the small pieces of plastic. Another reason why the buckets work so well is that they don't bust under the weight.

Yes we use plastic buckets. They work great. Cat litter or pickle buckets work the best. Sharp glass and metal and plastic is a problem when carrying and filling a plastic trashbag.

I've even added a plastic container that hangs off the bucket for sea glass. Some pieces are a real treat! We have an incredible collection. A nice reward.

Most of what we pick up is small pieces of plastic. The size of a dime or smaller. All differnent colors. So many pieces. The big stuff fills the bucket faster, but alot of the buckets you see are mostly full of these small pieces.

My two 50 gal trash cans get filled to the rim with garbage and I recycle what we can and fill the big onesweekly with plastic bottles, aluminum cans and glass. And that's just what gets brought home. Many times we go to a different area do our walk and dispose of it before we get home.

I want my pictures to have an impact when looked at. I want people, kids, politicians to look at this mess we are facing.

We joke that our beach is designed to catch this trash and we are human filters for the city and maybe making a small dent in the amount of plastic and trash making its way out to the Atlantic.

We walk our dogs on a beach near where we live about an hour and half in the morning, and often a quick walk in the eve after we return from work. We are just South of Providence, RI on the Providence River /Narragansett Bay. It's beautiful for being so close to the city. Hundreds of swan, ducks, heron, etc.

We just got a storm yesterday and this weekend. My beach is a mess again. Like we havent ever been there picking up for the last two months. So much new stuff washed ashore. So much. It hurt today a bit. Oh well. Gonna keep going.

(I understand how you feel. Bracing myself to go out today to see what washed through the city storm drains. With over 8 million people in the Los Angeles area, you can guess how much is out there. I try to show people with my pictures, but really there's so much more when you look out along the entire beach that is littered for as far as you can see. Doesn't leave me in a great mood when I'm done.)