Sunday, December 14, 2008

Pick up 1 item

You know that I've been somewhat obsessed with picking
up bottle caps.  Today, unfortunately, was a banner day. We've
had quite a bit of rain during the past week.  I
filled up yet another 5 gallon bucket of caps.  As I gathered my
usual bounty I noticed yet another plague, plastic cigar tips.  They
are everywhere!  With no particular effort I picked up hundreds
of them this morning.

I don't know very many people who smoke those little cigars
with the plastic tips.  Sure I know they are a favorite of those
who smoke weed, but there can't be that many smokers can there?
It's enough to make you sick all this plastic.  Guess the guy in the old
movie  " The Graduate"was right when he hold the Dustin Hoffman
character that he had one word for him as he considered his future
"plastics".  

If you haven't already please check out the "Rise Above Plastics" web site.
Join the campaign, take the pledge.  If you aren't ready to do that how
about beginning by exercising the power of one.  Next time you go to the
beach pick one plastic item...forks, spoons, straws, bottles, caps, cigar tips,
you get the idea.  Bring a bag and just pick up that item.  It might open
up your eyes and the eyes of those around you.  Maybe you can lead by
example and encourage everyone else to do the same.  Pick up 1 item, collect
it and realize the impact one person can have.  Paulo Fiere, a South American
literacy leader once designed a campaign to help educate people.  He called it
each one teach one.  Do what you can...please?

1 comment:

ken said...

bill,
pleased to inform you that tara and i removed three garbage bags of plastic and glass items from la beach on saturday. keep spreading the word. we enjoyed your article in tricity and now your blog.
ken