Earth Day (April 22nd) was last Tuesday, and thanks to my daughter, I was actually encouraged to do something. Her preschool had planned to go to a local beach and pick up trash, so I joined them. We’re a one-car household, and I didn’t have the car, so I did the right thing and bicycled there. That was easy, since it was the beach only a mile from my house, and it’s almost all downhill or flat.
In half an hour, a dozen children and some dedicated parents and teachers (aunties) picked up 30 grocery bags of trash. Most of this was from people visiting the beach, not plastic that has washed ashore as can happen at some other beaches.
Before putting all the garbage in the trash can, I sorted it and took out 2 bags of consignment containers (HI5), probably worth about $1.50. Sometimes when it’s feasible, I also sort out other recyclables (glass and plastic) to put in my recycling bins at home.
Biking home, I was going slow uphill and noticed lots more trash along the roads in my neighborhood. I didn’t have time to stop, but I did find a playable CD by John Cruz (mini review: not bad).
The moral of the story is that if a bunch of 2- and 3-year olds can do something for the earth, anyone can, it’s just a question of getting out and doing it. And you don’t have to clean up a beach, nor do you have to bike there, just take a plastic bag and walk in your nearest public space for 30 minutes. This can be a beach, a park, or just around your neighborhood, and sometimes you may just get an unexpected reward.