Museum of Litter

The 22nd Challenge

On Earth Day 2010, I remember someone making a comment about the hype of Earth Day. His point was everyone seemed to feel they were doing so much if they attended a one-day-a-year Earth Day event. He said we should be pitching in on a regular basis (I agree). As Earth Day is always celebrated on the 22nd, he suggested using the 22nd each month to do something special. I LIKE that idea! Also the number 22 has special significance to me -- it's my birthday. So, whoever you are*, thank you for that great idea. I'm running with it. I'm issuing:
 
 The Monthly 22nd Challenge
Using the 22nd as a reminder, what can we each do? Look around as you go through your day. Are there 22 pieces of litter you can pick up? Can you pick up everything in a 22 foot radius? Can you pick up litter for 22 minutes or even 22 seconds?
 
These are the first 22 pieces of litter I saw this morning. It took me a little more than 22 seconds, but not much -- probably 2 or 3 minutes at the most. Some of the pieces are very small pieces of plastic or cigarette butts. They are what I consider the worst... so small that they are easily ingested but not digested by wildlife causing birds, fish and turtles to die. This may not be a lot picked up, but every single piece is important.

Every litter bit hurts. Every little bit helps.
 
I'd love to hear from you. Let's start a conversation about litter to make those who are unaware more conscious. Please share your ideas and experience. *LIKE* us on Facebook.  If you take photos I invite you to post them on Facebook's Museum of Litter page.

If you're on Twitter, follow @MuseumofLitter. Together we can #twitterlittteraway.
 
* I wish I'd remember who's idea using the 22nd was so I could give credit. If it was you or you know who it was, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due. Thanks!
 
 

Litter Donations from July 4, 2010, Lauderdale by the Sea, FL beach

Here are pictures of the litter left behind from the 4th of July festivities.

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It was rainy all afternoon and evening of the 4th, with intermittent scattered thunder storms, so there were not a lot of beach-goers for sun or fireworks. I picked up only four bags worth of litter this morning from behind Aruba, Anglin's Pier, Oriana and south to the Datura Portal.

Lauderdale by the Sea has a contract with a beach raker that combs the beach and picks up most of the debris. However, the equipment doesn't go to the water's edge and they are not set up to separate the recyclables. So, I concentrate on picking up litter at the shoreline (to prevent it from joining the Atlantic Garbage Patch); the recyclables and broken glass. I leave the rest for the raker; especially the fireworks, some of which did not detonate.

Of the four bags worth of litter I gathered, one bag was trash, two bags were recyclables and the fourth bag was my 'pick of the litter' to add to the Museum of Litter's collections.

Sunrise Litter pickup May 23, 2010, at beach in LBTS, FL

 

This morning I was happy to meet Scott, Jill and Zoey Zigler who were out  picking up litter at sunrise on the beach just south of Anglin's Pier. Nice family. Between the Zigler family and me we had picked up 11 bags of litter (on this relatively clean beach), that fortunately will never make it to the Atlantic Garbage  Patch. You can see there are lots of plastic water bottles. Luckily, Lauderdale by the Sea, which is fast becoming known as ECO, has recycling containers at most of the beach portals. So, everything that could be recycled was recycled. Thank you Scott, Jill and Zoey for making a difference!

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2010 Earth Day Sunrise, or, as Bucky would say, Sunsight

Being Earth Day, watching the sunsight (as Bucky would say) this morning, got me to thinking about the 1st Earth Day I remember.

It was 1975. A few days earlier I'd had the good fortune to meet and spend four days with Buckminster Fuller and his wife Anne. It was just the three of us, in a cottage in Key Largo, FL. Bucky, almost 80, was writing a forward for someone's book and needed help to get his thoughts on paper. I had a typewriter and would type out drafts of his dictation. So, I found myself working, living, and dining with the Fullers for several days.

We'd go grocery shopping in my yellow VW Beetle. Separate carts. Separate bills. Our diets were very different.  I was a hippy, yogi (only wore white), and vegetarian. I was shocked at Bucky's diet; it consisted of steak and ice cream. I asked him about eating meat. He believed there is no death, only transference of energy so he felt completely neutral about being a carnivore.

I didn't have a clue about Bucky or his work, but after dinner we'd sit at the kitchen table and he would draw diagrams. He'd explain vectors to me and how the tetrahedron [the basic structural unit of the geodesic dome] is the building block of the universe. It was all way over my head, but I was fascinated. Bucky said I asked good questions. And he told me not to waste time giving information I feel is valuable if someone hasn't asked for it. But, if someone asks, you have a responsibility to tell them and to make sure they understand.

I absolutely fell in love with Bucky. He was so present and ego-less. His eyes (with those thick glasses) were like deep pools of accumulated wisdom. I had been on a deeply spiritual path, discarding science, and realized with reverence Bucky had synthesized the two.

On Earth Day, a few days later, I listened to Bucky give a wonderful talk at a church in Coconut Grove. At the end of the presentation everyone gave him a long standing ovation. He motioned with his hands to stop and waited patiently for silence. Then he said, "I just want you to know, when you stand together clapping like this, it is not me you are applauding, but each other...you're telling each other you're all in agreement with the truth of what has just been said."

Litter Donations -- July 28, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

This bag of litter was collected this morning just along the shoreline in about 1/2 hour. The area covered was from Anglin's Pier south to the next portal at Datura Ave.

Litter Donations -- July 26, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

To see video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgmTlEDK2hg

This was the only litter this morning, just south of Anglin's Pier. I think it is a seat cushion for a yacht. Another beach goer and I tried to bring it out of the water but it was way too heavy even with the surf moving towards high tide. The rest of the shoreline was exceptionally clean -- nothing to pick up. So, I went swimming!

Litter Donations - July 23 & 24, 2009 - Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

I picked up for about 1/2 hour along the shoreline around 8 am. I started at the pier and headed south, walking along shore up to the high tide mark, ending at Datura Avenue portal. I gathered one very full bag full of litter (second bag was keepers for future art). Sadly, I had collected from this very same walk from here to the pier, another full bag, just last night at sunset. I don't have a picture of it because it was too dark by the time I finished.

Litter Donations -- July 19, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

This is the litter collected along the shoreline this morning. I started behind Windjammer at the Datura Portal, and headed north, ending just north of Anglin's Pier where the trash and recycling containers are located behind Aruba.  The bag on the right is litter that was able to be recycled.

As I walked back south I picked up more litter. The stuff in the bag on the left I considered 'keepers.' I took it home, washed it, put it in the sun to dry and will upcycle it by making art from it.

Litter Donations -- July 15, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

So much litter.... so little time. Had to get to work early, so did more documenting than picking up.

This photograph is of litter just south of Anglin's Pier --  lots of plastic bottles, glass beer bottles, styrofoam, a pizza box. If you look near the shadow of the pier you'll see lots of specks -- it's all litter. Was surprised to see so much litter on a Wednesday morning. Picked up about a half grocery bag full of litter walking along the shore from the pier south to the next portal at Datura Ave. Was able to rescue a few plastic water bottles from going out to sea to be recycled instead.