Museum of Litter

BP Oil Spill, Day 49 -- Happy World Ocean Day

Today we celebrate World Ocean Day. How timely.

With everyone feeling helpless regarding the Gulf Oil Spill, today is a good day to ask, what CAN I do to make a difference?

 

I started the day with an hour coastal cleanup at my Florida beach. I figure if I pick up litter, especially at the tide line, it will be prevented from joining the Atlantic Garbage patch and I'll be able to protect fish, turtles and birds that mistake it for food.

 

What can YOU do? What WILL you do?

If you live near the ocean can you pick up litter along the shore to prevent it from going into the Atlantic or Pacific Garbage Patch? Can you clean up a river or lake? Can you be more mindful, just for today, of refusing single use fast food containers? Can you bring your own coffee mug?  Your own reusable water bottle?

Even if you live nowhere near the ocean, we can all volunteer, donate, contribute in some way. Even a conversation. Bringing up World Ocean Day may just be the thing to motivate someone else to take action.

This is not an Obama problem or a BP problem. It's not even a national problem. It's an international, planetary problem. We are ALL in this together.

As the oil spill crisis continues to cloud our Gulf waters, do you think we can find the silver lining? Can we use this tragedy to come together as a global eco-community to preserve and protect the environment and ocean we all share?

What are you doing for Earth Day?

Every day is a good day to be green, but did you do anything special for Earth Day? It's not too late. Even if you just have a minute or two you can pick up a few pieces of litter and help clean up our environment. That is something simple any of us can do anywhere, even if we are traveling.

My friend Hannah and I met at the beach early this morning to pick up litter. We collected three bags full, recycled what we could, threw away the nasty trash, then sat on a bench savoring our treasures of the day. One great find was a toy for molding wet sand. Although this is a wonderful addition to our kids toys collection, what makes it really exciting is, it's a plastic purple cow and I've been reading Seth Godin. Just loved the synchronicity! An odd find was an eyelash curler. It's the first I've come across in several years of litter collection. Was VERY pleased to come across several Blow Pop candy wrappers. They make the cutest mermaids. Don't have any to show -- they sell quickly -- but I will make some soon so you can see.