Good Planets are Hard to Find

Once again this week I am inspired by a singer-songwriter I just saw in concert who hits the nail on the head. This time it’s Steve Forbert.

Good planets are hard to find,

Temp'rate zones and tropic climes,

Winds blowin' through breathing trees,

Strong ozone and safe sunshine,

Good planets are hard to find.

Every year around Earth Day, I do a beach cleanup of the shoreline near my access to the beach. This year I was a little late, but I recently watched a great program on PBS about plastics in the oceans. So I did my own inventory of just the plastic waste that washes up here on my own little stretch of sand – it’s really not MY sand, I just refer to it as mine. I walked just 50 to 60 feet in each direction and this is what I collected (see photo). Notice that I am still picking up those plastic wagon wheels.

I am sure most of you have heard about the giant Pacific garbage patch. It is made up of 7 million tons of floating plastic waste, twice the size of Texas. I have always wondered who first had the idea to throw garbage in the ocean. Don’t you want to meet that person? I imagine the scene ... someone has a giant load of garbage and nowhere to put it and he chimes up, “Let’s throw it in the ocean!” Then his friend says “Great idea!” I wish I could turn the world back in time like Superman and give those guys a smack.

Check out this site: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/science/plasticoceans/index.html. I am going to be much more conscientious from now on with my own plastic use. I know I can do better. Much better.