I’ve never bought (nor will I) those mylar birthday, congrats, or whatever occasion helium balloons.
Do people intentionally let them go, or do they float themselves out of the trash can to find their way to the ocean - where I find many of them all the time (those buggers are tough to pop - another reason to carry a knife).
@raisins said:
I’ve never bought (nor will I) those mylar birthday, congrats, or whatever occasion helium balloons.
Do people intentionally let them go,
I have found them in the deep forest of a wilderness area. I find them fairly often in our local woods as well. I feel that outdoor releases of helium balloons at events should be fined for littering.
@castoff said:
I feel that outdoor releases of helium balloons at events should be fined for littering.Yeah, I don’t understand why that’s legal.
A small step for mankind a giant leap for the planet!
https://www.nbcnews.com/better/science/fighting-pollution-avoiding-plastic-straws-ncna856296
The problem is us. Thoughtlessly tossing away trash. I suspect those of us that enjoy the waterways and outdoors are more aware of the repercussions of trash, and likely to pick up other peoples trash. The plastic industry is quick to point out the benefits of convenience and potential health benefits of disposable cups, utensils, and straws, and have a monetary interest they wish to protect. They say the consumer should be responsible with their use and disposal. All true, but that approach hasn’t worked very well. Has it? If we can’t effect individual responsibility, then I suspect it would be much better not to have styrofoam cups and plates, plastic utensils, bags, and straws.
Steven Hawking died today. What a great mind we have lost. Did you know he predicted “that human beings have less than 600 years left on the planet before population growth and energy depletion burn it to a cinder.” Now my mind isn’t as acute as his, but even my simple perception can see we have to make a change. Yes we are the ones that have to start paying the cost of change so our grandchildren will have a better life and world.
@castoff said:> Yes we are the ones that have to start paying the cost of change so our grandchildren will have a better life and world.
By we, I assume that you mean individual tax payers, since legislators tell us that requiring corporations to be good environmental citizens and would drive corporate profits too low and bring our economy to a sudden halt.
America’s standard approach is to let corporations pollute free of charge and then have tax payers pick up the tab via Super Fund, if they can survive all of the red tape to get federal assistance.
Some corporations get it, and do a pretty good job of minimizing adverse environmental impact, but many still try to get away with as little pollution control as possible in order to maximize profits for shareholders. Many local governments will tolerate the irresponsible polluting in order to have the short term jobs.
So true, but we can change that behavior my shining a light on those companies practices and letting people know what products them are producing. Boycotts are not something any company wants to here about. We can vote with our vote, and we can vote with our money.
I am not enjoying standing on this soup box, but I am ashamed that I haven’t done more in the past. I have long known about the problem of plastic in the oceans and done my small part to keep it out and pick it up. However it is obvious that hasn’t been enough. I suspect most folks here are much less of the problem as we spend time in outdoor spaces and cherish them. We each have other things that require our time and attention. I have heard it said you are either part of the solution or you are not. I just don’t want to be not.
People here are animals. They just throw crap out the window. People are cleaning it all up and short order there will be tons of trash thrown out the window. How about 1000 dollar fine and 3 points on license.
Styrofoam last 500 years in landfills
@PaddleDog52 said:
People here are animals. They just throw crap out the window. People are cleaning it all up and short order there will be tons of trash thrown out the window. How about 1000 dollar fine and 3 points on license.
Fines are already up to $450 here and have been for years. I have never met someone who has been fined that I know of. If we can’t change people’s behavior then we need to change what they throw out the window!
Littering cameras
Plus make them clean up for two weeks or go to jail.
@castoff said:
The problem is us. Thoughtlessly tossing away trash. I suspect those of us that enjoy the waterways and outdoors are more aware of the repercussions of trash, and likely to pick up other peoples trash. The plastic industry is quick to point out the benefits of convenience and potential health benefits of disposable cups, utensils, and straws, and have a monetary interest they wish to protect. They say the consumer should be responsible with their use and disposal. All true, but that approach hasn’t worked very well. Has it? If we can’t effect individual responsibility, then I suspect it would be much better not to have styrofoam cups and plates, plastic utensils, bags, and straws.
Steven Hawking died today. What a great mind we have lost. Did you know he predicted “that human beings have less than 600 years left on the planet before population growth and energy depletion burn it to a cinder.” Now my mind isn’t as acute as his, but even my simple perception can see we have to make a change. Yes we are the ones that have to start paying the cost of change so our grandchildren will have a better life and world.
Steven Hawking actually predicted man has ONLY 100 years left. I think he was losing it near the end with that prediction.
@PaddleDog52 said:
Littering cameras
I have talked with the local authorities about the litter on my street, and the response I got was heck they got trash thrown out at their house to. Which left the impression there was nothing they would do if they didn’t try to stop it at their place. I have thought about setting up a game camera to get pictures of the cars that those trash out in front of my house, and then taking it to them and see what they do then. I expect I would get excuses still. I live in a rural town,.
Yes, our litter laws are posted on the highways but who knows if they are informed? There are few patrolmen on the highways and I suspect littering is at the bottom of their list.
With is a lot of pure ignorance , low income, broken families, ad infinitim , who teaches people not to be slobs?
I was recently walking along a major street in a fairly large town when I heard a loud pop sound. I look over and realize someone had thrown a very big plastic cup out of their vehicle’s window. What puzzled me was the vehicle looked like a brand new, oversized, all-the-bells-and-whistles pickup truck. At least $40,000 spent on that truck. Rich folks can be just as trashy as poor folks!
Yes Rookie there is, and they just reduced the fines. For the life of me I can’t fathom our state’s law maker’s reasoning. They want to get hard on all other crime but this! It went from $450 to $25-$100 for less than 15 pounds of litter this January. Here"s a link.
http://www.thestate.com/news/local/article197426409.html
It was up to $1000 posted on road signs in FL when we moved to SC in 1984. We have a horrendous littering problem. I started to take some pictures of roadside litter on the rural road as I drove home yesterday from a clean up paddle on the Enoree River, but it was sunset and I was beat. I did get photos of what we saw on the river.
Rex we have slobs in all economic brackets, but the depressed and disillusioned just don’t seem to care about tossing or dumping trash.
@castoff
The fines are reduced so officers “might” enforce the law? Sounds like more of a social experiment than law enforcement.
The photo in the article shows eight bottles in a creek bed. SC would benefit from a bottle deposit law. In 1976 Michigan voters passed a law requiring a ten-cent deposit on all beverage containers. There was heavy opposition from the beverage and grocery industry, but the bill passed. The recycling rate is about 95% and it’s made a major impact in reducing that form of litter.
@Rookie said
The photo in the article shows eight bottles in a creek bed. SC would benefit from a bottle deposit law.
Rookie check out my post “ Photos of a Wonderful Forest River Trip” to get the bigger picture here.