Trashy Whale, Unveiled!

San Diego Surfrider RAP activist Heather Benson recently informed me that a group of first graders (that she had made a beach and watershed presentation to) were constructing a life-size whale out of plastic trash that they've found on the beach. "That's great!", I said, but I was really thinking, "...yeah, sure". Nice to know that I've been found wrong again!

One hundred and thirty (130!) Jefferson Elementary School (Carlsbad, CA) first grade students worked for five and a half months to create the art piece that is currently on display at their school, and which will travel to nearby Sea Life Aquarium (and beyond, just ask!) for an extended stay. Sea Life helped the project along with a $750 donation - sweet!

I came to the February 18th event with an open mind, and was b-l-o-w-n-a-w-a-y. The unveiling was standing-room-only and featured speeches, songs, THE BAG MONSTER!, free RAP canvas bags for the parents, cheering, photos, hugs and more. The baby-whale sized mural features everything from a set of dentures to surfboard leashes - a real eye-opener into the stuff we use everyday being presented back to us...hmmm... See photos from the event here. Check the student's blog of the effort here.


The students were guided and inspired not only by Heather, but by their teacher, Arlene Gnade, and local "gARTbage" artist, Teresa Espaniola. Bottom line: This type of connection with the growing minds of children is very important in our efforts to save the waves - the kids get it, they know that the problem of beach trash must be solved, and neatly "up-teach" their parents on the matter.

Bravo Jefferson Elementary!

Tijuana River Explodes With Trash & Sewage

[click any image in this blog for a larger view]

As written about previously in this blog…the Tijuana River crosses from Mexico into the US in extreme southern San Diego County. The important things to know about this unique regional feature are that:

1) There are little or no recycling programs in Baja California; nor is trash collection there at the standard that US residents are accustomed to.

2) Sewage plumbing and processing in Tijuana is not at the standard that US residents are accustomed to.

3) Some Tijuana residents use old tires to construct earthen retaining walls in the loose, crumbling local soil.

4) Three quarters of the Tijuana River watershed is located in Mexico.

5) The local topology is not flat – and is characterized as mesas and canyons.

6) When it rains hard in this region, the outfall of this river is the transport mechanism for mind-boggling volumes of sediment, garbage, sewage, tires, debris and…yes, plastics as they race to the nearby ocean.

7) On the US side, the Tijuana River estuary can act as a partial “filter”, capturing some of what flows downstream, before it gets to the ocean.

8) Not everything that flows down the river is stopped before it makes its way to the ocean.

9) Each time it rains, a new layer of infectious sediment and debris is deposited atop the last one, creating a stratified riverbed comprised primarily of layer upon layer of mud, tires and miscellaneous flotsam.

Surfrider San Diego created “No B.S.” (border sewage), a campaign designed to bring attention and action to this multi-tiered problem. It has partnered with the Tijuana River Citizens Council and other enviro groups raise awareness to the problem and to grow all attempts at capturing and stopping the debris flow – as well as to extract the deposited items during dry episodes. No blame is placed as to the source of the problem – it is known as a “cross-border” situation that both countries need to address.


[click any image in this blog for a larger view]

The team has made available scores of photos (here and here and here), and maintain their own blog with more details of the problem, related stories (from both sides of the border) and information on how you may be able to help.

Take time to at least look at the eye-popping photos...and don't believe the line that "it never rains in California"!

Check 'em out, help 'em out and buena suerte a todos!

Worth a Replay - The Work Of Felipe Bascope (ala Saatchi & Saatchi)!

[click on any image for a hi-def look...]



This last one is actual beach clean-up trash chicken-wired onto a billboard - click it for a closer look - it's eye-popping! (Dont be surprised if you see only plastics.)



Felipe put these into play in his days at the generous & mod media/marketing firm Saatchi & Saatchi. See more of Felipe's work on his blog!

CALTRANS: Missing the Point?

But - a great green-washing effort nonetheless!! Gotta love the feel-good factor of placing more recycling bins at roadside rest stops...right? First, check the origin of the story, and collaboration: "SOURCE American Chemistry Council", as noted at the bottom of the web-page 'article'.

I think we can all agree that the problem lies (literally and figuratively) on the roadside stretches BETWEEN the rest stops. Much like our oceanic gyres, our roadsides are strewn with trash - most of it plastic bags and bottles. I recently spoke at a local city council meeting considering a bag ban and concerned that I lacked evidence for a convincing argument, I counted plastic bags along the 30 mile drive of the I-5 freeway...and was shocked to tally-up 68 bags - and that was just one side of the highway and did not include areas where I had to pay attention to traffic versus counting the "urban tumbleweeds".

Bottom line, the plastics manufacturers are again encouraging us to fix their problem of the instant waste by recycling their product. Why are items like extremely durable plastic bottles designed for one fleeting use? Answer: $$$$$$$, baaaaby!

I can still remember the days when you returned your glass drink bottles for redemption - and they'd be sterilized and refilled. But now the burden of dealing with the waste receptacle (plastic bottle) has been shifted/dumped into our laps.

Perhaps the ACC should sponsor some Adopt A Highway areas and put their $$$ where their green(back)-washing mouths are, yes? Much better to set a good example, be a good neighbor, turn a good deed, versus touting the tiresome and distracting rest stop cosmetic make-overs...here's the phone number: 1-866-ADOPT-A-HWY

RAP Style Line - Tattoo U!

We thank Vickie McMurchie (left) for being the first progressive soul to sport a custom RAP tattoo... The tattoo was created by Surfrider CEO/Closet Artist Jim Moriarty. His bio says he's an "innovator" and well, ya gotta admit - it's a good look!

Vickie is the Community & Events Manager at Surfrider Global Headquarters in San Clemente, and I bet this accessory has only added to her innate ability to engage and entertain anyone within a 30 meter radius. She's got that gift - and now wears her RAP colors on her sleeve...literally.

Next on the catwalk (right) we have Stéphane Latxague, the "Directeur"/CEO of Surfrider Foundation Europe, sporting the Franco-Euro version of the now-popular RAP skull & cross botts - note the 'au courant' chapeau touch! This design also floated out of the active mind of Mr. Moriarty. Fantastique!

Get yours today (or use a Sharpie like JM) and Rise Above! [...and however you'd say that in Francais...!]

Photos from Padang, Sumatra

A friend forwarded me these photos from the public beach located in Padang, Sumatra.

There is a neighboring surf break that foreigners and locals alikerefer to as "Cholera Creek"...for obvious reasons. Due to the lack of refuse programs, the Public Beach in Padang,Sumatra is dramatically littered with items including plastics of all sorts, rubber, clothing and glass. Children use washed up pieces of wood for boogie-boards in the surf onthis shore.

Will Economy Affect Plastics Recycling?

Jim Moriarty recently had a poll on his blog, Oceans, Waves, Beaches that posed the question, "Which is more important, the economy or the environment?" I am not sure what the final outcome was but the last time I looked most votes were overwhelmingly for the environment.

I actually put my vote with the economy. Why? Because I believe the rise and fall of the economy directly affects the well being and success of environmental awareness and programs. Recycling has increased with the advent of curbside pick-up, provided by local governments and private waste companies and they are in it for the profit. Some services are included in public utilities services along with your city taxes, some, like the one I use, require a separate monthly payment.

Quite honestly, I only started recycling when curbside pick-up was made available. It was a pain in the but to gather all of my plastics, glass, aluminum and paper, separate it and then drive it 25 miles to the nearest collection center. That collection center also exists to make a profit.

The Rise Above Plastics Campaign with the help of people like Ximena Waissbluth , in my opinion, is doing a great job of educating individuals on the impacts of plastics on our oceans and beaches. The message of reducing and eventually eliminating one's use of single use plastic bottles and bags even got through to me and I have grown up in an area that the majority of the population is not at all environmentally conscious. That in itself is a huge achievement!

However, I would say that most people I know still rely on recycling their plastic bottles, paper, glass and so on and more have jumped on the bandwagon in the past year or so as the result of a friend starting his own private curbside pick-up service. The first and only one that I know of in the entire Rio Grande Valley. Guess what, he is also in it for a profit and has conveyed to me that the future of the company is in doubt due to the recent global economic downturn. The value of recyclable materials has plummeted along with other commodities such as lumber, steel and oil.

So when he goes out of business, does the increase of people recycling as a result of him go with him? Unfortunately I believe the answer is yes.

I could ramble on more about this and fear that I may have already started to do so. I believe the following article on Times Online may provide a better example of the havoc the economic downturn is having on the world-wide recycling industry instead of my own personal experience.

Recycling Waste Pile Up As Prices Collapse

By Lewis Smith, Environmental Reporter

Thousands of tonnes of rubbish collected from household recycling bins may have to be stored in warehouses and former military bases to save them from being dumped after a collapse in prices.

MORE....

CDC Criticizes FDA on BPA in United States

Scientists from CDC, EPA Criticize FDA on Chemical Used in Plastic Bottles

Written by E. Sizemore

October 30, 2008

This week a seven-member scientific panel, including toxicology and environmental health experts from the EPA and CDC, issued a strongly worded report criticizing the FDA on their response to concerns over products containing bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical used in the making of plastic water bottles, baby bottles, food containers and other products from which BPA could leach into food and drinks.

According to the panel the FDA ignored strong evidence to the contrary and used flawed methods when determining that BPA is not harmful. Comprised of scientists from government and universities the report claims that the FDA did not consider dozens of studies linking BPA to diseases and conditions like diabetes, prostate cancer, early puberty and sexual dysfunctions in animals.

Many of the studies pointed out were reviewed by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), which did find that BPA could possibly harm brain development and cause behavioral problems in infants and small children.

In response to the report the FDA, which is in charge of regulating the chemicals used in plastic food containers, agrees that “…due to the uncertainties raised in some studies relating to the potential effects of low doses of bisphenol-A that additional research would be valuable.”

According to the CDC, more than 90% of Americans are exposed to trace amounts of bisphenol, which leaches out of water bottles, the lining of cans and other plastic food containers. The level of exposure may increase if such containers are used when microwaving food or heating up milk.

Canada and many other developed countries have already banned the use of BPA in baby bottles and other plastic food and drink containers. The United States has yet to do so, despite overwhelming evidence of BPA’s potentially harmful effects.

The United States’ free-market economy doesn’t always wait for government to regulate the safety of products. Many retailers and manufacturers are already offering non-BPA alternatives like steel drinking water bottles and glass baby bottles. Maybe soon the FDA will catch up with corporate America’s own response to concerns raised by citizens who just want healthy products for themselves and their children.

Below - Female reproductive effects linked to BPA exposure - Environmental Working Group

jRAPan

I love this brochure as it's a metaphor for how our mission is scaling. The "jellyfish bags" image was done by Young and Rubicam Paris, the contents of the birds stomach image on the back pack came from Saatchi and Saatchi in Los Angeles. It was made into a brochure in San Clemente, CA and translated into multiple languages via our global affiliate and chapter network. It then went on the road with Jack Johnson on his recent All At Once Tour.

This is what we mean by connecting the dots. This is what we mean by taking a message to all corners of the world.

This is protection and enjoment of oceans, waves and beaches for all people.

Plastic Newspaper Bags

One of single use plastics we get here in San Diego is a plastic bag covering our newspaper in the morning. It is used even less of a distance than a grocery bag (from the carrier's car to the sidewalk). I just called the San Diego Union Tribune and found out that you can request to have your paper delivered without a plastic bag. People need to do insist that plastic not be provided - make your voices heard!

Elizabeth

2,500 bottles makes you...

I've blogged on Pam Longobardi before, this time around she takes to the bottle... and makes a gorgeous dome out of... old, discarded water bottles.

Check out her bottle site.

Bag jellies

Rising Above Plastics in Arkansas

The Northwest Arkansas Times writes about two local movie theaters who have decided to replace plastic popcorn bags with paper ones and a natural foods co-op that has stopped passing out plastic bags to customers.

We decided to quit using the plastic grocery bags by popular demand," said Roger Hill, marketing and owner services manager. "For years our owners and other patrons have been asking us to get rid of plastic bags. Now we have done it."

The co-op used plastic bags for several reasons: cost, storage space and convenience for customers, he said. However, with the "Trim Your Waste"campaign in place, the co-op is encouraging customers to bring in their own reusable tote bags.

"Your best choice is your own organic cotton canvas bag, which will last for years, can be recycled in many ways and, if it eventually ends up in a landfill, will biodegrade in just a few months," Hill said. "Your second best choice is any reusable tote bag, no matter what it is made of."

This story of three businesses and a strong popular demand to end use of plastic bags shows again how deep the desire to end the use of single-use plastics runs throughout America and indeed throughout the world.

Read the entire article here.

The Next 400 Years

The Economic Times in India features an article about "The Next 400 Years," with the 400 years being the amount of time it takes for a plastic bag to "degrade." A short outline of the global devastation and a call to arms, follows.

It is estimated that globally, a million plastic bags are consumed every minute. India is a major contributor to this staggering statistic. This is a disaster already in the making. Why? Unfortunately, the list is long – but here is a flavour:
• Choked Drains : Light poly-bags settle in drains. They cause backflow and water logging. Poly-bag induced water logging triggers off landslides in the mountains.
• Soil Degradation : Poly-bags are non-porous and non-biodegradable. They obstruct free flow of water and air, choking the soil and suffocating plant roots. Toxic chemical additives cause soil quality degradation.
• Animal Deaths : Cows eat poly-bags and die. National Geographic estimates that over 100,000 marine animal deaths per year are directly related to ingestion of plastic bags
• Food Hazards : Most plastics today come from petrochemicals. Laboratory studies show that some of these chemicals are linked to cancer and kidney damage and may interfere with the reproductive system.
• Mosquito Breeding : Stray poly-bags act as receptacles of water, sufficient enough for mosquito breeding.
• Polluting Industry : Manufacture of poly-bags, mainly in small moulding shops, with no environmental standards involve hazardous materials and emit obnoxious gases posing serious problems for workers and the environment.
• Disposal Hazards : If disposed through landfills, poly-bags continue to pollute soil for many years. If burnt they emit hazardous gases that pollute the air.

Read the entire article here.

Please Come to Boston

Dave Loggins had a 1974 hit with the above-titled song. City Councilor John R. Connolly has hit upon examining the health risks posed by bisphenol A. A hearing will be held at Boston City Hall this Thursday, May 29 at 3:00 PM, EDT. In 1776, Boston rose against tyranny when the Declaration of Independence was read from the balcony of the old state house. In 2oo8, will Boston help the rest of the nation Rise above Plastics?

Earthrace Visits the "California Rubbish Dump"

Earthrace, the effort to circumnavigate the world in a 100% biodiesel powerboat and educate on renewable fuels, recently visited what they called the "California Rubbish Dump," in the Pacific. This from the Captain's log, Day 23,

" 'There’s a lot of crap in the water here', Adam says, as we dodge around another plastic bottle in the water. Our course is more like a drunken student weaving his way home after a bender, rather than a race boat in a straight line. It seems every hundred metres or so there’s another bit of crap in the water, and anything resembling a buoy (like a plastic bottle), we need to skirt around.

Prof Sharma in Scotland had warned us about this area. Actually so had Bob McDavitt, our forecaster back in New Zealand. It is a giant rubbish dump of plastic and polystyrene, that unbelievably, is the size of Texas, and we’re currently on the southern tip of it.

What actually happens is the current that passes down the West Coast of America picks up rubbish and debris along the Californian coast, and then drags them all the way out here, some thousand odd nautical miles away. The current here then drops under the surface, leaving behind all the rubbish. It joins the giant Californian rubbish dump that remains here year after year, and gradually increases in density as more crap drifts in."

As we have learned recently, the garbage patch (or both of them) is much larger than originally thought. As a Californian who's trying to make a difference and reduce our plastics use, I'm not sure how great I feel about the name "California Rubbish Dump," however it's a shoe that fits squarely on all of our feet as the majority polluters on this side of the Pacific.

The Enormity of the Garbage Patches

At tonight's meeting of Surfrider Foundation San Diego County Chapter, I showed a copy of the graphic from the Toronto Globe and Mail depicting the garbage patches in the Pacific Ocean. At least one person asked "Isn't there some way we can clean this up?" And, later during our break and discussion period, I was asked why I thought it the trash could not be picked up. I replied "Because of the enormity of it all," explaining that these patches were so large and plastics of varying sizes are spread throughout the patches at depths up to 10 meters. Anna Cummins, Eduction Advisor of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, had a guest blog post in the LA Times just the other day and wrote,

" • The garbage does indeed exist. HOWEVER it is not a "patch" of garbage, nor a trash island. It's more like a huge bowl of dilute plastic soup, from California to Japan.

• We can't clean it up, net it away, or sieve it out. It's an area twice the size of the United States, and the debris is too spread out. Imagine a handful of plastic cornflakes sprinkled over a football field. Now imagine 9 million football fields in the Pacific Ocean."

Possible the devastation to the marine environment has gotten even worse than before, Cummins writes, "What we found this year: the problem has gotten much, much worse. Though our samples are still being processed, Captain Moore guesstimates a fivefold increase in 10 years, bumping plastic to plankton ratios up to 30:1."

In order to raise awareness, Cummins and two others are sailing Junkraft, a raft made out of 15,000 plastic bottles, an old airplane and other junk materials from Long Beach to Hawaii. One June 1, they set sail from Long Beach Aquarium and will be carrying hundreds of messages about plastics debris to be delivered to Congress in Washington DC. You can write your own message here.

FDA: BPA is A-OK!

A Food and Drug Administration official told Congress that

[A] large body of available evidence indicates that food contact materials containing BPA currently on the market are safe, and that exposure levels to BPA from these materials, including exposure to infants and children, are below those that may cause health effects.

FDA's stance runs counter to the National Toxicology Program, Health Canada and scientists including David Feldman, of Stanford University, who published findings as long ago as 1993 regarding the effects of Bisphenol A.

Swimming in an Ocean of Plastic

From Orillia, Ontario, Canada comes this piece wherein the author reveals a revelation he's had regarding plastics.

A few statistics from the piece, courtesy of Algalita Marine Research Foundation via Time Magazine:

• 46,000 pieces of plastic are floating per every square mile of ocean.
• The North Central Pacific Gyre (that floating patch of debris) contains an estimated 100 million tons of trash.
• The gyre area is now said to be maybe twice the size of the Continental United States.

These stats and the realization that he was making a difference has turned the author. What can they do to turn that skeptical friend or relative of yours? Any decent person who learns of the research of Algalita and others can't help but want to make a difference. Read the entire article here.

Plastics and Packaging Concerns By and For All

Proving that concerns for our environment crosses party lines and oceans, Conservative Member of Parliament John Hayes has come out against over packaging.

Mr Hayes, MP for South Holland and The Deepings, raised the issue during a House of Commons debate last week and is urging the Government to take action sooner rather than later to help save the environment.

He said: "When my young children have their toys they come packaged in paper, metal, plastic, wood and every other kind of thing that one can imagine.

"When we bought toys or when they were bought for us as children, they came very simply packaged."

Mr Hayes added that there are many other examples of ways that excess packaging is getting "out of control"....He added: "Not too long ago fish and chips used to be wrapped in paper, not polystyrene boxes, and milk and pop came in returnable glass bottles.

"We need to look again at the benefits that returnable glass bottles and other forms of packaging can deliver compared to their plastic and polystyrene alternatives."

Read the entire article here. Right on, MP Hayes. Rock the UK!