Why is litter not part of the national social agenda? It is a universal problem and such an eyesore. Keeping the streets and public commons neat and tidy makes everyone feel better. It’s a simple equation with a simple solution.
This is being written on Earth Day 2018. In past years I’ve advocated for making Earth Day an international day off so everyone can go out and pick up litter in their neighborhoods, as well as for an international day off from using any fossil fueled vehicles to see what our skies would look like after a day off from emissions. Neither has been implemented. International leadership doesn’t seem to take notice of my powerfully important weekly social commentary. But we’ll keep plugging away.
Last week, I was in Laurel, MD, between DC and Baltimore, staying at a hotel. There was a strand of trees out back that served as a buffer to the shopping center next door. It was less than ten feet deep. A path crossed through the trees to the parking area. I walked through it early Saturday morning as I headed off on my daily exercise regime, exploring the neighborhood at a fast pace.
On that short stretch of dirt path, I saw enough garbage in that tiny strand of trees to make me vomit. There was a toilet thrown into the bushes. On one side, the refuse was so deep that bottles, cans, plastic bags, cigarette packages and paper containers were piled on top of each other. You probably could see the name of every soft drink and beer available in America. It was that bad.
It also was not unusual. Heading up the road, there was a waterway fenced in. Where the stream had risen recently before receding, there was a line of every packaged waste product you can come up with. It was like a litter path down the side of the incline. It went on for as far as you could see the stream. How people live in that area and not take some pride in their surroundings is beyond me.
The hotel where my wife and I stayed could easily have designated an employee to pick up their area. It might have taken one person a couple of hours to do that. Wouldn’t you rather stay at a hotel that had a clean parking lot and its surroundings were spotless instead of a garbage-laden wasteland? It seems to me that business-wise, hotels need to get with the program. Clean up your backyards and take some photos to show how nice it is, so prospective guests will WANT to stay there. Use cleanliness to promote your business.
Every business in that small strip mall could send an employee out on a regular basis to clean up. Is it their duty? Not necessarily, but again, it makes business sense. As a potential customer, you’re going to spend your money at a clean establishment before you go to one that’s a pigpen.
I saw an old and good friend while we were in the DC area. He organizes cleanups and had a big one in process while I was there. This heartens me, and I salute him because it is part of who he is, and he’s always looking at the bigger picture. We need more people like him. We need people like him running businesses, leading communities and setting the tone. Sign up. Do your part. Spread the word.
This is being written on Earth Day 2018. In past years I’ve advocated for making Earth Day an international day off so everyone can go out and pick up litter in their neighborhoods, as well as for an international day off from using any fossil fueled vehicles to see what our skies would look like after a day off from emissions. Neither has been implemented. International leadership doesn’t seem to take notice of my powerfully important weekly social commentary. But we’ll keep plugging away.
Last week, I was in Laurel, MD, between DC and Baltimore, staying at a hotel. There was a strand of trees out back that served as a buffer to the shopping center next door. It was less than ten feet deep. A path crossed through the trees to the parking area. I walked through it early Saturday morning as I headed off on my daily exercise regime, exploring the neighborhood at a fast pace.
On that short stretch of dirt path, I saw enough garbage in that tiny strand of trees to make me vomit. There was a toilet thrown into the bushes. On one side, the refuse was so deep that bottles, cans, plastic bags, cigarette packages and paper containers were piled on top of each other. You probably could see the name of every soft drink and beer available in America. It was that bad.
It also was not unusual. Heading up the road, there was a waterway fenced in. Where the stream had risen recently before receding, there was a line of every packaged waste product you can come up with. It was like a litter path down the side of the incline. It went on for as far as you could see the stream. How people live in that area and not take some pride in their surroundings is beyond me.
The hotel where my wife and I stayed could easily have designated an employee to pick up their area. It might have taken one person a couple of hours to do that. Wouldn’t you rather stay at a hotel that had a clean parking lot and its surroundings were spotless instead of a garbage-laden wasteland? It seems to me that business-wise, hotels need to get with the program. Clean up your backyards and take some photos to show how nice it is, so prospective guests will WANT to stay there. Use cleanliness to promote your business.
Every business in that small strip mall could send an employee out on a regular basis to clean up. Is it their duty? Not necessarily, but again, it makes business sense. As a potential customer, you’re going to spend your money at a clean establishment before you go to one that’s a pigpen.
I saw an old and good friend while we were in the DC area. He organizes cleanups and had a big one in process while I was there. This heartens me, and I salute him because it is part of who he is, and he’s always looking at the bigger picture. We need more people like him. We need people like him running businesses, leading communities and setting the tone. Sign up. Do your part. Spread the word.