Everywhere we go, we see rubbish.
What about places we don't go? How do animals see rubbish? Will archaeologists be digging and displaying rubbish in museums and making historical notes on our present society and rubbish?
In <http://news.sciencemag.org/earth/2014/06/trending-...>
Trending: How plastic is changing the world Thursday, June 12, 2014 - 12:45pm
By Meghna Sachdev writes:
...Recently, researchers discovered a new type of rock made out of plastic on the shores of Hawaii. The discovery adds to the debate about whether humanity’s heavy hand in natural processes warrants the formal declaration of a new epoch of Earth history called the Anthropocene. How else is plastic changing our world? From nest decoration to unlikely fish food, these stories reveal how our widespread use of plastics can have unintended effects...
Unexpected plastic. The contents of this dead albatross chick's stomach include plastic debris scavenged from the ocean. (Picture from the article mentioned above.)
Sachdev also lists a number of places where rubbish accumulates in oceans, islands, polar ice caps, ...
Closer to home, we can look again at:
Rubbish in Our Environment <http://www.gotoknow.org/posts/565475>
เมื่อ..มองขยะ..ให้เป็น..ดอกไม้...ในแกลลอลี่ชีวิต <http://www.gotoknow.org/posts/570306>
and wonder what harm rubbish can do. Shall we wait and see? Shall we act now?
We, all, definitely have to act now immediately around our daily life! The scary story like this has to be spread as much as possible. I think many people still unaware of such harm they can be doing unintentionally.
Finally, long-awaiting inspiring note from Khun sr had been published.
Wtih regards to your question Shall we act now?, please elaborate more...
Hi โอ๋-อโณ : Yes we do have to start with things around ourselves. We will keep our home clean. We will keep our workplace clean. And wheresoever we go we will leave no rubbish behind. I think our problems are in encouraging other people to do the same.
Hi rojfitness : I asked "shall we act now?' really I meant we have to act now. We need to act in 4 ways: 1) removing and not leaving more rubbish in our enivronment; 2) rethinking and redesigning the packaging of food and goods; 3) creating and promoting culture of society of "no rubbish in environmet"; and 4) 'carrot-and-stick' or incentives and penalties for compliance. Everyone can do 1) or 4) can be applied. 2) and 3) are for innovators and world changers like you and many g2k'ers. I am doing 1) and 3). I hope there are enough people to do 2) and politcians good enough to do 4).
(Your turn) What do we do with the rubbish we have created and accumulated now?
I spotted these headlines when reading Thai newspapers (online):
สุดยอด!! กองเชียร์ยุ่นช่วยเก็บขยะในสนามหลังพ่าย "ช้างดำ"--- วันนี้ 18:43 --- [ไทยรัฐ]
"นิพิฏฐ์" ชี้ ถึงเวลาปฏิวัติวัฒนธรรม หลังมีเหตุแย่งดูนเรศวรฟรี ยกญุี่ปุ่นเป็นแบบ [ผู้จัดการ]
They are examples of mentality of people or how people follow long-term culturalization. Thais too have long tradition of cleanliness and wholesome respect for environment as indicated by 'festivals' and 'rites' in honour of the land, the water, the forest and so on. Only recently that we (Thais and the rest of the world) fail to handle 'modern packaging materials' appropriately. )
Thank you Khun sr for your kind elaboration so now we not only understand the problem but also know at least 4 ways to act on. I also agree with you that Thais already have long tradition of cleanliness and wholesome respect for environment but fail to handle modern ways of life. Alike you, I am doing 1) and 3). I think we could do more but need time to think.
The Japanese culture is so strong. I was so impressed when I was in their labs, the scientists had to clean their own benches. That's never happened in Thai lab. We have other persons to look after the clean-up tasks for us. It's never been in our common sense to realize some simple but important things like this.
It is 6 years after these posts, we tried then to stir up actions on ‘un-managed rubbish’. We failed. Governments (local and central) failed. Schools failed. Rubbish is piling on roads, in our rivers and ponds, on beaches and seas… Not just in Thailand but the whole world is full of rubbish .. from the North pole to the South Pole.
Is it not time we try harder? We do not want to pass rubbish on to our children. Rubbish inheritance … Shameful legacy… Wasteful ways of life…
Help!