Litter with a Story To Tell

Showing posts with label short stories. Show all posts

Friday, November 9, 2012

Cigarette butts-do they count as litter?

Six-year-old Francine Able of South Burlington recalled a moon-less summer night when her dad challenged her to count the fireflies in the back yard. At first, it was easy, as just one or two burning lights flew about. But as other fireflies joined in the fray the Spartan sky was soon infiltrated with hundreds if not thousands of the small insects.

The following year when spring and Green Up day arrived Mr. Able challenged Francine to count all the pieces of litter they would find that day as well as on their weekly walk throughout the summer and fall. Francine was sure success would be hers this time. But to Francine's surprise the area they had cleaned up last Green Up day was again strewn with litter imposing another daunting math problem.

Stalling, Francine asked her dad, “why do people litter?” to which he responded:

· Lack of knowledge of the environmental effects of littering.

· Litter has already accumulated. The more litter present the more people are inclined to litter.

· Lack of social pressure to do the right thing.

· Number, placement and appearance of ash receptacles at or near the site.

· People who litter often feel no sense of pride in the areas they are littering.

· They don’t view the item as litter. That is often the case with cigarette butts. (The most littered item throughout the country).

Given the enormity of the pending count Francine decided to try to greatly improve her odds of success. “Cigarettes butts are small and inconsequential so I don't need to count them,” she suggested.

Photo by Rosanne Greco

To which Mr. Able responded, “Cigarettes may be small but they are more harmful to our environment than first meets the eye. Think of the volumes of cigarettes tossed on our streets many of which end up in our streams, rivers, and lakes. In addition, remember:

· Cigarette butts are not biodegradable. (Most filters are made of plastic-like cellulose acetate.)

· Aquatic life at the bottom of the food chain may be harmed by the chemicals that leach out of the filters.

· Fish and other marine creatures as well as birds may ingest cigarettes mistaking them for food.

As you can see here and especially at the outside entrances to high traffic areas and public buildings; many people don't believe they are littering when they throw their cigarette butts on the ground. We need to get the message out that cigarette butts are litter in order to change the behavior that contaminates our urban landscape, harms wildlife, pollutes our waters, and creates a gargantuan mathematical challenge for you, Francine."

Looking on the bright side Francine calculated that this day's haul of litter larger than a cigarette were down from the previous litter picking walk collection. “Dad, we need to get a message out to folks about the harmful impacts of cigarette butt litter to our environment and community. If we do that do you think cigarette littering behavior will change and thereafter I won't need a calculator to count the litter we pick up on our walks together?"

Mr. Able replied, “Francine, you can count on that!”

Story revised from June 2009 publication. *Fictional story and characters. No intention to represent any real individual. References: Bulleted litter facts from Prince Edward Islands web site:
http://www.gov.pe.ca/enveng/litter/index.php3?number=61866&lang=E

Recycle Cigarette butts by mail. http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/cigarette-waste-brigade.html …

Cigarette litter prevention guide. (KAB)

Read more about the global cigarette butt litter problem:

What is the single biggest litter problem on the planet? Bill Nye the science guy answers http://planetgreen.discovery.com/videos/stuff-happens-no-butts-for-mother-nature.html

Cigarette filter decay test show surprising results http://theflotsamdiaries.blogspot.com/2010/12/ashes-to-ashes-part-iii.html

Over 50,000 cig butts picked up on one beach by one family... read more at http://itstartswithme-danielle.blogspot.com/
Nov 2012, CONGRATULATIONS Wrightsville beach, on going Smoke-Free! First smoke-free beach in N.C.

You Tube-"Butt Really" song by Michael Franti: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP_rg4xShac

Toxicity of Cigarette butts: http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/novotny_20legacy_20slides_1_.pdf

More Cig. Butts Facts: http://www.legacyforhealth.org/PDF/Environmental_Toolkit.pdf

Top 10 trash items in our oceans: http://www.oceanconservancy.org/our-work/marine-debris/2012-data-release.html

Other personal stories and folktale postings:

Ø Letters from home: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2012/12/letter-from-home.html

Ø At the drop of a spoon (Alzheimer’s): http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2011/10/at-drop-of-spoon.html

Ø Walking Home with Dad: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2010/06/walking-home-june-2010.html

Ø Nothing to Waste (VT. folktale): http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2011/11/nothing-to-waste.html

Ø In Memoriam-Old Friend: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2012/01/in-memoriam.html

Ø Intensive Care(3 mos. Preemie): http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2010/11/intensive-care.html

Ø Sharing Summer Vacation (3 act play): http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2011/09/sharing-summer-vacation.html

Ø VT man lost in Minn. : http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2011/02/vermont-man-lost-in-minnesota.html

Friday, February 18, 2011

Litter picking is an All Season Sport - Vermont man lost in Minnesota.

After nine days indoors in Isanti, Minnesota, I decided I needed some vitamin D in the form of sunshine; frigid temperatures notwithstanding it looked like a good day for a walk. Our three-year-old host/grandson Gavin wrote a letter to his great grandmother in California, which needed to get to the post office. The post office was a mere two miles away according to MapQuest. Sliding the envelope into my coat pocket with a mental notation of the directions I started crunching over the snow and ice covered sidewalk.

Two blocks later two seemingly large dogs barked fiercely upon my approach. As they ran toward the sidewalk, I anticipated a chain or leash to go taut and hold them back; no such luck. I quickly reached for a rubber dog toy and threw it as hard as I could back into the dog's yard. I hurriedly continued on my way missing the right turn I should have made just past where the dogs startled me.

A Minnesota police officer politely re-directed me towards the post office. (Always be polite to police officers, you never know when you may need their help like if you get lost and are freezing to death.) Having already walked two miles, backtracking was humbling but I figured I still had time to be at Gavin’s home by supper and before dark. I did find the post office. One small problem; I had lost my three-year-old grandson's letter.

Would it remain under snow and ice until spring, which as I have come to understand does not arrive in Minnesota around June every year like in Vermont, but only comes to Minnesota once every 5 years? Would some litter picker find it, pick it up and throw it away assuming it was trash?

"My first letter I ever wrote was dropped like litter by my grandfather when I was three years old." Can you imagine? I had to find that letter!

I retraced my steps back to the post office, and then continued walking block after block reaching the dog's territory. There was no toy to throw this time. Sure enough, the stamped envelope holding my three-year-old grandson's letter was lying right there were the two large barking dogs initially confronted me. After snatching up the letter, I did not waste time leaving but did take the correct turn this time.

Past sunset, with very cold hands and feet, rumbling stomach, and no flashlight-I marched on to locate the post office via this new unfamiliar route. Much later my grandson Gavin was not interested in the remaining trials I faced before returning to his home. He only wanted my assurance I had mailed his letter and that great grandma would receive it soon.

Remember not all litter is trash – you never know what treasure you will find.

Vermonters care about how clean their state looks. Vermonters care about their sweethearts. I wish you and my wife a Happy Valentine's Day.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

The Last piece nearly did me in-true VT story.

A single piece of litter doesn’t seem like a lot, does it? Well it was for me one very, very cold day in January. You know that kind of day that has gusty winds, low temperature and it is almost too cold to snow. Each step I took made sounds like breaking glass. Each breath hurt so much I did not want to exhale only to have to inhale again. Dress for the weather my mother always told me. I was dressed for the weather, enough so that I looked like the Michelin Man after he ate the pillsbury doughboy and the giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters fame. I mean I had so many layers of clothes on that a bathroom call was going to require fifteen minutes of prep time.

     Empty grocery bag in mitten covered hand I waddled down the sidewalk. Wanting to get a clean start on the New Year, my journey began. I walked slowly, strolling, in no hurry even incapable of moving beyond ambling-see dressed for weather above. Once you accept feeling like a frozen piece of cow in a meat locker, being outdoors viewing nature is calming. You see and think things previously unexposed.

     I thought of Elizabeth Edwards’s dying message. "The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered," "We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human." But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful." Today, right now is as precious as any day we have.

     Finally I had nearly filled the bag with trash only needing one more piece to call it mission accomplished. The last piece, (it) being frozen in a snow bank required a bit of tugging. So much so that I fell over the snow bank tumbled down an embankment landing face down in powdery snow. Getting my well-dressed bumble-self upright took no small effort. I had to laugh at myself, given how I had gone to such great efforts to be “well dressed”, only to nearly succumb to my bulky wardrobe.

     Picking up a piece of litter every day doesn’t seem like much, does it?

But it is, in every month of the year.

Every piece helps; Helps prevent harm to birds, fish and other wildlife, helps prevent water pollution, and helps remove the “yuck” factor from our streets…

…and helps keep the Bumble from falling down!

Happy New Year!

Before

After

Bernie urges us all to maintain a litter free environment through caring, contribution, and community in order to protect our water, wildlife, and human health.

Other “A bit of humor” postings:

Ø Snowstorm buries VT: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2011/03/march-6-7-2011-snowstorm-for-once.html

Ø VT files for spring IPO: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2011/03/vermont-files-for-spring-ipo.html

Ø Trashy Tweets: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2011/11/trashy-tweets.html

Ø Trashy Headlines: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2011/12/top-trashy-headlines-of-2011.html

Ø Treasure Trash: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2012/02/treasure-trash.html

Ø Carnivorous plant devours Champlain College Student: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2012/04/shortage-of-litter-threatens-green-up.html

Ø Wasn’t the Flu shot that made me sick: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2013/01/wasnt-flu-shot-that-made-me-sick_10.html