Earth Day: Litter Matters (with photo, if school kids can see it, so should you)

[DreamGypsy]

From the New York Times: An Earth Day Thought: Litter Matters:
By ANDREW C. REVKIN

My maternal grandfather, I. Henry Stern, was the person in my life who most impressed on me the merits of cleaning up after yourself — and others if need be. When you enter a room, he’d say, leave it better than you found it. Click here for more Dot Earth trash talk. Here’s an Earth Day weekend Twitter post showing one way such attitudes matter:

Twitter: I'm at @eaglehillschool to talk for #EarthDay. Ms. Mechaley shows impacts of plastic trash. https://www.google.com/search?q=soda+plastic+ring+animals&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.45373924,d.dmg&biw=1012&bih=526&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=g0JxUbL6IK2j4APu-IHABA … pic.twitter.com/fCTGs3pK96

I think the language we heard as children and the language we use with our children as adults contributes significantly to our litter problem.

"Dad, I'm done this magazine..."
"OK. We don't need it any more, throw it away."

where our reply is intended with the meaning:

Phrasal Verbs: throw away
1. a. To get rid of as useless

and our early experiences with the concept of 'throw' are

throw
v. threw, thrown (thrn), throw·ing, throws
v.tr.
1. To propel through the air with a motion of the hand or arm.

so that's what we do, far too often.

Let's remember:

Put in the recycle bin.
Set aside for reuse.
Take outside to the compost pile.
Deposit in the garbage can. (last resort)

Happy Earth Day everybody!

[Gregorian]

1. There is little point in talking about the symptoms if we're unwilling to discuss the cause.

[DreamGypsy]

2. Hmmm. An interest assumption in your response...

... but that's fine.

I am quite willing to discuss causes. In fact, a major point of my post was to look at a 'cause' - the attitudes we develop in childhood and the way those attitudes may impact the generations that we spawn. Perhaps the example was not characterizing the big picture sufficiently to please you.

I was fortune that my family, particularly my father, had a great love and appreciation of nature and conveyed those attitudes to me. Certainly that upbringing was a significant influence in my decisions through life, including leaving an urban, high tech, high impact life, and establishing a small farm 20-odd years ago.

Thanks for your reply.

[limpyhobbler]

3. A lovely post and Happy Earth Day to you too.