Over 650 people filled over 1,000 white trash bags during the beach cleanup in Seal Beach on Aug. 25. Kim Masoner, from Save Our Beach, said volunteers picked up everything from shoes and soda cans to plastic bags and straws from the sand. Volunteers from Deloitte Consulting and United Parcel Service participated and even Ruby’s Diner representatives were at the beach providing shakes for the volunteers, according to an OC Register article at http://beach.freedomblogging.com.
Organizations like Save Our Beach are important forces in the community that strive to keep Seal Beach clean, but 1,000 bags full of trash shows us that not enough is being done to keep the trash off the sand and out of the ocean.
Trash does not end up on the beach because surfers, fishermen or beachgoers fail to put it in the trash cans that line the beach. It ends up in Seal Beach because Seal Beach is next to the mouth of the San Gabriel River, which collects trash from 52 inland cities, including Fullerton. The cities are listed below a map of the river on Save Our Beach's Web site (http://www.saveourbeach.org).
“Each time trash from the street is swept into a storm drain, it flows down the river and ends up in Seal Beach’s ocean and onto the sand,” Masoner said.
There are many ways we as a society can stop trash from polluting our oceans and beaches, but they require some sacrifice and effort. The obvious way to stop debris from getting into storm drains is to always clean up after oneself.
Another approach, which many people do not consider as their responsibility, is to pick up after others. If you see an empty soda cup on the ground on campus, throw it away. If you go for a walk in your neighborhood or on the beach, take a plastic bag with you and pick up trash you find on the ground. It may seem like a tedious chore while you engage in something that is supposed to be recreational, but it is every individual’s responsibility to keep our environment clean.
Another way to stop pollution is to limit the use of plastic disposables and Styrofoam, which are the most common things found on beaches and in our oceans. Because they are light in weight, they blow away easily and end up in storm ditches. Instead of plastic wrapping of any kind, increase the utilization of reusable containers. Not only is it better for keeping the beaches clean, it is more cost effective.
We can also help keep the beaches clean by getting involved in beach cleanups such as Save Our Beach. Many Cal State Fullerton teachers offer extra credit for participating in these events, and it will only take one hour.
It is also very important to get involved in your community, even with your city council’s meetings. Many things happen at the meetings, including decisions about where funding from the city government will go. Some city councils, such as San Clemente’s, provide funding for beach cleaning devices and street cleaning devices. If your community does not have such machines, spread the awareness to neighbors, friends and family, and get them involved as well.
It may not be a simple task, but the preservation of our beaches and wildlife is necessary, and worth the hassle.
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