Audubon Society of Rhode Island's International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) addresses and raises awareness of a growing problem-plastic debris in the ocean. At this annual event, volunteers pick up and document trash that washes up along rivers and beaches at 80 locations around Rhode Island. By recording each piece of litter, volunteers provide information for actions that reduce trash before it becomes a danger to the boating community or to wildlife. This year's event takes place on Saturday, September 20, 9 a.m. to noon. Contact Eugenia Marks to express your concern for the Ocean State and to find a convenient cleanup.
"All beach trash is unsightly, and some can be dangerous to wildlife," said Eugenia Marks, Policy Director at Audubon and State Coordinator for International Coastal Cleanup. "However, plastic poses a special problem-it takes a long time to go away." Lightweight, inexpensive, durable plastic is steadily accumulating in the environment. Impacts to marine birds, the theme of this year's Coastal Cleanup, can be fatal. Birds regularly become entangled in plastic netting, fishing line, or six-pack holders. Birds use plastic for their nests, creating a hazard for nestlings. In Rhode Island, young osprey have been found dead, caught in fishing line and dangling from their nests.
When plastic blows, washes, or is dumped into the ocean, it may remain intact for decades. When it does break down, it is only into ever-smaller pieces of plastic. These plastic pieces are swallowed by birds and other animals which mistake them for food or simply scoop them up when swallowing other prey. Internal injury and malnutrition are the result. This is a particular problem in the Pacific, home to an alarming phenomenon called the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch." Here, an ocean current known as the North Pacific subtropical gyre flows in a massive clockwise circle. Flotsam is swept to the center, where an area the size of Texas is nearly covered with floating plastic debris. It is impossible for birds or anything else to feed there without consuming plastic.
During the International Coastal Cleanup, volunteers do their part to clean up plastic and other trash on the beach. In doing so, they raise awareness of the persistent problem of trash generated by a throw-away society, and encourage people to make better choices. In addition to simply disposing of trash properly, people can buy items with less packaging, re-use and recycle as much as possible.
The International Coastal Cleanup is held each year on the third Saturday of September and is administered by The Ocean Conservancy, a Washington, D.C.- based advocate for marine issues.
|
|
Are you looking to save
money and conserve water resources? Here are a few tips that are easy to
incorporate in your daily routine.
Morning
Turn off the faucet while
you're brushing your teeth or shaving.
Restrict your long shower
to once a week. Do you have a valve on the shower head to stop the water while
retaining the setting? Use it while lathering shampoo.
Home Improvement
Do you have 1.6 gallon flush
toilets? Even though you're not ready to renovate your bath, perhaps you could install
a low flow toilet.
Gardening
Irrigation doubles water
consumption during the summer. You can reduce the demand.
Consider creating a drip
irrigation system. You can buy the components to attach to your hose. Ask at
your local hardware.
When planning your garden,
consider plants that require little water. Consult your local nursery or Master
Gardeners at URI (401)874-2900; email ceec@etal.uri.edu.
Put your sprinkler on
manual and water only when needed. For further information contact Alyson McCann,
Cooperative Education at URI.
Check out this web site for
a flood of information. http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100ways/ne.shtml
|
|
This month the Environmental Book Club discussed “The Extravagant Gesture: Nature, Design, and the Transformation of Human Industry” by William McDonough and Michael Braungart (the authors of Cradle to Cradle ). The authors argue that the conventional environmental wisdom of limiting consumption is insufficient. They write, “Using fewer resources, people may feel a bit ‘less bad’, but no one can quite slip the trap of being merely a ‘consumer’ in a world of poorly designed, toxic products.”
|
|
Read more... [The Extravagant Gesture]
|
|
Butterfly surveys, Lobby Day, Narragansett Beach Day, Audubon is out and about promoting a cleaner enviroment, come volunteer with us or stop by to say "hi!"
|
|
Read more... [Join Us at Happenings]
|
|
|
Act Locally