Lack of care for our neighbors' well-being = Global Warming

by Geoffrey Grant
(Munster, Indiana, USA)

Though the good title is broad, it comes from my personal experience of picking up litter at public parks in a very affluent town in the Midwest. Many receptacles are available for use, yet I can easily pickup 100 to 200 items within one hour from any of the town parks on any day of the week, during the warm months.

Most of the waste is from cigarette use and plastic bottle users. I have brought this issue to the attention of the town's recreation department with no response.

Waste items are manufactured by mankind for mankind. These items are not biodegradable and are harming our soils, surface and ground waters, our neighborhoods' values and eventually our air. Since our foods come from water and soil, we are harming ourselves. These items are created for our consumption, but the factories do not recover these items for re-use, when we litter. These items pollute our landfills, water, land and air and therefore ourselves and our neighbors on this earth and its animals, such as our insects and fish, which pollinate and give us food respectively, as an example of co-dependence.

I am not here to educate, but to help the polluter to realize that littering means that one does not respect their neighbors and has a "me first and you second, even if it kills me in the end" attitude. That attitude needs to be changed and if it isn't changed by the polluter, then society will "tax" the user of these items, as well as the producer and will spend this extra energy and money raised to force the desired outcome. Coal usage, oil usage - you name it - the government will place carbon taxes on anything that you and I litter on the ground, roadway, water and even release into the air, such as cigarette smoke, due to its known ability to cause cancer.

Give a Hoot! Don't pollute. Love your neighbor as yourself and place that litter into the receptacle, even if you have to walk an extra mile to do so. The only Earth needs your attention to this small detail.

Barry's Response - Wow, Geoffrey. That's a mouthful.

Thank you for picking up litter and caring about the environment. Littering appears to be a problem in your town's parks despite receptacles. Cigarette smoking and plastic bottle waste have a big impact on the environment, based on the experience you present here.

These waste items, which are manufactured by mankind for mankind, pose a threat to our soils, waters, neighborhoods, and ultimately us as you aptly point out. Considering the interdependence of ecosystems and the impact of pollution on our food sources, addressing this issue is kinda important.

It's great you're promoting respect for neighbors and trying to change attitudes about littering. Individuals need to recognize that littering reflects a disregard for others' well-being and understand the impact of their actions. Putting litter in proper receptacles, recycling when possible, and encouraging a collective effort can help show those who need it how to preserve the environment and make communities cleaner and healthier.

Although education and awareness are important, you also raise a viable possibility of societal measures, like fines, subsidies and taxation, to enforce the desired outcome. Financial penalties and incentives are one way to encourage responsible behavior and discourage pollution. Consider how these kinds of measures can complement individual actions to tackle environmental issues.

Your closing message, "Give a Hoot! Don't Pollute," reinforces the importance of personal responsibility and caring for our shared planet in a classic way (think 70's TV PSAs). Taking the extra step to dispose of litter properly shows our commitment to a cleaner and more sustainable future.

You're a proactive force for creating positive change by bringing awareness to this issue. We can do this together. Thanks.