Carelessness harms our wildlife
Wednesday was trash day in my neighborhood, and as usual, while walking my dog before dawn, I gathered items that litterbugs had tossed out and placed this trash in nearby garbage cans. Among the items were several plastic bottles. Had it been recycling day, I would have put them in the appropriate bins.
Better to place them in the trash for burial in the landfill than to let them lie and eventually wind up in the storm sewers and polluting the Rock River.
I saw a startling news story on NBC the other day about the Japanese tsunami and how the resulting floating debris is arriving in the Hawaiian Islands. People are collecting a sea of garbage, but it’s already overwhelming and only the tip of the trash iceberg to come.
The report interviewed scientists who have found a sickening array of plastic items in the bellies of birds and other animals. The plastics eventually disintegrate into smaller and smaller grains and are ingested in little animals that are eaten by predators higher up the food chain. Many of these fish and other animals are part of our vital food supply. The FDA says it finds no evidence that these plastics taint the food we eat. But has our government always been known to be right and telling the truth?
It sure makes me wonder.
Stop littering. If you do see litter lying around your yard, terrace or neighborhood, why not collect it for proper disposal?
Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or gpeck@gazettextra.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook
Dec 14, 2012 at 11:46 a.m.
Suggest removal
The ones I hate are the people who throw their cigarette butts out the window of their car. On my bucket list is to someday at a red light is to get out of my truck and toss one of those butts back into the car it came from.
Dec 14, 2012 at 11:14 a.m.
Suggest removal
I never understand why tdd it out the window vs putting in your trash when you get home. Some think my alley is the garbage. Yes lazy slobs no other word for it.
Dec 14, 2012 at 7:48 a.m.
Suggest removal
The idiots who litter aren't reading this blog, Greg.
But I like your plea to those who are walking by - just take a
small bag with you, pick that trash up and make your neighborhood
that much better!
(And I wish every storm sewer had the message "debris ends up in the Rock River.")
Dec 13, 2012 at 8:17 p.m.
Suggest removal
I almost always pick up trash thrown by lazy people,but there are times when I can't unfortunately . It blow's my mind that SOME people can just throw rubbish out the window or leave it lying . Come on people use your head. One word sums it up ,SLOBS !!!! Can you imagine what their house looks like??
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.