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Leanna
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: 4-5-2004
Location: Los Angeles
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Litter
After spending a wonderful week in La Paz, and picking up lots of trash on the beaches, wherever we went, a subject of discussion during our stay was
the litter problem. I'm sure everyone here has encountered and pondered it, in all parts of mexico. My feeling is education about litter and what it
does to our environment is key...maybe if children in school are taught about it, (are they?) it would transcend...meaning it has to start
somewhere...would really like to hear your thoughts, ideas, etc on this subject, as I feel it is an important one...
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
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The Answer is Education
I'm a 60-year-old living in California. When I was young the federal government sponsored a campaign to educate Americans regarding litter.
Billboards, radio and TV ads demanded that we pay attention and not throw trash wherever we wanted. Since that time we have been more aware and take
more care to properly dispose of our castoffs.
In Baja, this has not yet happened in many places. I believe the reason in some situations is just that there are so few people living in select
locations that there was previously no reason to raise the issue. Every remote ranch and village has their baranca over the closest hill where they
hauled their trash. The winds of the desert carried the trash at will and the landscape was cluttered. In 1969 I pulled of the dirt highway and
drove through a mile of open dump as I entered Guerrero Negro. What a pit that was. But...
On a series of explorations I took last year on the back roads east of Ensenada and as far south as Santo Tomas, large anti-litter signs were posted
on almost every back road I took. And there was no litter. Since there are (to my limited knowledge) no high profile anti-litter campaigns running
in Baja, I assumed the locals in these small, remote ranchos were tired of looking at trash and took it on their own to clean things up.
These remote folks didn?t have to wait to be ?programmed? into a specific mode of behavior, they just took it upon themselves to improve their lives.
Way to go.
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BajaNomad
Super Administrator
Posts: 4999
Registered: 8-1-2002
Location: San Diego, CA
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Mood: INTP-A
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Mike Humfreville
...the federal government sponsored a campaign to educate Americans regarding litter. Billboards, radio and TV ads demanded that we pay attention and
not throw trash wherever we wanted.... |
http://www.adcouncil.org/campaigns/historic_campaigns_pollut...
When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.
– Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
We know we must go back if we live, and we don`t know why.
– John Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
https://www.regionalinternet.com
Affordable Domain Name Registration/Management & cPanel Web Hosting - since 1999 |
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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Litter
This has been discussed before so if you look at some of the old posts, there were many conversations regarding such.
I travel Baja continuosly in all parts and litter is something I deal with regularly. I am working on many projects down here and educating the
locals to the advantages of a clean environment is one of them. I have actually seen a major impact occur from my working with these people and
setting an example myself by picking up all trash encountered on all trails or beaches.
The Mexican people are aware of tourism dollars and because of their desire for tourism, I used this as an excuse for why the trash should be
cleaned up. And when I went back it was.
And, because their kids are receiving excellent educations in the schools, they are teaching their parents about a clean environment.
I think this is awesome and expect Baja to be cleaned a lot faster than anyone on this board thinks.
I also have a project going regarding graffitti removal in all areas if you are interested.
Good work on the cleanup. The least we can do is to set a good example. And the more people that see you picking up the trash, the more people that
will realize how much better it looks without it.
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bajalou
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 3-11-2004
Location: South of the broder
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In the San Felipe area there are also signs and billboards regarding clean up and no dumping of trash etc. the municipal emplyees were also cleaning
up some areas of the dumped litter etc not long ago. Maybe the state of BC is putting forth a effort in this direction.
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Yes, it is education and learning to respect the land. "Give Hoot Don't Pollute" and the Indian with a tear rolling down his cheak were two
commercials I remember from near 1970... We had trash along our highways a lot in the 1960's (and earlier I am sure).
Mexico is just 30 years behind in this department.
I believe I commented last year, on the scene at about Mile 80 in the last Baja 500, when all the 'local' spectators just threw their trash (mostly
beer containers) all over the beautiful countryside along the race course where I was camping.
[Edited on 4-19-2004 by David K]
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meme
Senior Nomad
Posts: 756
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: San Felipe,BC
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Litter!
Eldorado's workers wre out cleaning the roadsides today as we drove to town. but ofcourse that's ONLY in Eldorado!
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Leanna
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: 4-5-2004
Location: Los Angeles
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JR, I think the work you are doing is pretty cool, and I thank you for it....
I remember well the ad campaigns from the 70's, specially the one with the indian with the tear in his eye! It touched me, at the risk of sounding
cheesy!
I also remember well my "ecology" classes in school....does anyone know if the mexican kids have anything like this in their curriculum? I think that
would be an important thing to teach????
I hope you guys are right and that baja is about 30 years behind us in the litter campaign..so that would mean we should start seeing major
improvements right about now..........????
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aldosalato
Nomad
Posts: 183
Registered: 10-20-2002
Location: La Paz
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schools
In La Paz schools I see a lot of interest and teaching about ecology and litter
Obviously it will take another 20 years but it will come.
Even the municipality after last year dengue epidemic has started a campaign to clean up empty lots and it put controls to garbage exiting town on
private trucks going toward the dump.
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4332
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
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A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.
Confucious say.
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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Debra
Super Nomad
Posts: 2101
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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Education....
This is a touchy subjet.....
For those that are open to learing it maybe okay.....for others when you bring up just how long it might take for their trash to decompose you might
get your butt chewed for bringing it up..as once when I bought up that it takes 12 yrs. for a cigrette butt to decompose (I'm a smoker, and never
leave my butts even in the desert) Earth is first! "Leave only footsteps, take only pictures"
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
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BS...This isn't a touchy subject. You see a Mexican, American or anyone littering you don't clean up after them, you tell them to pick it up! I
guarantee they wouldn't trash their parent's homes. Manners are manners. This has nothing to do with cultural differences.
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Debra
Super Nomad
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Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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Yeah Dave...
I understand what you are saying, "In a perfect world" Yeah, I would just say "clean up your trash" But, don't think that really works as well as we
would hope. Again, I remind.... I got my butt chewed by reminding someone to just not leave the cig. butts.
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
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With a Special Friend...
on a trip to a favored place down south I listened to words from the back seat about how long it takes for a cigarette filter to decompose. Over the
weeks we spent together, with warmth and compasion I was told by my friend that the decomposition took 12 years.
Then we ended up at a small beach. My friend smoked, a brand that had a unique emblem on it's filter.
We joind with other friends nightly around our campfire. I watched my friend stub her butts out into the sand nightly.
On confrontation one day late in our trip, and based on the unique brand of smokes she smoked that I found stubbed into the sand every morning, she
denied what I had been watching nightly. She denied her acts that I had watched.
One day, much later, she sent me a nasty letter. She asked why I had been so mean and nasty.
Go figure.
As friends, we are responsible to reflect what we actually appear to be to each other. If we simply reflect the image we want to appear to be, what
value do we have?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Is it possible you missed seeing your friend pick up the butts after you went to sleep or before you all left the camp?
I hate smoking, but I understand it is an addiction to some, as is drinking too much alcohol.
Perhaps the smoker and drinker should not let their butts get in the way of their friendship??? 
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trblmkr
Newbie
Posts: 23
Registered: 4-21-2004
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good one DK
I had a special friend spend an extendended period of time at my place one summer. She made an effort to pick every single one of those stinky butts
up, if not right away, definately the very next day.
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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On the butts
I as well am a smoker and I carry my butts to a receptacle but this is about trash.
Trash is a huge corporation painting their logo and directions to the next pit stop in the middle of the Carretera heading south. This takes a lot
of nerve and disrespect from some gringo idiots as usual.
Any comments on this one you patriotic litter ?
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Tucker
Senior Nomad
Posts: 664
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: El Centenario, BCS
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Since this popped back up on "todays posts"......
I'll record my observations of the last week or so; Last Friday and Saturday a crew of seven people were picking up roadside trash between Chametla
and El Centenario (and beyond), also earlier this week I (first time ever) observed a real live, but broken down street sweeper (full size) on Las
Garzas obviously trying to accomplish something. The desire seems to be there.
\"I think it would be a good idea.\"
-- Mahatma Gandhi, when asked what he thought of Western civilization
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Mexray
Super Nomad
Posts: 1016
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: California Delta
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Mood: Baja Time
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ASH Reciever
Back a zillion years or so, when I was in the 'Air Navy', our old creaking' SP2E Neptune Sub 'Hunters' carried as standard equipment back in the radio
compartment, the 'ASH Reciever'....It was an old beer can that we stuffed cigarette butts into when finished! We then tossed the ASH Receiver into
the trash can when we got back on the ground...worked great!
BTW...in those days (60's) all the box lunches we got before leaving on a mission had 5-packs of Winston's included as standard equipment! Another
govt. subsidy for the tobacco industry, I suppose!
According to my clock...anytime is \'BAJA TIME\' & as Jimmy Buffett says,
\"It doesn\'t use numbers or moving hands It always just says now...\"
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
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In Marine Boot we were taught to smoke: if you didn't you had to hold the tin can ashtrays for the rest of the troops. That's what got me goin' I
guess - 3 pax a day for 20 years. We also learned to "field-strip" the cig butts by tearing the paper and shaking the tobacco into the dust. In
those days most smoked non-filtered cigs.
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