Please Don't Trash LA

I went for a walk at the beach near my home today and this is what I found. This is a photo of what happens in Southern California when people don't properly dispose of their trash.

In Los Angeles, every street drains to the Ocean. Every cigarette butt or burger wrapper that gets thrown out the car window, and every Styrofoam cup or plastic bottle that gets tossed in the gutters and storm drains gets washed into the LA River, San Gabriel River and flood channels when it rains, and is carried right out to the Pacific. Along the way, it gathers back all the tennis balls, footballs, basketballs, soccer balls, rubber balls, plastic pails, flip flops, beer cans and empty sunscreen bottles that were abandoned on the beach and sucked out with the tide. Then it all washes back up on the beach like this, where it's toxic to humans and sea birds.

There are mechanisms that are supposed to catch the trash where the rivers flow into the ocean, but with heavy storms, they get overwhelmed. So after every big rain, tons of trash have to be removed from local beaches. In a few days the mess will all have been hauled away, but I hope you'll remember this photo.

While you're visiting Greater LA, please take care to dispose of trash, including cigarette butts, gum, and gum wrappers, in proper receptacles. When visiting the beach, make sure you don't leave anything behind. Then we can all enjoy clean beaches and healthy wildlife in the future.

Oh yeah, with all this on the beach, you probably figured out for yourself that it's not a good idea to get in the water for a few days after it rains.

Photo © 2008 Kayte Deioma, courtesy of www.KayteDeioma.com