The following was posted on the website for Proyecto Fronterizo....ATTENTION Tijuana residents, citizens, boys and girls, students, teachers, researchers, scientists, legislators, authorities. We all have to do with this environmental catastrophe.
Three weeks ago, local environmental organizations have witnessed a sudden rise of plastic pollution along Tijuana's shoreline. After two coastal cleanups during January 2010 1.3 tons of trash, composed mainly by plastics and more specifically by polystyrene, have been removed from the beach.
The first case was Cañada Azteca, where an impressive amount of such plastic material accumulated and was removed by a hundred people, including neighbors and volunteers from organizations joined by the Community Project Salvemos la Playa (Save the Beach) during an Emergency Coastal Cleanup on Sunday January 17th. Six hundred kilos were removed. That's 6 kilos each.
The second case was last Saturday, January 30th during the celebration of the first International Beach Conservancy Day at Playa El Vigía, which turned out to be more alarming. Back at Cañada we were able to restore the place but this time it was practically impossible due to the presence of millions of plastic particles. We're talking about an almost mile-long beach full with plastic containers, beverage bottles and caps, disposable cutlery and huge amounts of polistyrene (foam). Here more than 700 kilos were removed (that's 11.6 a piece). Not only was it overwhelming because of the vast extension buy also because of the particle's small size and the fact that it easily mixes with the beach's natural elements like sand and algae.
We truly believe this is an environmental catastrophe.
Through this message we want to raise some questions for us all. Questions that can help us solve this catastrophe TODAY but also in the FUTURE.
How do we clean up ALL THIS WASTE and stop it from affecting marine life?
How do all this plastics get to the ocean? How can we reduce or refuse its use?
What's the relation between this tragedy, drought, population growth and recent rainfall?
Do we have the courage to modify our consumption habits?
Are we willing to legislate around this matter? Are we willing to enforce laws?
Are we going to stay with our arms crossed, again?
What have you got to do with all these?
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