The Litter Project ... Kumsheen Secondary - Lytton, BC - April 20, 2013 - Grade A

I spent the last few days compiling video and images from my recent road trip.  

I did manage to see three high schools on this recent trip, in Lillooet, Lytton and Merritt.  Lillooet was by far the worst of the three. I have already posted my results here.

But I wanted to take a minute and say that I was SIGNIFICANTLY impressed with Kumsheen Secondary in Lytton!  I half suspected that it would be right up there in garbage, given what I had already seen in Merritt. But I was very pleasantly surprised.

I will be emailing the Principal of Kumsheen to see if there is some program or policy there that they help enforce to keep trash to a minimum. Perhaps there are just no kids there? I obviously hope for the former solution!

Principal of Kumsheen : Andrew Kormendy 

District Superintendent : Teresa Downs

Perhaps there is some policy or principles that Mr Kormendy could share with his other fellow district principals? Regardless, it was a very pleasant surprise to have to HUNT for garbage, rather than be overwhelmed with it.  

So congrats to KUMSHEEN SECONDARY!  I found LESS than 25 pieces of trash on your school grounds, compared to THOUSANDS of pieces of litter found on other schools.  Nicely done!  

My route today:

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The Litter Project ... Lillooet Secondary - Lillooet, BC - April 21, 2013 - Grade FAIL

I was fortunate to be on a recent road trip, and decided to use that opportunity to check out a few other schools in our province, to see if the litter problem was a local issue, or perhaps a bigger one.

This round it was high schools in Merritt, Lytton and Lillooet BC.

So this report is on Lillooet Secondary.  The only school on this trip to get an outright FAIL for CONCENTRATED trash in several places throughout the school grounds.

The school's CODE OF CONDUCT stipulates:

"Each student has the responsibility to behave in a manner, which does not 
distract, disrupt, offend or endanger others, or cause damage to school property 
or equipment."

The District CODE OF CONDUCT stipulates:

1. School-wide conduct standards shall reflect the expectation that each individual will respect themselves, others, and property;
2. Everyone has responsibility for his or her own actions.

In my opinion, the serious litter problem on the school does NOT reflect those standards.

I will email:

The principal of Lillooet Secondary, Patricia Teskey

And District Board member for Lillooet, Jim MacAuthur

It is my SINCERE hope that they can develop a LONG-TERM action plan with the students, school and community to help combat this growing problem of careless litter and trash in our neighborhoods.



View Larger Map

Here is a VERY small sampling of the HUNDREDS of pictures and videos of garbage I took at and around the school today. I would upload more, but blogger won't let me! I would estimate over ONE THOUSAND of pieces of trash on school property! I was particularly bothered by the fact that the school is blessed with perhaps the BEST view I have ever seen on or around school property.  Simply stunning.  Shame about the trash marring that natural beauty.

Today, I redeemed myself a bit...

Near our street, we have a space at the end of a road where the locals put out "free stuff" and the people in the area or the people driving by are free to take.  It's a way for people to get rid of things they no longer need, and way for someone else to get something they want for free.

Today I was driving by and noticed that someone had put out a hose caddy, which I wanted, but didn't want to pay for it.  So naturally, I pulled over and grabbed it!

It's a great way to re-use stuff and most of the times, it works very well...

Occasionally, like today, people use it as a dump and drop off their garbage and crap.  And of course that infuriates me!!

Today, there were over ten 1 gallon (4 litre) pails of ancient paint, a lot of which had hardened in the can and the cans were all rusty... Clearly toxic garbage.  Which is ridiculous because we are lucky enough to have depot not 10 blocks from the area! And they take paint to be properly disposed of FOR FREE... That makes it worse in my eyes...

However, someone did a midnight dump here and dropped off a LOT of toxic paint and cans.

The story though goes back a few months, when it happened before and someone left 4-5 gallons of old paint... They sat there for a few weeks, obviously unwanted, until some (I'm guessing here) unruly teens thought it would be a good , funny idea to toss them off a nearby bridge and splatter the road below.

I was angry with myself for weeks when it happened, because I COULD have and even debated picking up the cans and taking them to the depot... But for some reason I let it slide and let it slide, until finally the paint was spilled all over the road and into the nearby ditch. I saw those cans. I even knew in my heart that it was possible that something bad would happen with them. I could have just as easily picked them up and taken them to the depot.

I often advocate picking up other peoples trash, but I now almost ALWAYS make an effort if it's toxic and has a chance to end up in some stream on ditch somewhere...

Needless to say, along with the hose caddy, the paint cans went into my trunk, and it took me less than 10 minutes in total to take them to the proper recycling depot and drop them off.

I'll never forget how angry I was with the people who tossed the previous cans on the road to explode, and I'll never forget how angry I was with myself for NOT picking them up in the first place like I KNEW I should have.

So today, I feel a little like I redeemed myself and THAT feels much better to know I did the right thing and disposed of those cans properly... Like their owner SHOULD have done in the first place!!!

What does that make me?

I have to admit that it feels good to know that my direct action has affected some positive change. Whether it  is LONG-TERM positive change remains to be seen.  It only really counts in my mind if the change is consistent WITHOUT my constant influence... Otherwise I am just nagging!

I don't consider myself to be an activist.  I'm certainly not a hard-liner.  I'm not even a hard-ass!

I consider myself to be a concerned parent and a conscientious citizen of the planet.

But yet when I look up the word "ACTIVISM" it give me this:

"Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, or direct social, political, economic, or environmental change, or stasis."

Isn't that what I am doing? Trying to promote social and environmental change?

Funny how in my mind, "Activist" has a negative connotation.  I guess, like everything, there are degrees to people's behaviour to make their points and affect their cause.  

But on the other hand, I have to admit that a LOT of social, political and environmental change starts with a few dedicated individuals. Climate change. Endangered species. Fur trade. Social injustice and inequality.  All have benefited over the years from "activism".

I don't consider myself an "activist".  I just want to make a small difference.... Maybe this is how it starts?

UPDATE - The Litter Project ... Earl Marriott, Semiahmoo and Elgin Park Secondary - Surrey, BC - April 14, 2013

I decided that after advising the three local high schools of my concern for their litter problem last week, that I would give it a week, and then check to see what actions, if any, were taken.

Earl Marriott -  While it looks like a few of the bigger ticket items (Pizza boxes, Pringles cans) were picked up, there is absolutely NO other change... The garbage that was lying there is still there. The problem areas are not even touched it seems.  Too Bad. STILL over 1000 pieces of trash on school grounds!

Semiahoo - Positive change on the NORTH SIDE of the PARKING LOT, but it appears that this was done by the city after the complaint, but absolutely NO change on or around school grounds or the school side of the parking lot. In fact, the school grounds are WORSE! NONE of the offending areas were addressed in any way that I can see. Easily over 1000 pieces of trash on or around school property, with some particularly concentrated and eye sore areas that encroach on personal or park property.

Elgin Park - In my opinion, Elgin gets the gold star here... SIGNIFICANT change and the two core problem areas affecting both the school and the surrounding park have been completely cleaned!  VERY IMPRESSED with the speed and quality of the litter removal... I even checked for a few pieces I knew were  off the main area in the bush and THEY were gone.

I have updated ELGIN here:  NICELY DONE!

I am excited that Elgin took the bull by the horns and sprung into action... I am equally disappointed by the apparent disregard of the other two schools.  ESPECIALLY after seeing Elgin.

UPDATE - The Litter Project ... Elgin Park Secondary - Surrey, BC - April 14, 2013 - C+

It has been one week since I did my initial rounds at the three local high schools, and I wanted to return a week later to follow up.

Well, I am happy to say I got a fairly positive response from the Principal of Elgin Park, but most importantly, there was positive ACTION!  And that is where it really counts.

While Elgin still has a couple problem areas, the two main offending areas have been cleaned and the difference is frankly astounding!  I'm pleased!

BEFORE


AFTER

Plus I heard something from the Principal that leads me to believe that there may be some effort for positive change... "...we are trying to establish a program for maintenance with the students of Elgin." 

I'm encouraged by that. Why?  Because it puts some of the responsibility where it SHOULD be... With the school and hopefully the students who are littering. HOWEVER, it is also important that we instill a sense of INDIVIDUAL responsibility in each student. We don't want to just cultivate a mindset of  "It's OK to litter. Someone ELSE will pick that up...."

The grounds were not perfect, but most certainly MUCH improved.  Thank you, Elgin Park.  Let's see how it looks in six months or a year from now to see if that program is working!

Dog shit in a bag - The latest trend...

WTF???

Funny how once you start looking, you see things everywhere!

It's like buying that new car, and then seeing the same car all over the place, when you NEVER noticed it before... They have always been there, you just weren't looking...

Well same goes for trash and litter...

The more I look, the more I see...

And lately what I see bothers me...

The latest trend?  Dog shit in a bag!!

People dutifully pick up the crap of their dog, but then toss the bag!  WTF???

Come on people!! Get it together!!

Here is another great blog about it!! DOG SHIT IN A BAG!

The Eyes of Thailand

Last night I had a chance to watch a documentary that surprised me...

The Eyes of Thailand


When I ordered it from the library, I just assumed that it was another travel video... I placed a hold on the movie months ago, and promptly forgot about it.  Well my turn arrived a few days ago and I went to my local library to pick it up.

It wasn't until I got it home did I realize that movie was mostly about Thai elephants...

And it wasn't really until I started watching it that I understood that it was about rescuing, nurturing, protecting and fighting for elephants who have been severely injured by land mines.

Elephants are used a lot for mining and farming in Thailand, and throughout the Thai / Burma border are millions of unexploded land mines. Farmers or loggers cross the border with their elephants to work, and they inadvertently step on land mines, often completely destroying or shattering the limbs of worker elephants.

The scenes were heart wrenching... And all through the documentary, I had to pause and catch my breath. Seeing the elephants, including baby elephants with their destroyed and shattered limbs was difficult to watch.

It is bad enough that we insist on destroying ourselves, but when innocent animals are the victims, it makes it all the more inexcusable.

We are systematically and unapologetically destroying the earth and all it's glory for our own commercial and corporate greed. We are all guilty to some degree.

While this post may not have a lot to do with litter, the theme is the same;  our rampant and unrelenting destruction of the planet.

Paying people to do our dirty work for us...

I had a few errands to run to day, and of course, because of the flurry of activity on the weekend, my brain is totally and utterly immersed in all things garbage and litter...

As I was driving, I saw no less than four different city workers in different parts of the city, pick up trash!

They had their little reflective vests on.  They had their little litter grippers (wasn't sure what to call them, so googled "litter grippers" and there they were!!

They had their plastic garbage bags and they were picking up litter on various streets.  I'm sure they are out all the time... I just never noticed them before!

My first reaction was "YAY!  Someone is cleaning up the streets!"

My second reaction was "WTF??? We're PAYING people to pick up our trash!! That's coming out of our taxes!"

My third reaction was "How decadent! What a luxury to be able to PAY people to clean up after us."

And how sad that we need it!  But thankfully we DO have people picking up our trash, because if we didn't, things would be even worse off than than they are already.

I have had the luxury of being able to travel and see a lot of different places in the world.  Many of them not as fortunate as we are.  I clearly remember a recent trip to Tangier, Morocco.  One of my favorite trips and coming from a beach city here in BC, I was quite looking forward to spending time at the beach in Morocco.

Well, I can assure you that Tangier DID NOT have people going around and picking up after them.  Garbage was literally floating in the waves and the beach was horribly littered.  I was leery to even take my shoes off and we did NOT go in the water.  We were too scared to!

 When I was there, I wasn't the trash hound I am now. I was disgusted, but didn't honestly pay a lot of attention.

Now that I see it in my own neighborhood and "backyard", I am bothered by it.  I am afraid where it will lead us.

We have the benefit of being able to PAY people to clean up after us...




Look at this image... Taken in South Surrey just a few days ago.
And these images:

China Garbage:
Philippines Garbage:
India Garbage:

It all starts like the image above...  And it's in our own backyard....  We obviously have MORE garbage and litter than we can afford to pay people to clean up already now!! ... What happens when it just keeps getting worse???

School trash epidemic - My recommended solution.

On my recent tours of the three local high schools this weekend, I suspect we have an endemic tragedy on our hands.That is the complete disregard by a few people to understand the seriousness and long-term impacts of litter. And the apathy of the rest of the population to do nothing about it!

What I noticed as well, is when there is already litter on the ground, people are less inclined to worry about adding more and littering... Where there is little or no litter, there tends to remain little or no litter.  People follow by example.

This morning I got up and thought...

"What would I do if I were a teacher / principal of these schools?"  It is always easy to complain, but what would my SOLUTION be?  Very good and important question!

Now, I'm not a teacher or principle or an expert yet.  But I have kids and I have manged large projects and large groups of staff.  I am very open to suggestions and ideas but  my current recommended solutions looks something like this:

1. SET, STATE and MEAN a ZERO TOLERANCE policy for litter within the school grounds and area. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. It is important to state that everyone is responsible for the new policy. Everyone needs to do their part. Teachers, staff, students. It's a SCHOOL problem.
2. Ask for volunteers from the students for a litter committee!  Get students from ALL grades to be involved. Reward them with donuts or free certificates at the cafeteria.  It does NOT have to be a lot! 
3. Set out and post many different notices around the school and especially the offending areas about the new policy.  
4. Set out EXTRA garbage bins and containers around the school.
5. Remind people constantly of the new policy.
6. For the first week after the new policy:
1. Set a ZERO FAULT on the entire school for litter.
2. Devote 1 block where EVERYONE goes out and collects trash from the school grounds. Teachers, students, staff.  It is important that everyone is involved.  Again, it's a SCHOOL problem. 
3. Be sure to set zones so nothing is missed, and be sure to rotate zone groups so areas can be double and triple and quadruple checked. You would be amazed what a little competition can unearth!
4. If anything looks dangerous or unsafe, be sure to get an adult involved. Even MORE reason to GET IT OFF SCHOOL GROUNDS!!
5. DOCUMENT how much you really found.   And find EVERYTHING.  Every cigarette butt, Every piece of plastic and wrap. Every cup, every straw, every little man-made piece that is not part of the natural environment. You will find THOUSANDS of pieces of trash!! You'll be amazed.
6. You want to encourage RECYCLING, but for this exercise, if you don't have time to separate it, then consider it all TRASH. 
7. Let OTHER schools in the area and district know what you've done and about your results.
7. NOW your school is clean!  You want to keep it that way!
8. REMOVE the zero fault from the policy. find some warnings and meaningful penalties for anyone who now blatantly litters.
9. Have your student volunteers monitor and report back on a weekly basis for the first few months.
10. Encouragement should be made where everyone helps and picks up trash if seen. Celebrate your success and your clean school!
11. After several months, you should be able to remove some of the extra bins and signs.
12. ENCOURAGE people to take that ZERO TOLERANCE policy and attitude home with them to THEIR neighbourhoods. 
13. You would be AMAZED; if everyone picks up ONE piece of trash a day, and no one littered, the world would be AWESOME, cleaner place!

The Litter Project ... Earl Marriott Secondary - Surrey, BC - April 7, 2013 - Grade C-

What a busy weekend!

Not only was I going around and documenting the three local high schools, but also doing the blog and the emails to the schools and the videos as well!  I am getting a better handle on both blogger and Vegas video editing, both of which are pretty new for me... I can already see some improvements!  That's nice from a personal perspective!  I am much happier with this video than the first one I did for Semiahmoo.

If you have read the other 2 entries on Semiahmoo Secondary and Elgin Secondary, you'll see I gave them both had a FAIL grade, and that was for 2 primary reasons...

1. The garbage was CLEARLY encroaching on personal or park property around the school.
2. The level and amount of CONCENTRATED trash in some areas was simply overwhelming.

So why a "C-" for Earl Marriott when the other 2 failed?  Here's why in my opinion...

1. There are two parks around EMS.  One behind, and one across the street.  I examined both carefully and the levels of trash was surprisingly minimal. The garbage at EMS was bad, but at least it was mostly contained within school grounds and not encroaching on the parks.
2. EMS was the only school where someone actually took the initiative to post a sign and a bin for smokers! Plus there is a kindred spirit there obviously. :>
   

Don't get me wrong... Earl Marriott is still a MESS, with well over ONE THOUSAND pieces of trash documented on the school grounds today. It has much room for improvement... But there are some positive signs.

I've contacted the principal of Earl Marriott Secondary, Peter Johnston

and

The Manager of Safe Schools for SD36-Surrey Schools, Theresa Campbell
with the information recorded here.


My Route today:


View Larger Map

Here is a VERY small sampling of the over 300 pictures and videos of garbage I took at and around the school today. I would upload more, but blogger won't let me! If I counted cigarette butts, over ONE THOUSAND of pieces of trash on school property!

Plus MANY, MANY more!