A few days ago a friend passed me a YouTube video explaining the massive garbage clean up that took place in the forests of Estonia. The event was an awesome experience for the people of that country. I was astounded by the level of leadership and responsibility that came from the movement.
I did find I had a few questions after viewing the video. Did the Estonia group limit cleanup to government owned land? Was there private land involved in the cleanup efforts? How did the leadership surface and how did they get enough initial momentum? With all the bureaucracy in the U.S., I wonder if such a project would be possible. Most of all, I began to wonder if public lands in the U.S. contained garbage like what is seen in the Estonia video.
I know there are public parks around my neighborhood that could use a good clean up and certainly vacant lots in various parts of the city. These types of projects are easily remedied by approaching some of the student organizations around the city. The bottom line is each human being must take responsibility for his/her carbon footprint. I'm a firm believer that change happens first in your own backyard. What could you do to improve the natural environment where you live?
Since we live near a busy street, my grandson and I walk for a few blocks in each direction, picking up litter. Hopefully, he's learning about taking pride in his neighborhood and city.
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