We care. We are united. We can be effective.
Carole has written us from Greece. Her article is an important read. By simply telling us her story, we are touched by a reality that is disturbing and sad. It’s not easy an easy read.
Yes, it's a Greek Mediterranean issue, but still, what I write about is probably a worldwide problem.
We love beaching, preferably non-beaches: seaside coves, inlets, baylets. Living in Greece, with its extensive coastline, that's not too hard to do, and we live about 15 minutes from many possible sites.
Real beaches are cleaned... it’s up to us to clean our beaches.
That's a lot of work. However, I refuse to sit in refuse, and I want the world that my gorgeous grandkids are inheriting to be as clean as my hands and back will allow me to leave it for them.
The sources of our beach garbage are invariably visitors who don’t think, or possibly do think, but don’t care. Perhaps, they think there's room service or maid service!!!
Boaters are also distinct suspects. One of the trash items I truly hate is fishing lines, all tangled up, heavy-duty plastic line, which can kill fish if they try to ingest it. Fish also often die entangled in these little traps.
Well, our maid service always has a bag for garbage and another for recycling, and we never sit or swim until our area is cleared and virgin again, or until the bags are full of plastic water bottles, beer cans and plastic bags.
Bags. Bags are the most common findings, although, years ago i did, just once, find a 5,000 drachma note! A tip for the maid. :-)
Recently, while picking up beach garbage, I began trying to pick up small bits of plastic mingled and knitted into the seaweed, thrown up by the edge of the water. I realized I simply could not extract all the pieces of plastic bits. So, I hauled the line of washed-up seaweed further inland, hoping it might not wash back out to sea with the next waves.
Was I supposed to recycle this seaweed batch?
I may have told you I have snorkeled and seen this snowy scene of plastic bits, on windy, wavy days. They are easily VISIBLE flowing with the water.
Fish are eating tinier bits of this plastic…and then, in turn we ingest the fish... and are SO happy when our kids or grandkids learn to eat fish - the CLEAN protein food.
So many years of plastic abuse. So many pairs of ears yet to hear the message, and hearts to be touched into caring for our Earth, for her fish, for the little mouths we want to feed Purity to. For their eyes, as well - to see the beauty we find in scenes now being sullied with our thoughtless, easy, wasteful ways.
What have we done to our Earth?????!
Plastic Choking the Environment
Environmentalists warned yesterday that years of uncontrolled dumping of plastic along the country’s coastlines and in illegal landfills has resulted in a new and insidious form of pollution: millions of tiny plastic fibers that are tainting beaches and even ending up in the food chain of fish and other marine life. (taken from Ekathimerini newspaper)
For the full article, please read:
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100021_13/06/2009_108063
Caroles from Greece
Thank you, Caroles
The Real Work
It may be that when we no longer know what to do
we have come to our real work,
and that when we no longer know which way to go
we have come to our real journey.
The mind that is not baffled is not employed.
The impeded stream is the one that sings.
Wendell Berry
(Collected Poems)
web version: www.panhala.net/Archive/The_Real_Work.html
Let’s ask ourselves a few questions:
What did we use before plastic?
Can we use less plastic?
Do we recycle plastic adequately, and if so, at what cost to the environment?
When we see plastic in our environments, let’s pick it up, bring it home and put into a secure recycling bin, making sure it is not washed into sewers, ingested or allowed to strangle other members of our Earth Family.
Climate Change Meetings in Copenhagen
And finally, this message that was sent to me for circulation. PLEASE READ it and consider signing and passing it on before this coming Saturday, December 12th. I really don't believe I am being overly dramatic when I say our lives and the lives of our children and grandchildren depend upon the effectivemness of the talks in Copenhagen.
Hi Everyone,
A HUGE demonstration is being planned for December 12th in Copenhagen. Please consider adding your organization to the global list of groups who stand in solidarity with them. Email info@12dec09.dk. Let’s grow the show of support from Canada!
Find out more at http://12dec09.dk/content/english/
Circulate this email to other organizations. Go to http://12dec09.dk/content/english/links-english to find links to the Facebook event (short link: http://12dec09.dk/l/fb).
Join and invite friends to join.
Use the list of short links for SMS and Twitter messages: http://12dec09.dk/l/sc.
Thanks!
************
March at the Climate Summit in Copenhagen
On Saturday 12th of December, midway through the UNFCCC Climate Talks 2009, we invite you and your organisation to join us in bringing to the negotiators in Copenhagen a massive, loud and visible demonstration of the world’s will to act.
We Are
Climate and green organisations and networks, trade unions, peace, solidarity and human relief organisations and movements, political and other civil society organisations and individuals.
What and When
We are preparing a broad based, popular and family friendly demonstration going from central Copenhagen at 13.00 to the summit venue at the Bella Center.
1:00 pm: Assembly event at Christiansborg Slotsplads ( Parliament Square )
2:00 pm: March from Christiansborg Slotsplads to Bella Center (Site of UN Climate Conference)
4:30-6:00 pm: Assembly event at Bella Center
A giant canvas of climate messages and images will be created at Christiansborg and carried to Bella Center by the March. Come add your message and then help to deliver it!
Join our mailing list and make sure you are updated about the demonstration.
Manifestation Copenhague, 12 déc. 09
Samedi 12 décembre à mi parcours des pourparlers sur le climat de la CCNUCC (Convention Cadre des Nations Unies sur les Changements Climatiques), nous vous invitons vous et vos organisations de vous joindre à nous en amenant aux négociateurs à Copenhague la démonstration visible et bruyante que le monde veut agir.
Nous sommes
Des organisations et réseaux sur le climat et verts, syndicats, mouvements pacifiques et de solidarité, églises, organisations politiques et autres de la société civile et des individus.
Quand et quoi
Nous préparons une manifestation à base large, populaire et familiale partant du centre de Copenhague à 13H00 pour aboutir au Bella Center lieu du Sommet.
Joignez vous
Nous vous invitons avec vos organisations à soutenir cet appel. Envoyez vos emails de soutien à info@12dec09.dk.
Liste de diffusion e-mail
Inscrivez-vous à notre liste de diffusion internationale (en anglais) afin d'être tenu au courant quant à la manifestation.
Merci!
Ruth Edwards
KYOTOplus Outreach Coordinator
613-241-1410
ruth@kyotoplus.ca
http://www.kyotoplus.ca/
Act now for the future
Questions? Email ruth@kyotoplus.ca
To post to this group, send email to kyotoplus@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/kyotoplus?hl=en?hl=en
Ring The Bells for Climate Justice
Don't forget to have your Faith Community ring their bells on Sunday, December 13th at 3:00 p.m. no matter where you are in the world. Why not get out there with your friends and neighbours and ring your own bells if you don't have a faith community.
For information, go to: http://www.kairoscanada.org/en/ecojustice/climate-change/copenhagen-2009/ and click onto Climate Justice just below Ring Your Bells in red type.
Now is the time to act for our Earth Family,
maureen
Photos from personal albums
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