I had been spending way too much time in the apartment recently, feeling so apathetic and sluggish. “But Kristin, you live on an island, surrounded by beaches, go out!” Duh, right? So, we went down to tank beach to take pictures and walk around. Tank beach isn’t one you can swim in or would want to swim in with its high surf. It’s a cool spot to watch the waves and mill around. I’ve only been there once, but returning yesterday made me realize, “Shit, this beach is disgusting.” It’s littered with trash. Plastic and glass bottles, plastic straws, shoes, laundry baskets, plastic bags... This island is way too small to support garbage like this. I’m not entirely sure how all of this trash got here. From the looks of it, most of it is coming from the ocean and washing up on shore, possibly from other countries, some of it from locals or tourism on the island quite possibly, too. This has got to change and we all need to hold ourselves personally responsible. I don’t expect our habits and consumption to change over night. But just by becoming aware, small efforts can cause huge ripples. I write this as I’m sipping a drink through a plastic straw in a plastic cup. I’m not always being consciously aware of the damage the products I consume can cause. So, by no means am I trying to be on top of a pedestal or endorse judging others. I frequently forget to ask for no straw and I often forget to bring my reusable bags when grocery shopping. I’m very aware of this and actively trying to change it. If you don’t know where to start with change, research it. Say no to plastic straws when out to eat (if you can’t live without, look into reusable stainless steel straws), get a water filter for your home and eco friendly water bottle, get reusable shopping bags. . . . “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” - Robert Kennedy (at Saipan)
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