People are Garbage, part II

So my last post was a bit of a tongue-in-cheek reference to the old adage "you are what you eat." (In this case, with the unforeseen effects of our ongoing pollution, it's more like eat, drink, and breathe.)

But this post is a straight-up indictment of people who ruin things for everyone around them.

In my last post, I mentioned the hundreds of cigarette butts two of us gathered in just a couple of hours in a very limited stretch of downtown cleanup. At least one of our wildfires this year was confirmed to have been started by a smoker.

Is it really so difficult for people to give a moment's thought to the impact of their actions on the people, animals, property, and environment around them?

I've never smoked a cigarette so I can't relate to the compulsion/addiction in the first place, but I have always found the idea that it's ok to just toss your leftovers out the window or down on the ground unfathomable and, frankly, disgusting.

Photo credit: Paul Krushelnycky,
University of Hawaii at Manoa. 

And speaking of disgusting environmental impact, this story is the one that inspired this post in the first place. I mean, who goes off-roading in a national park?

They damaged a trail that might be needed for future rescues, evacuations, etc. and killed sensitive plants that are trying to eke out an existence in pretty harsh conditions.

Hawaii has more than 100 endemic species, which means they don't exist anywhere else in the world. Most of these plants and animals are already categorized as vulnerable or endangered.

The Haleakala silversword species is only found here on Maui, so its callous destruction is even more devastating.

I often describe Maui (and Hawaii at large) as a delicate ecosystem. Not just because of the risk of fires, hurricanes, and rising ocean levels, but because of its isolation.

It's not like you can truck in replacements. Here, once some things are gone, they're just gone.

Thankfully, what's not gone is some semblance of hope. Every day I'm reminded that each of us can do some small part in having a positive impact, and we don't have to wait for an organized group event.

On my early morning power walks, I tend to see the same handful of people. One woman in particular strides with purpose in her reflective safety belt and occasional phone calls.

She carries a reusable bag and a picker with her, and as she motors along she will suddenly stop and go off the trail to grab some wayward trash to put in her bag.

When her bag is full or it's time for her to make her return trip, she finds a trash can, empties the bag, and goes on her way. The first time I saw her I was amazed and embarrassed at how simple a thing it was.

Although I do not follow fully in her footsteps, I do go out of my way now to retrieve and dispose of plastics I find along my route.

I'm not sure what kind of epiphany it takes for the butt-tossers and the off-roaders of the world to get on board. But for the rest of us, I think we can beat back the tide by taking a moment every day to look beyond ourselves and focus on small ways to fix the world around us.