Wednesday 22 April 2009

Water on Earth Day rubbish in the city

Swans nesting amongst plastic bags and floating rubbish. photograph: Vivien Blackburn

The city try to clean up our waterways and the industrial pollution is far better than in the past with a good range of wildlife including kingfishers in quiet spots. But - It's sad how uncaring people can be of our environment with the way they dispose of litter.

The canal and river wind their way through the city with a footpath enabling you to walk the entire length, a green lung for the city. Unfortunately parts are spoilt by sights like this. Swans here are nesting amongst floating plastic bags and rubbish. :>(

This is at the shallow edge of the water just beneath where I sat to draw the scene below.



The recent move by supermarkets to persuade people to stop using plastic carrier bags can only be a good thing :>)

Why don't they go back to the paper carriers for those who come without a bag of their own? from sustainable sources of course, they are much more environmentally friendly - and look much nicer too.

previous work done here

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6 comments:

Making A Mark said...

I agree about giving people paper carriers

Possibly the real trick is to give people plastic carriers that break - spilling their shopping all over the ground. [wicked grin!] or maybe not supply plastic bags at all? That way next time they'll turn up with a nice sensible string bag which scrunches up nicely into small places or one of those recycled ones which goes in a nice small pouch.

We're devoted to our jute bags - and carrying shopping is just so much easier!

vivien said...

I like my jute bags too

I think they're already doing the plastic bags that break!

Jeanette Jobson said...

Here, they are finally getting the message and charging for plastic carriers and creating a more substantial reusable one as well.

Personally I use canvas bags that I keep religiously in the boot of the car to take to stores when needed.

The amount of wildlife that is injured or killed by pollution and debris in the water they call home is enormous.

Africantapestry and Myfrenchkitchen said...

Isn't it a sad sight to see those swans among the rubbish...There is alot of education going on here to inform the public of hazards to the environment - I think a big part of the population on earth doesn't know what happens to a plastic bag or any other dechet they're throwing away.
ronell

Sarah said...

I have an old rucksack and I wander through the woods to the head of the creek where there is a little road side farm stall selling veg, not a carbon footpring, just a muddy one! Poor swans!

Lindsay said...

There is mountains of trash dropped along the Des Plaines River trail and lots of civic groups get involved picking it up. I feel like posting signs that "this is my living room too...pick up your trash"

The bags are very good and I hope Chicago goes the way of San Francisco and bans plastic bags althether.