"Abroad, a place you could be reborn lighter."

-- Fernanda Eberstadt 

Photography by Denise Blasor

LIFE IS A BEACH

On Saturday Sept. 21, hundreds of
 thousands of people around 
the world will head to a nearby
beach with one purpose in mind:
pick up trash.

It's all part of International
Coastal Cleanup Day,  a 
grand environmental initiative
to clean beaches and inland
waterways, including rivers, 
lakes, and streams. It has been held every year since 1987.

Last year, more than half a million volunteers in 97
countries and locations around the world took part
in the event. 

By the end of the day, they had collected more than
10 million pounds of debris. That included: cigarette 
butts; food wrappers and containers; beverage bottles
and cans; plastic bags; caps and lids; cups and utensils; 
straws and stirrers; paper bags. Some of the more unusual
items that turned up in the cleanup were candles, lottery
tickets, toothbrushes, sports balls, and mattresses.

Puerto Rico has been participating in this international
effort since 1991 and the number of participants keeps
growing. This year more than 17,000 volunteers are 
expected to participate, according to San Juan-based
Scuba Dogs Society.

Trash contaminates and affects the appeal of beaches
and when it ends up in the ocean, or other bodies of water, 
it pollutes that water and endangers marine life. When 
consumed or absorbed by fish and other sea creatures, it 
can end up affecting humans too. 

If you are interested in collaborating in this grand effort, 
you are still in time. Volunteers in Puerto Rico, sign up at: 
http://scubadogssociety.org/

For those in the U.S., check the Ocean Conservancy
website ( http://oceanconservancy.org ) 
for a cleanup area near you.

Photography by Denise Blasor

Boredom is a time for imagining.

--Anatole Broyard

"Kafka Was the Rage"

                              

A SIMPLE TIP

Ziplock bags are a common type

of packaging these days and while most are not

environmentally friendly (they cannot be

recycled), at least they can be put to other uses. 

For example:

if you have kids, fill them with raisins

and nuts for a healthy snack they can take to school;

or use them to store 

items you carry around in a bag or purse, 

such as pens that are likely to lose their cap and

 stain the bag interior. 

©2013 LORRAINE BLASOR all rights reserved