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Green doesn’t always mean good luck. Sometimes it’s just greenwashing. . Starbucks will be phasing out their ubiquitous green straws by 2020 and will replace them with “sippy cup” lids that can be recycled. Ironically, most Starbucks stores don’t even have recycling bins available, and we are terrible at recycling even in the best of circumstances. In fact, only 9% of plastics worldwide are actually recycled, and it has become even more complicated now that China is no longer accepting our waste. . Some believe that Starbucks is simply greenwashing by replacing straws with lids rather than making more impactful changes that will ultimately lead to a reduction in the amount of plastic produced, and if recycling rates are any indication, 91% of the sippy cup lids will either go to landfills or will end up polluting the natural environment. . In short, Starbucks is simply exchanging one plastic hazard for another, and if we accept this change in the guise of a green initiative, we are too. Please refuse single-use cups, straws, lids, and stirrers—choose to reuse instead! . #greenwashing #starbucks #starbucksstraws #litterati #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #trashtag #justgrabbits #shoresweep #stpatricksday #happysaintpatricksday #goodluck #green #greenstraws #strawssuck #refusesingleuse #choosetoreuse #lonelywhaleWe made the news! (Visit the link in my bio to read the article.) A group of us spoke before the Carlsbad City Council on Tuesday evening, and they took decisive action. Cori Schumacher made the motion, Priya Bhat-Patel seconded, and all members were in favor of having single-use plastics placed on the agenda. There is still work to be done, but this is a great first step. Hopefully, city staff will end up crafting a comprehensive ordinance that includes polystyrene take-out containers and other single-use items. I will urge them to include straws, because California’s new straws on request law only applies to full-service restaurants. Those with self-serve beverage dispensers and/or where you order at the counter are exempt. I am certain that most of the straws that I found on the beach today are from take-out and fast-food places. . #singleusesucks #everybeachclean #litterati #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #shoresweep #polystyrene #strawssuck #stopsucking #breakfreefromplastic #marinedebris #planetorplastic #plasticpollutesBy now, most everyone has seen the tragic image of the sea horse grasping a cotton swab as it swims in polluted Indonesian waters, but what is less known is that many seahorse species are not only threatened by pollution and habitat degradation, they are victims of overfishing and bycatch and are sought for both legal and illegal trade. Millions and millions are used for medicinal purposes in China and others are captured for the aquarium trade. They are also dried and sold in souvenir and online shops around the world. . Thanks to the advocacy of The Seahorse Trust, eBay has banned and/or limited the sale of seahorses to help stop illegal sales to the Chinese medicinal market. The Sea Horse Trust is now advocating to have seahorse jewelry and trinkets removed from @etsy sites. For more information and to sign the petition, please visit the link in my profile. . #plasticseahorse #microplastic #litterati #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #shoresweep #marinedebris #plasticpollution #plasticbeachtoy“Every day is Halloween, isn’t it? For some of us.” — I agree with Tim Burton! I found a jack-o-lantern ball wedged between some rocks on the beach today, and plastic Halloween items wash up year-round. 🎃 #litterati #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #shoresweep #justgrabbits #marinedebris #jackolantern #rubberball #everydayishalloween #timburton #halloweenI found this muriatic acid container in the gutter near a storm drain on my neighborhood walk this morning. The warning clearly states that the bottle contains poison, but what it doesn’t say is that the plastic it’s contained in becomes poison when it degrades in the environment and is ingested by wildlife. There is more rain expected this week, and this toxic gallon jug could have ended up being swept away with the run off. The litter that’s in our streets eventually ends up on beaches and in the ocean. It’s important to pick up wherever we are, whenever we can. North County friends can join the @onlyloserslitter community and help clean-up in downtown Vista on Sunday, February 24th at 2:30pm. Meet at @backfencesociety at 110 S. Citrus. #litterati #2minutelitterpick #onlyloserslitter #shoresweep #plasticpollution #muriaticacid #plasticcontainer #planetorplastic #justgrabbits @sarahsspinks @my_bestfriend_isacatTriceratops degradesarus! . Plastic dinosaurs don’t decompose; they degrade limb by limb into into tiny toxic pieces that harm the ecosystem and are ingested by marine life. . When archeologists of the future uncover the these plastic fossils, what will they conclude about our culture? . #litterati #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #shoresweep #plasticpollution #marinedebris #plasticdinosaur #plasticfossils #planetorplasticCalifornia’s straws on request law went into effect on January 1st. It’s a step in the right direction, but it only applies to full-service restaurants. Places where you order at the counter and those with self-serve beverage dispensers are excluded. I am certain that most of the straws I find when I clean the beach come from take-out and fast-food establishments. Many California cities have already passed all-encompassing ordinances or have banned plastic straws, stirrers, utensils, and polystyrene take-out containers completely. (Swipe to see the massive bits of styrofoam that washed up after a recent storm.) It’s time for the North County San Diego cities in which I work and live to take action and enact ordinances that will make a difference. @cityofoceanside @shortstack12000 @carlsbadcagov @vistacagov @joe_green_for_vista @representvista @cori_schumacher @a1pixels @onlyloserslitter #everybeachclean #2minbcphotochallenge7 #litterati #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #shoresweep #polystyrene #srawssuck #stopsucking #breakfreefromplastic #marinedebris #planetorplastic #plasticpollutesJanuary Blues #januaryblues #2minbcphotochallenge7 #litterati #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #rubberjellyfish #balloonsblow #blueballoons #balloonsblowdontletthemgo #marinedebrisRecent Comments
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Monthly Archives: February 2015
Wayfinding
I frequently confuse left and right when I give driving directions to others. When my husband is behind the wheel, I tell him to turn left when I want him to turn right, and if I ask him to turn … Continue reading
Posted in Living, Mentor Text, Teaching, Writing
Tagged #geography, #maps, #teaching, #write2connect, #writing, Education
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The Power of Place
I spent the weekend at UC Davis exploring the connected learning approach to education with colleagues and friends from the San Diego Area Writing Project and the California Writing Project. Spending time at my alma mater and in my hometown … Continue reading
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