Have you heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?  Basically, it’s a massive, swirling stew of garbage between California and Hawaii, and it’s the largest landfill in the world, estimated to be twice the size of Texas, 3.5 million tons and consisting of 80 percent plastics.  Sadly, because it would take billions of dollars and a huge collective effort, most people believe that cleaning it up is not even feasible at this point. 

How does this affect us?  Possibly cancer, impaired memory, and infectious disease, among other things.  According to the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, plastics transport and release toxic pollutants that can contaminate the food they were created to protect.  When plastics are burned, they release toxic dioxin, which poisons the food chain (and we’re pretty high up in the food chain).  So, toxic “stuff” accumulates in the food we eat.  Other results of garbage in our oceans are that animals (such as birds and sea turtles) die from eating plastics because they mistake it as food and either choke on it or eat it, can’t process it, and then starve to death.  Also, some of the toxics mimic estrogen and can turn male fish into females (which makes us wonder what it’s doing to us when we eat them…) 

 Now that we’ve told you the scary part, here’s what you can do to help:

1. Don’t Use Plastic Bags.  Use canvas bags when you go to the store.  Some stores will even give you a discount for using canvas bags.  If you have to use a plastic bag, make sure you recycle it.
2. Shop Smart.  Choose products packaged in biodegradable materials.  This is good for the planet and good for your health too.  (By the way, why are fast-food places still selling food in containers that aren’t biodegradable?)
3. Don’t Litter.  Whether you’re at the beach or anywhere else, don’t litter. 
4. Participate.  Go help or organize your neighborhood street or beach clean up!  Ask your citiy to install catch-basins in your neighborhood so that trash won’t go into the water and eventually into the ocean.  Help enforce litter laws by reporting illegal dumping.

Here’s a video about it from MSNBC on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eljbv8NtC9Y. 

It was a beautiful Florida day, so instead of driving, we rode our bikes to downtown West Palm Beach for Step It Up 2007. We had a blast!  There were great speakers and we met a lot of really intersting people who care about the environment and showed their shade of green.

The mayor of West Palm Beach, Lois Frankel, kicked off the event. Governor Charlie Crist and Senator Bill Nelson couldn’t make it, so their letters supporting stepping up against climate change were read to the crowd!  We also heard from Bryan Miller who is running for the Florida House, as well as the U.S. Green Building Council and Dr. John Marr from the Perry Institute for Marine Science. 

We also met a bunch of really interesting people!  A realtor wanted to make her entire office paperless.  We met a county employee who installed solar panels on his house and knew a whole lot about electrical engineering.  We also met a school teacher working to start a recycling program where he teaches, a college student interested in biodiesel, and a local green high school club who, if I remember correctly, called themselves the “tree-huggers.”  We also spoke to a rep from Whole Foods and tried to convince her to open a store in West Palm Beach!  

We wrapped up the event by test driving a Toyota Scion retrofitted with an electric engine that the owner plugs into his house to recharge.  The ride was smooth, quiet, and get this, only two dollars to travel over 160 miles!  (We’ll write more on this later on.)

What was Step It Up 2007 like in your city?  We’d love to hear about it.  If you have any pictures, send them to yourpics@youmaybegreen.com.