Every visitor to Hawaii should be required to spend several hours cleaning up the plastic that plagues our shorelines. That way, when they go back home to China (the source of most plastic), Japan, the United States, or another country, they should be more conscious of where their waste goes. The situation in the Pacific has gotten so bad that governments must take action, but they will do so only if people force their hands.
Not far from the black sand beach I wrote about recently, paradise is not so fresh looking. Kamilo Point on the southeast side of the Big Island of Hawaii picks up more floating debris from the ocean than most places. This once beautiful spot has become fouled by mountains of trash. Most of it is plastic and most comes from Asia.
This week, a 40 ton mass of rope arrived, along with all of the plastic trash from the Pacific garbage patch. It comes from a fishing net; not long ago, someone at sea spotted a mass of such rope near shore that was miles long and this may be part of it. It will cost the government a tidy sum of money to have this junk removed.
Perhaps visitors to Hawaii who arrive from high-polluting countries should be taxed upon arrival based on how much debris their countries release into the ocean. At the very least, that would raise additional money to fund the constant cleanup. And maybe it would do more than that if people are angry and go home to put pressure on their government to prevent so much waste from being dumped into Mother Ocean. Failing that, citizens should sue their governments for not living up to their international obligations under agreements that protect the oceans…and are not being enforced.
Please think about where your plastic goes. Try to use less of it and recycle. Tell your companies and your government they can do better. Thank you.
(Photos are from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources)
Article about the 40 ton mass of rope: https://bigislandnow.com/2018/02/23/40-ton-rope-mass-deposited-at-plastic-beach/
Amazing @mahalo I definitely like this
That’s a lot 😵
That’s massive! 😲
That absolutely sucks, I bet that garbage is conveniently away from the tourist areas and pushed towards the many homeless communities there
people itself destroyed our mother earth, sad to say but it's true.
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good night.bagi we are in indonesia.
Best wishes.
I am very junior
While you are senior
I really need a vote from you ..
Thank you
@mahalo
It's fantastic! Very important to clean the nature of human waste. Makes the planet awake and more fit to live in.
Good night
Best wishes.
I am a junior
Desperately need a vote from you as a senior ...
Thank you
@malaho
You are very senior in steem, and I am very junior, I need help from you and I really appreciate it
You are senior in steemit
I am junior in steemit, I look forward to your vote and I really appreciate i. You pic is amazing
please vote have me friends
@mahalo
Great picture
good night for us in our world
wish luck for you. i hope you always health condition
I am newbie in steemit.
You are my senior ... I need a vote from you ...
Thank you for your attention.
@mahalo
Hey @mahalo, great post! I enjoyed your content. Keep up the good work! It's always nice to see good content here on Steemit! :)
Oohh! So sad. This is the main problem in every country, garbage! Thank you @mahalo for sharing your article. Many lessons to learned!
Best wishes
I just joined.
You're a junior
Please guide you
@mahalo
@mahalo help me the unfortunate,
i beg your help ...
Hi @mahalo
My senior
I hope you will help me develop my steam
Very well said @mahalo.i love and I agree your idea it's really a big help. Used a recycle things and be responsible enough of going things specially to our own waste... I'm one of your followers now and I'm looking forward for you interesting articles..thank you for sharing .have a nice day!