The Mississippi River is normally a beautiful thing. The largest river system in the U.S, it travels from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, working its way past farms and cities. But in watching the aftermath of the floodwaters that are slowly surging towards the Gulf, I am horrified at just how many people care nothing about protecting their land, their waters.
"The Mona Lisa"
Trash and debris float in the floodwaters on a playground on Memphis' Mud Island
A flotilla of trash lays on the harbor in the shadow of the Memphis pyramid.
As the waters are rising and falling, they are picking up bacteria and unfathomable amounts of trash – then depositing it in places where people walk and children play.
I’m a recycler. I’m not obsessive about it, but it does make me twitch a little when I have to throw something into a trash can rather than a recycle bin. But at least I throw it somewhere other than the street, the lawn, or on the ground.
I was in Memphis this week and was witness to the tide of bottles, cans, Styrofoam cups and even medical waste that was lapping at the sides of homes. What didn’t land in Memphis is working its way downstream.
It’s disturbing to think about the sheer volume of debris that is continuing to grow as it heads to waters devastated just a year ago by an oil spill. So much of that material shouldn’t be there. I could call it carelessness, but thoughtlessness is a better word. Think about what happens when you miss the trash can. Pick you trash up before rain or a flood pushes it into a storm drain.
Just look at what can happen and make sure your role in it is minimal.
