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Earth Day for the birds!

This weekend I went for a walk at Breakheart reservation. It was great to see that lots of people are taking advantage of this wonderful natural resource.

The main trail, in particular, is obviously quite popular (we didn't venture into the woods--tick season): The trails were festooned with lost mittens, candy wrappers and snack bags, empty plastic bags, and one large wad of what looked like toilet paper. It was very festive. The dogs are clearly enjoying themselves, too--plenty of unscooped poop right smack in the middle of the walking path!

I also found a deflated baloon attached to a long plastic ribbon and a plastic six-pack ring: Someone throwing an Earth Day celebration, perhaps? I sure hope the birds, bunnies, and other wildlife were included in the party--you know how they love that kind of thing.

What impressed me most, however, was the number of people using those new eco-friendly Poland Spring water bottles--they were everywhere! They're lighter, made of 30% less plastic, and require less energy to produce. They even have a smaller label. So, you know, when you leave them on the side of the trail, you are really just doing your part to save the planet.

2 comments:

Stevyn Colgan said...

Yes, but isn't it even kinder to the planet to use a glass bottle and then recycle? We have this whole issue going on in the UK at the moment - also trying to encourage people to drink water from the tap. As many medical types have pointed out, our tap water is actually healthier than bottled water as additional calcium and flouride is added to help teeth and bones whereas bottled water is natural but ambient. Plus, we're paying money for water in bottles ... and we're already paying for the water in our pipes. Me? No more plastic bottles of water for me! It's a reusable glass one full of tap water for me from now on! Great blog Gienna.

April 25, 2008
Gienna said...

I'm so addicted to bottled water. You can't throw a glass bottle of water in your pocketbook or backpack--too heavy and it could break. And I do think bottled tastes better than tap, though where I live the water we get from the Quabbin Resevoir has been called the champagne of public water. It really probably is better than bottled ... it might be a mental thing that I think the bottled tastes better.

Anyway, of course you are right that plastic--even plastic that is made from recycled materials and lighter and etc. is not as good for our enviornment as containers you can use multiple times and then recycle (though I do recycle my water bottles).

Of course you know this entry was laced with sarcasm. People are such idiots that they'll throw anything on the side of the road, whether it's a plastic bottle or a glass one.

And yes, I picked up all the trash I found during my hike--I was so surprised that no one asked me that!

Thanks for your comment--I checked out your blog, too, and it's a good read--I'll add you to my links.

April 25, 2008

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