SMC Advocates For Coastal Cleanup Month
Coastal Cleanup Month is a worldwide movement that started over 30 years ago and has gathered the support of over 6 million volunteers, according to Surfrider Foundation and Ocean Conservancy, two environmental nonprofits. The movement has been picked up nationwide and worldwide, including in our own coastal community of Santa Monica.
Coastal clean up, abundant Trash on the Beach, Pico blvd Santa Monica (Romeo Kuhn | The Corsair)
Some SMC professors are offering extra credit to students for participating on their own. They are encouraged to fill up at least one full bag of debris, and reflect on the most interesting trash items and what they learned from the experience, according to an email sent out by SMC’s sustainability department on Sept. 10.
“We're having to ask people to distance, to stay in their neighborhoods, and clean up the debris that they see,” said SMC Sustainability Manager Ferris Kawar. “Eventually, all that material is going to make its way to our oceans. We’re just asking people to catch it before it gets into the waterways.”
SMC joins environmental organizations including Surfrider Foundation and Ocean Conservancy in promoting a more individual style of Coastal Cleanup Month, since no organized cleanup events are permitted to happen this year. These organizations are encouraging people to go out to the beach alone or with their families and post on social media using hashtags such as #coastalcleanupmonth and #solobeachcleanup. In addition to promoting cleanups, Heal the Bay, based in Santa Monica, is hosting a series of virtual events and panels with environmental professionals this month, trying to educate people on the serious issue of ocean pollution.
Kawar also described the causes and effects of this issue. “You know, it’s not always just people that are willfully throwing things on the ground,” he said. “It’s the whole idea of a disposable economy.”
Although the single-use plastics and disposable items that are prevalent in our economy are convenient, the lives of marine animals are at risk because these disposable items that litter the streets and beaches will inevitably make their way to the ocean. “Marine life, bird life, they’re seeing all these plastic particles as a food source. They can’t distinguish between something that’s actual food and something that’s just a bright little piece of plastic,” Kawar said.
Plastic pollution does not just affect animals. According to Kawar, as the chemicals in plastic and other ocean pollutants enter the bodies of marine life, they move their way up the food chain and these toxins end up in the seafood we eat. He says “we need to realize that there are many layers to this problem. It’s not just a visual issue, it’s not just the animals that die.”
Environmental scientists and conservation experts cite many reasons to participate in beach cleanups, such as marine life preservation, the prevention of toxins and chemicals from disposable plastics entering our bodies, and keeping our communities clean. Kawar believes "most people want to do the right thing. We're not all slobs. But we're just confused.”
There are also many ways to get involved. In addition to physically cleaning up the beach, educating yourself and others on ocean pollution and cutting down on disposable plastic usage can also have a positive impact on the environment. The Nature Conservancy recommends convenient ways to do this, such as bringing reusable bags to the grocery store, investing in your own reusable coffee cup and water bottle, avoiding single-use plastic food containers and utensils, and switching to digital bills, receipts, and magazine subscriptions.
Although it may not feel like these small actions make any impact, these environmental organizations have proven that these are the necessary steps to take for ensuring the safety, cleanliness, and longevity of our coasts.
