“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'”

Genesis 1:26 ESV

We’re not doing a very good job of it.

We live on what is undeniably the finest rock in this part of the universe. The way we as a race of beings act though, you might think we had a whole bunch of planets to which we could move when we make this one uninhabitable.

We could discuss global warming, holes in the ozone, rampant uncontrolled development, suburban sprawl, overpopulation, and a host of other gritty problems with which we are not really coming to grips. But let’s discuss a problem in which every single one of us could immediately make a difference- litter.

You won’t have to look far to find some. Look on the ground at the next red light you have to stop for, and you’ll see where dozens of slob cigarette smokers have thoughtlessly emptied their ashtrays. Go down by the Econlockhatchee River and see where slob beer drinkers have thoughtlessly left their empties. Particularly galling to me as an angler, go to any shoreline and see where slob fishermen have thoughtlessly left wads of discarded line, empty bait containers, hook and lure packages, and quite often cigarette butts and empty beer cans.

Hey! Cut it out! You guys are making the rest of us look bad!

Dorn Whitmore, an administrator at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, told me that the biggest single problem the refuge faces is the litter left by people fishing from the bank there. What is the problem, folks? Why do you carry a bunch of stuff into a beautiful place and then trash it? If you can carry it in, please carry it out!

If everyone that reads this would commit to not littering, that would make a difference. If you would make it a habit to sometimes pick up litter and dispose of it properly, that would make a bigger difference. If you would organize litter pickup days, that would make an even bigger difference. And if you would write a letter to your state representative and get a bottle bill passed in this state, that might make the biggest difference of all.

Please, do it for the sake of our home, planet Earth.

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2011. All rights are reserved.