Stockbyte/Getty Images
READ MORE ABOUT:
Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup Day is nearly upon us. This Saturday, September 19th, marks the day where upwards of 400,000 people around the world will head to beaches and water ways to gather up the litter that threatens ecosystems.
A major advocate for ICC Day is Philippe Cousteau. He recognizes what an impact a day like this can have on not only the environment but also on the people involved. "The growth over the years of ICC and how many people get engaged goes up every year. It truly is international. It is an indication of how much people are becoming concerned about issues of pollution in the environment. And when we do get engaged, we see results," he stated in a conversation yesterday.
An important part of ICC Day is also understanding that it's not just people who live on coasts who can make a difference. Cousteau noted that about 50% of human populations live along coastal areas, but many are in urban settings. Storm drains in these areas lead straight out to estuaries and the sea. So even if you're living in a city miles from the ocean, what gets tossed on the street and in the gutter will most likely end up at some point out in the water and into a trash gyre.
That's why ICC Day is an important day to strike up awareness for coastal clean-ups, but the efforts can't stop here.
"No matter where you live, everything you do makes a difference, and all your actions have consequences. If you're using plastic bottles all the time, it makes a difference, and it's not a good one. We are all linked to the oceans through water systems. The rivers, the lakes the marshes...there's a tremendous amount of trash that ends up in these water systems... It should be ICC every day. While there's an amazing amount of debris that's cleaned up - bags, butts and bottles are the most prevalent - one day isn't enough. One day that's a battle cry is fantastic, but it needs to be an every day effort. We need to be using less, [and] we need to be thinking about the lifestream of things we do use," stated Cousteau.
So if you want to be part of a movement to clean up water ways and help contain the ecological disasters already present like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, you can register for a clean-up in your area.
More on Keeping Beaches Clean
Great Ideas: Beach Cleanup
Help Stop the Tidal Wave of Trash
How Polluted is Your Beach? A New Report Knows
