I’ve never considered myself a tree-hugger (but I might literally try it one day just for fun). However, I am socially aware of the damage we cause to our dear mother earth and it does bother me. With all the media coverage on large oil spills, natural disasters, corporate greed and their neglect of toxic waste and contamination, and even the societies that have to cleanup the mess and aftermath of war, we somehow think that our empty bag of tasty potato chips was meant to decorate the beach, the sidewalk, parks, and any other public space.
One of my all-time favorite highway signs in the US is the one that says “Litter and it will hurt”. I never knew if it was meant to be a threat to me personally, or to point out the consequences on the environment. Perhaps the government intentionally made it vague and left it open to interpretation for a reason…to make us think. With all these green movements picking up momentum, I won’t be surprised if one day a “Green Gestapo” with a large police stick will be ready to pound you the moment you throw your gum wrapper out the car window.
I have made an effort to hold people accountable for their reckless disposal of garbage in my presence. Sometimes it’s the stink eye, the cara de fuchi, and when I feel talkative, a question or two to let the person know someone is always watching. I can create awkward moments really well 🙂 You can’t just throw your beverage can out the public bus window and act like nothing happened! In the words of Ice Cube, “you better check yo self before you break yo self.”… suckafish!