The ifs, ands, andbutts of litteringin Nova Scotia.Marian Whitcomb

• Litter has increased 21%

• Kids (55% are already littering)

• Avg. litterer is 15-25 years old

• Apathy/futility

• “Green” generation?

• Where are our values?

The Problem Here at Home

Is it just an ugly thing to look at?

Cost of visual litter• Snowballs into worse crime (vandalism & theft)

• Lowers property values

• People don’t want to move to a trashed place

• Discourages tourism

• We have to live in it!

287 species (including our kids and pets)

“#%^$*&^!! Why doesn’t the government open up their eyes and do something about

what is happening in our planet?!”

Assumptions:

“I’m giving a job to someone to clean up after me.”

“There are worse sources of pollution.”

“It is not mine, why should I pick it up?”

•The Ocean:micro-plastics

The global issue

“I want to personally hunt down and violently murder the careless idiot who dropped that plastic bag into the ocean.”

The emotional cost:

Sources of litter

27%

14%

11%11%

17%

11%

5%4%

Top 8 Items world-wide

Tobacco

Plastic Bags

Wrappers Containers

Caps, Lids

Bottles

Plates, utensils

Cans

Paper Bags

Nicotine (one of hundreds of toxicants)• 1 used butt 5-7 mg

• Highly water soluble

• Used as an insecticide

• Lethal dose for a child

10mg

• Lethal dose for an adult

60mg

+ +

=

•4.5 Trillion Cigarettes made a year•186 Billion tons into ocean

Toxicity also applies to micro-organisms, and invertebrates too

These tiny animals are the basis for the whole ocean food chain.

Butts tossed out of cars go into ditches & run-off into fresh water

• Many freshwater species are threatened and disappearing

What comes around…

…goesaround.

And aroundand aroundand around.

Solution

• A Little Less Litter

• This is a social problem

litterally within our reach

• Two pieces a day, a lot of people

• Put it in the garbage at home

• Keep gloves bags in car trunk, do when walking, tight closing container

WIFM? •Takes no real time or effort•No money donation needed •It feels good to know you made a difference•People (especially kids) will think you are wonderful and follow your example

• Pledge to not litter.

• Speak up…inform others.

• Pick up a couple of pieces

every day (on average).

• POLITELY ask others not to litter.

• Get at least two people to help join you, and ask them to do the same.

• If you are a kid you have influence! You can ask adults to care and set an example to them.

• Consider and prevent causes of accidental litter

• Use common sense, lots of soap, and work safely.

• Would you pick up a $5.00 bill off the ground?

You

Me

BEYOND…

66 people, 132 pieces of trash a day x 365 = 48,180 a year.

Think of if as weeding a garden …the weeds will always be there,

the slugs keep coming back, but for the moment, you enjoy the result.

We can keep complaining or be the agent of change and change the culture.

We have choices, we’veonly to make them.

We must be the change we wish to see. M. Gandhi

Thank you for your time. Questions?