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BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters pick up a piece of trash per day, the planet'll be a helluva lot cleaner.
COCKTAIL FACT
In 2001, the state of Missouri changed the name of a stretch of freeway the Ku Klux Klan adopted for litter cleanup to the Rosa Parks Freeway.
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home › tip library › Litter Pickup
Does litter bug you out?
The Bite
Sometimes, you just gotta take matters into your own hands. So help keep things clean by picking up a piece of trash each day. After all, every litter bit helps (sorry, we couldn't resist).The Benefits
- Safer for ocean life. About 100,000 sea mammals and turtles choke on or get tangled in plastic ocean debris each year.
- Help out the fire department. Every 12 minutes a fire starts because of litter.
- Safer streets. Litter causes thousands of accidents per year (for example, paper can get caught on your windshield while you're driving), and disease-carrying mosquitoes and rats thrive in it.
- Stop others from littering. Studies show that people are less likely to litter in clean areas than trashy ones.
Personally Speaking
Biter team members employ this tip regularly. That said, there are certain things we just won't pick up off the ground.Wanna Try?
No need to don reflective gear: next time you see a piece of trash, pick it up and put it in the garbage.- Keep America Beautiful - the biggest anti-litter organization in the U.S. Its Great American Cleanup campaign continues through May 31.
Apr 23,2007
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Hoot-ers
So who would have guessed that the extreme makeover craze would hit the mascot unit of the U.S. Forest Service? Woodsy the Owl has a new look and a new line—and I have to say, I really miss the fat-and-friendly original. Old Woodsy took litter seriously, but he wouldn’t wig out if you accidentally dropped a sandwich bag. New Woodsy, by contrast, seems like the type of overachieving, iron-pumping scout master who might inject an injured nature friend with steroids to get him through a hike.
But then, I’m the daughter of a forester, so Old Woodsy’s words and ways were instilled in me at an early age. On family camping trips, my brother and I were responsible for picking up 10 individual pieces of trash on the campground before dinner. We’d shuffle through thickets and through the sooty fire pits of adjacent camp spaces, and then present our respective collections to Dad for counting. I’d sit through my brother’s presentation of trash or he’d sit through mine, and sometimes Dad would make a show of his own assortment of items.
Our reward? Eating dinner in the trees, rather than a heap of trash.
-Jenifer Morgan (the Bite’s trashy new senior editor)… off to assure Smokey the Bear he’s not fat, just fluffy…
But then, I’m the daughter of a forester, so Old Woodsy’s words and ways were instilled in me at an early age. On family camping trips, my brother and I were responsible for picking up 10 individual pieces of trash on the campground before dinner. We’d shuffle through thickets and through the sooty fire pits of adjacent camp spaces, and then present our respective collections to Dad for counting. I’d sit through my brother’s presentation of trash or he’d sit through mine, and sometimes Dad would make a show of his own assortment of items.
Our reward? Eating dinner in the trees, rather than a heap of trash.
-Jenifer Morgan (the Bite’s trashy new senior editor)… off to assure Smokey the Bear he’s not fat, just fluffy…
Biter Comments...
Sweet little tidbit, Kevin. I pick up trash in LA all the time. Now I'll have to chant "breakin' the law, breakin' the law."
Loved this post, Bite.
My daughter and I (she is 11) walk everywhere together. This of course isn't too hard - we live in Downtown Albany and most of the things we do are located near each other but, when we take our walks or even when we drive places, I am constantly waiting for her. You see, she picks up ALL of the trash that she can see - even if we are running late. If I mention to her the time issue she comments with something along the lines of 'mommy. there is Always time to save the planet. if everyone picked up just One piece of garbage a day, we could make the earth a better place to live.' then she continues to lecture. she of course forgets that she does this because I pick up garbage when we are walking together... anyway, it is sweet and I thought you would like it.
"After all, every litter bit helps" -- ha ha punny
you know what a bad joke is? pun-ishable :)
actually i really like these tips.. aside from the fact they are interesting and they are things you can do in real life, i like having something to read when i check my email if nobody's sent me an email
I loved reading this! Very cool.
Maybe I missed it, but I was hoping to see something about the GreenFest that was held this past weekend in Chicago for the 1st time. Any feedback or comments?
A few years ago I was told about this website where you can report smokers who like to throw their butts out the car window.
http://www.litterbutt.com/v2/Home/Default.asp
It's a great idea. They send the perp a letter in the mail with the where & when the incident happened.
I've never understood why people did this in the first place. Are they afraid their ashtray might get dirty?
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Kevin Wright | April 23, 2007 at 10:15 AM