Nightglow Window

California Coastal Cleanup Day ...
AKA Another Reason To Hate Cigarettes

One woman walking along the beach of South Padre Island, Texas was appalled at the amount of trash she saw and she immediately felt compelled to do something about it. She organized a beach cleanup and in a mere two hours, 2,800 Texans picked up 124 tons of trash.

That was in 1986.

Today, a worldwide movement grew out of that single event with more than six million volunteers in 127 countries and all 55 U.S. states and territories over the last 23 years. On the third Saturday in September each year, the International Coastal Cleanup provides a direct and tangible way for individuals to make a difference for one of the largest problems we face, trash in the ocean.

This morning Brownie Troop 1130 got involved in this, the largest volunteer event in the world, by helping to clean up Frazee beach near downtown Carlsbad. Happily, the beach was relatively clean--all except for the hundreds of cigarette butts.

Go for a walk just about anywhere and really look around. It's a sure bet you'll see cigarette butts. And once you see one, it becomes almost impossible not to see the thousands. That's when it gets pretty depressing.

Given the health risks and litter associated with smoking, it's appalling that even more hasn't been done to regulate this vile habit.