I captured this photo late Friday afternoon as I was returning from a photo shoot on the beach. It perfectly sums up how I feel about the problem of plastics in the ocean: Can we outrun this gathering storm?
Saturday, January 31, 2009
A gathering storm
I captured this photo late Friday afternoon as I was returning from a photo shoot on the beach. It perfectly sums up how I feel about the problem of plastics in the ocean: Can we outrun this gathering storm?
Friday, January 30, 2009
Eyes Wide Open
This week in Cozumel I have gone from overwhelming grief about the problem of plastics in the ocean, to raging fury, numbness and finally a steady resolve to do what I can to highlight this problem.
This is not a problem unique to Cozumel. It’s a global problem that will require each and every one of us to change our thinking and our behavior about how we use and recycle plastics. This problem is as serious as any environmental problem we face because plastics never break down into anything smaller than the tiny bits of polymer that are rapidly poisoning our food chain.
My awakening occurred over the Christmas holidays when I realized that I was trying to avoid a large pile of plastic rope while framing an amazing photograph of the surf on the wild side of Cozumel. As I got closer to the pile of shredded and tangled rope, I realized that it was actually quite beautiful. It looked like a masterpiece of contemporary fiber art: aqua, turquoise, yellow, brilliant blue and black. However, it clearly did not belong where it was.
The pile has grown since I first encountered it a month ago. That cannot be an accident. I watched the beaches near this heap being cleaned for tourists. Yet this pile grows. I was tempted to lug it to the trashcan on the road. Then I stopped to consider that encountering this pile opened my eyes to the problem. Perhaps its presence can quietly do the same for others?
So, after passing through the manic phase when I tried to pick up every bit of plastic that I encountered, I resolved to create a purposeful heap whenever I discovered a large tangle of rope snagged on jagged coral. Today I created three and added to several more. If the weather cooperates, I hope to create a few more before I leave on Sunday.
It’s not much, but it’s a start.
This is not a problem unique to Cozumel. It’s a global problem that will require each and every one of us to change our thinking and our behavior about how we use and recycle plastics. This problem is as serious as any environmental problem we face because plastics never break down into anything smaller than the tiny bits of polymer that are rapidly poisoning our food chain.
My awakening occurred over the Christmas holidays when I realized that I was trying to avoid a large pile of plastic rope while framing an amazing photograph of the surf on the wild side of Cozumel. As I got closer to the pile of shredded and tangled rope, I realized that it was actually quite beautiful. It looked like a masterpiece of contemporary fiber art: aqua, turquoise, yellow, brilliant blue and black. However, it clearly did not belong where it was.
The pile has grown since I first encountered it a month ago. That cannot be an accident. I watched the beaches near this heap being cleaned for tourists. Yet this pile grows. I was tempted to lug it to the trashcan on the road. Then I stopped to consider that encountering this pile opened my eyes to the problem. Perhaps its presence can quietly do the same for others?
So, after passing through the manic phase when I tried to pick up every bit of plastic that I encountered, I resolved to create a purposeful heap whenever I discovered a large tangle of rope snagged on jagged coral. Today I created three and added to several more. If the weather cooperates, I hope to create a few more before I leave on Sunday.
It’s not much, but it’s a start.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Wild Beaches
Yesterday my heart was broken. I love the ocean. I love this island. I love its wild beaches and gorgeous turquoise water. Yet what I encountered on a wild beach in a protected preserve overwhelmed me with grief.
Tangled in seaweed at the high watermark was an overwhelming amount of plastic debris. Within a few short hours I had a small car load of plastic: a broken chair, a plastic crate, confetti like bits of broken bottles, a crumpled soccer ball, chunks of styrofoam cups, a brilliant blue rope, a yellow pail, a gazillion bottle caps, a purple clothes pin and a pink dinosaur. All washed up at high tide and stranded on the beach amidst seaweed and seashells.
This problem is not unique to Cozumel. All over the world, visitors arrive on lovely islands, greeted by the groomed beaches of a vacation paradise. Most travelers assume that the wild beaches are equally pristine and beautiful.
However it’s a full time job to keep this ocean detritus from fouling the beaches destined for tourists.
On the truly wild beaches, where there are no industrious workers toiling away at dawn to clear the flotsam and jetsam that has arrived overnight on the tides, you will find this heartbreaking vista.
Tangled in seaweed at the high watermark was an overwhelming amount of plastic debris. Within a few short hours I had a small car load of plastic: a broken chair, a plastic crate, confetti like bits of broken bottles, a crumpled soccer ball, chunks of styrofoam cups, a brilliant blue rope, a yellow pail, a gazillion bottle caps, a purple clothes pin and a pink dinosaur. All washed up at high tide and stranded on the beach amidst seaweed and seashells.
This problem is not unique to Cozumel. All over the world, visitors arrive on lovely islands, greeted by the groomed beaches of a vacation paradise. Most travelers assume that the wild beaches are equally pristine and beautiful.
However it’s a full time job to keep this ocean detritus from fouling the beaches destined for tourists.
On the truly wild beaches, where there are no industrious workers toiling away at dawn to clear the flotsam and jetsam that has arrived overnight on the tides, you will find this heartbreaking vista.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Cozumel: a never ending fascination
In another week I’m going back to Cozumel. Again. I just can’t get enough of that wonderful island in the Caribbean.
This time I won’t be scuba diving, but working on a project that I plan to exhibit at the April Open House at the Stutz.
For 2 weeks in December I photographed the ocean surrounding Cozumel, with the intention of capturing source material for new paintings. I am still utterly captivated by the blue, green and turquoise water.
On one trip to the unpopulated north end of the island I was mesmerized by the unending variety of color to be seen in the ocean. Some of the photos that I captured that morning stand by themselves as exquisite abstract works of art.
But something else happened that day. On a pristine, completely uninhabited, undeveloped beach that could only be reached by boat we found piles of plastic flotsam tossed up onto the beach by the ocean.
The ocean had flung our trash back in our faces. This trash will never break down into anything less than the minascule plastic polymers that are already poisoning our food chain. Appalled by this awakening, I knew that I had to do something about it.
Doing more research, I discovered that the problem is much worse than fouled beaches and turtles tangled in cast off plastic bags. There is a huge area in the Pacific ocean, larger than the state of Texas, where the plastic congregates. For more information, please read: Plastic is Drastic: World's Largest 'Landfill' is in the Middle of the Ocean.
So, I’m going back to Cozumel to work. Not because the problem in Cozumel is any worse than anywhere else, but simply because I have friends there who want to help. We’re going to be cleaning beaches and finding ways to tell this story through art, writing and photography.
I’ll keep you posted.
This time I won’t be scuba diving, but working on a project that I plan to exhibit at the April Open House at the Stutz.
For 2 weeks in December I photographed the ocean surrounding Cozumel, with the intention of capturing source material for new paintings. I am still utterly captivated by the blue, green and turquoise water.
On one trip to the unpopulated north end of the island I was mesmerized by the unending variety of color to be seen in the ocean. Some of the photos that I captured that morning stand by themselves as exquisite abstract works of art.
But something else happened that day. On a pristine, completely uninhabited, undeveloped beach that could only be reached by boat we found piles of plastic flotsam tossed up onto the beach by the ocean.
The ocean had flung our trash back in our faces. This trash will never break down into anything less than the minascule plastic polymers that are already poisoning our food chain. Appalled by this awakening, I knew that I had to do something about it.
Doing more research, I discovered that the problem is much worse than fouled beaches and turtles tangled in cast off plastic bags. There is a huge area in the Pacific ocean, larger than the state of Texas, where the plastic congregates. For more information, please read: Plastic is Drastic: World's Largest 'Landfill' is in the Middle of the Ocean.
So, I’m going back to Cozumel to work. Not because the problem in Cozumel is any worse than anywhere else, but simply because I have friends there who want to help. We’re going to be cleaning beaches and finding ways to tell this story through art, writing and photography.
I’ll keep you posted.
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