25,000 People from Dubai are helping Clean Up the World get a handle on the planet’s trash. Care to join?
The trash is mounting. Every piece of plastic ever created still exists because it doesn’t disintegrate. And poor waste disposal policies in certain countries means that glass, metal, organic, paper, and plastic waste lies in our streets, in front of our homes; toxins from said waste then seeps into our rivers and our oceans threatening our food and water. Some of us see it, but some of us don’t because in the developed world garbage is hidden from view.
Take a trip on the Plastiki with David Rothschild, and you’ll be astounded to see birds swallowing bits of our coke bottle tops, and turtles hindered by the plastic bag that held our midnight munchie run. Less than ten years ago, when Ian Kiernan took a solo sailing trip around the world, he discovered the trash filling up our oceans and decided to make a change. Today, 35 million people in 120 countries are doing the same. Kiernan founded Clean Up the World in 1993. Based in Sydney, Australia, this non-profit organization has spread a positive, unifying ethos throughout the planet. Any organization interested in signing up as an affiliate with Clean Up the World must agree to that ethos, which comprises the following basic principles:
- The group must be committed to inspiring, engaging, and respecting their local community;
- No attempt must be made to garner profit; all Clean Up the World activities are strictly voluntary;
- Programs must be safe and legal;
- Volunteer activities must be unifying;
- All groups must be peaceful and apolitical;
- Activities should be culturally inclusive;
- Finally, there should be no religious slant.
This year, the 17th year that UNEP has partnered to clean up the world, Dubai has joined the fray. Volunteers from around the emirate will clean beaches, remove abandoned vehicles, distribute leaflets, and conduct awareness campaigns.
They will meet at the Jumeirah Beach Residence on October 26, 2010, in order to commence the four-day cleaning initiative called ‘Communities Caring for Nature.’
If you are interested in participating, please call 04 222 5659 or visit www.cleanuptheworld.dm.ae.
:: The National
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image via whiteafrican
Author: Tafline Laylin
As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.