STOMPer MyFavTiramisu cannot stroll along Changi Beach as it is so dirty. The STOMPer hopes something can be done about it.
Said the STOMPer:
"Our Changi Beach.
"Look at the state of our beach.
"It is so dirty you can't even stroll along it.
"Can someone (National Parks Board maybe?) do something about it?
"We need to guard and keep our shores clean..."
While some of the debris washed up on our beaches comes from natural sources, a lot of it is of human origin. Whether it's refuse tossed overboard by vessels or offshore facilities like fish farms, litter from beachgoers, or garbage that has drifted over from Malaysia, all this (usually non-biodegradable) trash is a silent testament to the irresponsibility and callousness of people where it comes to disposing of our rubbish.
Siva alerted me to this trailer for the film MIDWAY. While the plight of albatrosses on some remote island in the Pacific may seem distant to us here in Singapore, it is imperative that we realise how the litter we generate contributes to the vast amount of plastics drifting in the oceans.
We may shake our heads in despair, but do we have the courage to accept the responsibility of cleaning up our act? One problem I found with the person who submitted this article to STOMP was the implication that the authorities were in charge of resolving this problem. Yes, the government agencies have an army of cleaners to help clean up our mess, but shouldn't we take responsibility for our own actions? We, as selfish individuals, are part of the problem, but we have always been part of the solution all along. Rather than rely on the cleaners, who perform a thankless job, often starting work before dawn, or wait for government directives and legislation, where is the individual initiative to do one part, no matter how small?
Despite the vast quantities of rubbish and debris on Changi, these shores are extremely rich in marine life. If we can find such diversity and abundance despite the pollution, imagine how rich these seas could be if we all put in the effort to reduce the amount of trash deposited on our shores.
(Posters by Ria)
On Earth Day (28th April 2012), the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore team will be hitting the shores of Tanah Merah. With the help of volunteers from various organisations, the aim is to remove trash and debris from a stretch of shoreline that is not cleaned on a regular basis, as these are not beaches usually under public scrutiny. On a global scale, it might not seem like much, but at the very least, it will help reduce some of the stress on the marine ecosystems along this coast.
"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
