Are You, or I, to Blame for this Unrelenting River of Trash?

Personally, I think it’s time to charge those who profit most from it

What do we do with all the trash dumped upon us?

A thoughtful gentleman wrote me in response to an article I wrote in Age Of Awareness about Extinction Rebellion.

His points were all valid. Greed ruins and torches the world. But then he brought up one of my pet peeves: Junk Mail. Here in Hawaii they just stopped taking all plastic and paper, except cardboard, for recycling. But, advertisers, charities, Universities and more still fill up my mail box faster than a California brush fire eats a once great state.

Here is my note to him, in response to his comments.

Thanks for your thoughts. I agree. It drives me crazy when I donate, and end up with relentless mail. Because of this, I make an effort to donate anonymously, if possible.

For Nature Conservancy we set aside an estate plan.

Greed is a real issue. Often, the police and politics protect the wrong side of history. I agree. Most people however, are seeing that the polluters, and looters, are the true “extremists” Not those who simply want clean air, water, food, etc.

my hope is that real people get involved with real truth. There are signs of it everywhere. Human beings, if we value safety and equality and justice, will get there in fits and starts.

By the way, the charity I give most to is giving my time to help rescue, and neuter stray cats. Preventing cats in Hawaii matters, because they suffer terribly from vermin and parasites here. A kitten, just spayed, lies on my lap while I write this. advoCATS has no mailing, no calendars, stickers, labels, etc. just tons of ladies, some of whom are vets, giving their time to stop a bit of suffering in the world. (and save Hawaii’s birds!)

I think the key is to network Locally, and work with real, real people.

This is my solution, and I constantly seek for more. 

What do you do with all that trash?

They are incinerating all that stuff that arrives in your mailbox unbidden. And that is wrong. Could we sue for pain and suffering? Unpaid work? Corporate responsibility?

There are people slowly turning to the possibility of suing fossil fuel giants. Amen. They have arguably killed more people, than all wars combined. They have polluted more air and water, destroyed entire ecosystems and prompted the Sixth extinction in which most of us are already desperately missing the sight of wildlife and the songs of birds.

However, the timber industry is still practicing clear cutting and monoculture. They also deserve our attention. They pass on the cost and work of disposing of all that packaging to you and I.

I, for one of many, am quite sick of it.

How do you feel?