Last week I was in Virginia and North Carolina; the focus of the trip was to establish contacts within the tobacco industry, mainly Altria - the leading tobacco company. I was unable to get to the front desk of Altria (see video below) - but I was able to make contact with the person who handles their Corporate Responsibility. I look forward to our future discussions and concrete actions to prevent cigarette litter.
The week was also a great time to visit family in Charlottesville and new friends in Wilmington, NC - the Richardet Family. Danielle and her husband Aaron welcomed me to their beautiful home, with their fun-loving kids. Danielle just won the BRITA FilterForGood contest! She energized her local community (as well as the digital Facebook community) around her 20 minute beach cleanups - which have turned into cigarette butt cleanups; check out her blog here
Danielle took me to gorgeous Wrightsville Beach - surfers were in the water and cigarette butts dominated the sand. I could not believe the amount of butts on the high tide line - considerably more than in Southern California. The two of us picked up 407 butts in 20 minutes!
I met Danielle through Sara Bayles from The Daily Ocean. Sara and I have become good friends as we both live in Santa Monica and love 20 minutes cleanups at Pier 26 (although Sara has completed hundreds more cleanups than me).
Sara and her husband Garen are scheduled to hit the seas to explore plastic pollution firsthand via a 5Gyres expedition. They could use our help with fundraising - so lend them your support in cash here
Monday, November 8, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
My Morning Filter
I had a serene walk this morning along the Santa Monica shoreline - a time to chill out ahead of a crazy weekend and unpredictable next week. The little white shore birds, called plovers I think, always impress me. They scurry in and out with the water line - chasing the receding wave, then probing the uncovered sand for food. But then they are uniquely able to sense the oncoming wave; keeping the water line directly at their heals - they scurry to dry. I wish at times I could keep oncoming tides at my heals - able to sense the wave before it takes me under.
Next week I will be in Virgina - I want to engage Altria and Philip Morris in the work we are doing with the BaitTanks. As I work with great cities and passionate environmentalists, it becomes more apparent that we need everyone at the table if we are going knock out butt litter. Those on the front lines of cigarette butt litter agree that the resources and involvement of cigarette companies are essential. And I am confident the BaitTanks give them a vehicle to address this major issue in a long-term, substantive way.
A lot of cigarette butt litter finds it way to beaches via the ocean (via storm drains - via your hand!). Here is what they look like without their outer wrap - its just the filter. This filter rests here on the morning shoreline next to a ladybug; buts its toxins have already wreaked havoc on wildlife habitat and water quality...Together we can stop this - together we can keep the number one polluted item at our heals, before it takes us under.
Next week I will be in Virgina - I want to engage Altria and Philip Morris in the work we are doing with the BaitTanks. As I work with great cities and passionate environmentalists, it becomes more apparent that we need everyone at the table if we are going knock out butt litter. Those on the front lines of cigarette butt litter agree that the resources and involvement of cigarette companies are essential. And I am confident the BaitTanks give them a vehicle to address this major issue in a long-term, substantive way.
A lot of cigarette butt litter finds it way to beaches via the ocean (via storm drains - via your hand!). Here is what they look like without their outer wrap - its just the filter. This filter rests here on the morning shoreline next to a ladybug; buts its toxins have already wreaked havoc on wildlife habitat and water quality...Together we can stop this - together we can keep the number one polluted item at our heals, before it takes us under.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Results...and now Monterey!
Very positive results have emerged from the BaitTank installations in Capitola and Santa Cruz. Save Our Shores (www.saveourshores.org) has conducted before-and-after studies and shown that the BaitTank has helped decrease cigarette butt litter by nearly 60%!
In addition, both city crews have mentioned that their "sweeping" workload has decreased - as well remarked that both smoker and non-smoker have been witnessed reading the BaitTank messaging aloud!
I would like to thank the awesome staff at Save Our Shores for their hard work in taking concrete action to solving this immense problem.
Our partnership continues to grow; this past week Laura Kasa and I met with the City of Monterey to tackle their cigarette butt issues. Here is a photo with Laura, the ED of Save Our Shores, on the Monterey Wharf where a pilot BaitTank was installed two weeks ago. The Wharf loves it and has already seen its impact in decreasing the amount of butts on the wood planks and in the water.
More BaitTanks coming to the City of Monterey and the County of Monterey very soon...
In addition, both city crews have mentioned that their "sweeping" workload has decreased - as well remarked that both smoker and non-smoker have been witnessed reading the BaitTank messaging aloud!
I would like to thank the awesome staff at Save Our Shores for their hard work in taking concrete action to solving this immense problem.
Our partnership continues to grow; this past week Laura Kasa and I met with the City of Monterey to tackle their cigarette butt issues. Here is a photo with Laura, the ED of Save Our Shores, on the Monterey Wharf where a pilot BaitTank was installed two weeks ago. The Wharf loves it and has already seen its impact in decreasing the amount of butts on the wood planks and in the water.
More BaitTanks coming to the City of Monterey and the County of Monterey very soon...
Thursday, September 30, 2010
hey Enterprise Fish Co!
(originally posted September 1, 2010)
Hi Enterprise Fish Co – I found 52 butts in front of your Santa Monica seafood restaurant the other day!
I know you are open to addressing this problem – so lets talk (again)!
Hi Enterprise Fish Co – I found 52 butts in front of your Santa Monica seafood restaurant the other day!
I know you are open to addressing this problem – so lets talk (again)!
Joie de Vivre Gives
(originally posted August 18, 2010)
Since I did a Surfrider beach cleanup with some staff from Hotel Erwin in Venice, CA a few months back – I have been very impressed with the commitment that Joie de Vivre Hospitality has to beach cleanups in their community, and also to Surfrider Foundation (see www.jdvgives.com). Frankly, it has made me want to stay at their unique California hotels.
I have had them in my mind for some of my projects – and now after this morning, theBaitTank seems perfect for them…
After a morning bike ride through Santa Monica and Venice, I stopped to do a quick cigarette butt collection – I decided on Hotel Erwin. I walked the perimeter of their building, not venturing more than two feet from their walls. To my amazement I picked up 426 cigarette butts!!
This is a lot of unsightly mess, and a lot of dead fish – just a stones throw from the coast. Something that costs JDV a lot of money in maintenance (and other intangibles…)
Now granted, not all of the blame is on Hotel Erwin and JDV – but it presents them with a HUGE opportunity to directly stop the upstream pollution that plagues communities and oceans – just the thing they are trying to cleanup on their Surfrider outings...
theBaitTank is a cool receptacle that attracts cigarette butts and educates impacts – they would look great at Hotel Erwin and other JDV hotels – and I hope to find someone soon within the organization to discuss how I (and theBaitTank) can help...(maybe I will even get to meet Chip Conley, the founder, whose book PEAK is on my stack of books to read!)
For the oceans!!
-Mark
Since I did a Surfrider beach cleanup with some staff from Hotel Erwin in Venice, CA a few months back – I have been very impressed with the commitment that Joie de Vivre Hospitality has to beach cleanups in their community, and also to Surfrider Foundation (see www.jdvgives.com). Frankly, it has made me want to stay at their unique California hotels.
I have had them in my mind for some of my projects – and now after this morning, theBaitTank seems perfect for them…
After a morning bike ride through Santa Monica and Venice, I stopped to do a quick cigarette butt collection – I decided on Hotel Erwin. I walked the perimeter of their building, not venturing more than two feet from their walls. To my amazement I picked up 426 cigarette butts!!
This is a lot of unsightly mess, and a lot of dead fish – just a stones throw from the coast. Something that costs JDV a lot of money in maintenance (and other intangibles…)
Now granted, not all of the blame is on Hotel Erwin and JDV – but it presents them with a HUGE opportunity to directly stop the upstream pollution that plagues communities and oceans – just the thing they are trying to cleanup on their Surfrider outings...
theBaitTank is a cool receptacle that attracts cigarette butts and educates impacts – they would look great at Hotel Erwin and other JDV hotels – and I hope to find someone soon within the organization to discuss how I (and theBaitTank) can help...(maybe I will even get to meet Chip Conley, the founder, whose book PEAK is on my stack of books to read!)
For the oceans!!
-Mark
Collecting butts in Capitola and Santa Cruz
(originally posted on August 9, 2010)
Over the last 10 days, several BaitTanks were installed in the beautiful coastal cities Capitola and Santa Cruz in California. All had captured several cigarette butts in the few days of operation and I overhead people reading the text “Save some fish, Feed me Butts” out loud. I even heard a few 7 yr old Junior Lifeguards discussing the problem of cigarette butts on the beach!! wow
This project was initiated by Save Our Shores, an amazing marine conservation group (www.saveourshores.org), and funded by the California Coastal Conservancy. The cities of Capitola and Santa Cruz are also taking a leadership role in addressing the several economic, ecological, and social impacts of cigarette litter.
Here are some photos of theBaitTank – lets turn littered cigarette butts from polluting/killing into collected cigarette butts as protecting/saving...
Over the last 10 days, several BaitTanks were installed in the beautiful coastal cities Capitola and Santa Cruz in California. All had captured several cigarette butts in the few days of operation and I overhead people reading the text “Save some fish, Feed me Butts” out loud. I even heard a few 7 yr old Junior Lifeguards discussing the problem of cigarette butts on the beach!! wow
This project was initiated by Save Our Shores, an amazing marine conservation group (www.saveourshores.org), and funded by the California Coastal Conservancy. The cities of Capitola and Santa Cruz are also taking a leadership role in addressing the several economic, ecological, and social impacts of cigarette litter.
Here are some photos of theBaitTank – lets turn littered cigarette butts from polluting/killing into collected cigarette butts as protecting/saving...
Friday, June 25, 2010
theBaitTank in action!
After 165 butts were discovered littered in front of the Enterprise Fish Co in Santa Monica (see previous post), the management allowed me to setup theBaitTank, a new cigarette receptacle, to test the waters...
It was a success, and theBaitTank was well received - it actually attracted smokers, even from 25 yards away. I firmly feel that people (this case smokers) want to do the right thing - we just need to give them the opportunity...I look forward to your thoughts and comments.
It was a success, and theBaitTank was well received - it actually attracted smokers, even from 25 yards away. I firmly feel that people (this case smokers) want to do the right thing - we just need to give them the opportunity...I look forward to your thoughts and comments.
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