Divers clear tons of rubbish from Lake Zurich Switzerland
Introduced by Jeff Goodman
Why do we do it? Why do we throw our rubbish away in public places rather than take it home or put it in a rubbish bin? What deep physiological problems do we harbour that compel us to inflict the problem of our own personal rubbish into other people’s lives? We throw rubbish on the pavements, out of cars, into hedgerows, into other people’s gardens… wherever we stand we seem to feel it is our right to discard our trash. Even when waste bins are present people still simply drop their waste to the ground. The more timid try to hide it out of immediate sight. I see it when the window of a car in front of me opens to throw out litter or empty the ash tray. I look in disgust and shame when I see plastic bags of dog mess laying on the verge or hanging from a hedgerow where it has been carelessly tossed.
The sea takes its fair share as do inland lakes. It is this ‘lack of care’ culture that is responsible for the unquantifiable deaths inflicted in the natural world. In our great technological world we not only inflict our rubbish onto others at a personal level but we also manage to do it on an astronomical industrial scale throughout the world. Laziness, indifference, stupidity…..why? These are my feelings. Tell us yours.
In Dec 2013 Matthias Lebo, a Swiss filmmaker, released this short film about a group of volunteer divers clearing around 2 tons of rubbish from the shallow waters of Lake Zurich in Switzerland. It showed me that we are not all arrogant wasters and that people do care about the world in which we live. Be inspired by this film and see if you can do something similar where ever you live. You can make a difference. We would love to see or hear your story. Contact me at conservation@scubaverse.com
