The world is awash with policy and rules that are made to facilitate business and the flow of goods and materials. Trade policy, partnerships, economic theory that runs international discussions etc., and yet, we have no accountability for the pollution the global industrial economy creates. We have a free flow of waste, what is called the ‘externality’ of the growth paradigm. This is not sustainable for life on this planet. Not taking any responsibility for waste is not a responsible or conscious way to live on this planet.
Spending a week writing at the beach, day after day, I find myself spending great amounts of time pondering the waste I am seeing washed ashore, symptoms of the sickness of our miscalculated systems. Today I stuffed my running pack full of bottles, I had to step on them and dump water out just to get more bottles in (8 total)…One of these came all the way across the pacific from Asia….another had oil all over its cap. Other bits and pieces of plastic i shoved in the bottles to carry more back with me. This is not the solutions, however, at least I might have prevented one less sick seabird, seal or turtle.