Letters to the Editor for August 23, 2024

Local beach clean-up four years strong

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To the Editor:

A few days ago our “Thursday 11am Alameda Beach Clean-up” celebrated our fourth anniversary lunch. Considering that we remove approximately two tons of trash every year from our Alameda beach, this is no small achievement.

According to the California Ocean Protection Council ^[2], “roughly 11 million metric tons of plastics are estimated to enter the global ocean each year.” Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent by California communities annually to clean up or minimize this pollution. Furthermore, “plastics have been found in the digestive tracts of marine organisms ranging from zooplankton to whales, and microplastics have been found in drinking water and food, including shellfish, salt, beer, and honey.”  This toxicity is a major threat to ecosystems and it endangers human health.

I have a laid-back approach to our beach cleanup—there’s no recurring commitment. Come every week or just once. Stay an hour or five minutes. Pick up one piece of trash or countless. I hope that this laid-back approach attracts more volunteers to come out and give it a try. It’s relaxing and rewarding. But more importantly, I hope beach cleanups like ours raise awareness that we must tackle the plastic pollution crisis because it threatens countless species, including ours.

So come join us on Thursdays at 11 a.m. across from McDonalds. Make new friends, get some exercise and enjoy the view while tidying up our beautiful beach. To me, every piece of trash removed is a small but important victory.

Chase Martin
Alameda