Dirty America

by Tom Shafer

January 7, 2019

Well, it’s official. America is dirty – and I don’t mean in a risqué sort of way (though she is a little – just look at the Statue of Liberty!). I mean in a drive-down-any-highway-or-side-street-and-witness-all-of-the-trash sort of way. Here in the northern climes, it might be more noticeable now because the growing season is over and our litter can’t be hidden by grasses and wildflowers. That said, though, even down south and on the west coast the problem is obvious.

And I’m not talking water or air. In spite of Mr. Trump’s distaste for the EPA and environmental regulation, we still have some of the best of both on the planet. Though Trump has rolled back a number of climate change protections, most of them have future dates, which means the winner of the 2020 election will have time to undo them. So we certainly can’t be compared to the Pakistans, Qatars, Egypts, and Indias – four countries that unfortunately populate the “dirtiest” top ten list year after year. However, we must heed the warnings of watchdog organizations that are concerned about these rollbacks – then elect an environmentally responsible President in 2020.

So back to trashy America. Those of you who travel internationally as I have already know this. Third-world countries do struggle with their waste and trash, but much of that has to do with a lack of management facilities – and actual management of those facilities. So, when you travel there, you regrettably notice lots of litter (though most of these countries are not what I would call tourist destinations). But when you travel to first-world countries (Canada, United Kingdom and most of Europe, Japan, among others), you just don’t see lots of trash lying around. And it’s not like these countries have strict laws governing litter. They don’t. Their laws are no more formidable than ours. And, in my travels abroad, I don’t see lots of extra trash receptacles around. Education can’t be the problem either. I know we are all taught by parents and our education systems that littering is bad and unacceptable. Scotland and Sweden don’t place any more extra emphasis on the problem than we do.

That leaves really just one possibility. The residents of those countries care more about theirs than we do about ours. That may sound harsh, but it’s the truth. We do lots of things to help our environment. We set aside and protect lands that we deem valuable and unique for future generations. We continue to improve upon our recycling programs, and many companies are pursuing products and product packaging that are environmentally friendly.

But we have become a throw-away society – literally. When I was younger (as in back in the ‘60s), the problem seemed like it was relegated to cigarette butts, and soda and beer cans. Then, it wasn’t completely terrible, and to me it screamed laziness. Today, though, that has all changed. Along most highways and roads, you will see paper products, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, old tires (or shredded tires from eighteen wheelers), and random items (often strange ones) passing as trash. The cigarette butts of my youth were a nuisance, and the aluminum cans were often collected and returned to recycling centers for cash. Today, the litter along our highways and byways piles up until local jurisdictions “employ” some white collar convicts to pick it up. Is that a national strategy to take care of our trashy dilemma?

I think it’s time to Make America Clean Again – as in MACA! Frankly, I’m tired of the MAGA crap anyway because America is and always has been great. Sure, we’ve had our issues and problems (growing pains for a country still in its infancy, relatively speaking), but our greatness overall cannot be denied. So let’s replace those stupid red hats with some beautiful sky blue ones embroidered with white lettering! And, let’s get serious about cleaning up our country. Pig Pen is a beloved Peanuts character, not an amusing descriptor for America the-not-so beautiful.

We’re better than this. There is no excuse for tossing trash out of car windows – something all of us have witnessed at one time or another. There is no excuse for not securing our waste and recycling on trash day. Ubiquitous weather coverage (and apps) provides an accurate forecast three to four days out, so we know when winds are going to blow. There is no excuse for dropping an unwanted couch along a deserted road or next to a local creek or river. There is just no excuse at all.

So let’s MACA! I like to think that every one of us loves this country and would be willing to do everything we can to help her maintain her greatness. Keeping her clean is really not much to ask, and if all of us do our parts – as in just making sure that trash is always properly disposed of – America the Beautiful won’t just be a poignant, patriotic song. It will be a lovely truism about us, a tribute to American pride, a tribute to “a shining – and clean – city upon a hill.”

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