Trash Talk

in #travel6 years ago (edited)

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I had traveled to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world - emerald water, rich marine life and a long stretch of fine white sand. I mean, this is also where I live at the moment and I got the T-shirt to prove! I had been on beautiful and isolated islands and had fun on party beaches too. I enjoyed the best of both worlds. But I hear you, there's nothing more annoying than seeing all kinds of rubbish ruining these beautiful beaches. Then I was one of those who always blamed the locals. I blamed them for throwing all their waste into the sea. I even blamed them for their lack of education. I blamed their government. I blamed them for not catering to my special needs.

Back then, I didn't realize that they had enough of this whole blame game. It was easy to pinpoint their flaws and put myself in the upper position. But it doesn't mean I condone their behavior. Now I am also whining about the whiners. After all, we are all whiners at heart.

Aside from the rubbish, there's nothing more annoying than traveling to a country and being with the whiners who are whining that the beach was not too clean for them - awww. There's nothing more annoying than being with those who are whining about the whiners and putting themselves in self-righteous victimhood position. Let's not forget that we are are all responsible here - so we are all annoying ei! No one should feel better than the rest. I know my shit and I know yours. Let's not fool each other anymore. Let's own up to our own shit.

I know how to get to some of those secret beaches and hidden paradise. And there are reasons I don't easily shout out to the whole world about those hidden natural wonders. Those are secret beaches for a reason. Perhaps if I trust you enough, I can take you there myself. I'm pretty sure you would understand.

So where did all the rubbish come from that the locals throw into the sea? Did you mean the fast food plastic cups, Chinese plasticware, broken gadgets, clothes, chocolate wrappers and all other trash that have been introduced to these islands? Why did the developing world accept other people's trash in the first place? It's all about profit. That old dog eat dog kind of thing.

Just because we don't throw trash into the sea doesn't mean we are not contributing to its destruction. It also does not mean we are better than the rest. Let's not wash our hands here, shall we? We buy plastic bottles, we buy clothes, we buy makeup, we buy gadgets, we take the airplane to travel to these beautiful places, we upgrade our gadgets, we take out fast-food, we use toilet paper, we use plastic bags. Oh don't forget - we voted for our presidents that allowed those unreasonable laws, we work in unethical companies, we support unethical corporations. Whether we like it or not -we are all part of the environment's destruction on a massive scale.

Back in the day, the island locals we blame are just used to throwing fruit and vegetable peels, driftwood, leaves, bamboos or anything that decompose. Until colonialism. Until the introduction of capitalism. Until globalization. Who introduced the system and why? I am not going to expand on this topic for now. I'm just going to leave it up to you to do some critical thinking on your own.

Centuries ago, they didn't really need to learn a major language. They have their own writings. But then how can those newcomers make some cheeky negotiations if people didn't understand the language? 2 hectares of land in exchange for 10 sacks of rice would do. Put the land under a local's name. Then there's bribery and marriage. How can foreigners establish these corporations and take advantage of cheap labor? People need to be able to communicate in one language in order to beat each other.

Then the beaches become party places. Foreigners coming and establishing their bars, shopping centers, hotels and other commercial establishments. The system has expanded across the globe - Central America, Asia, and Africa. What do you need to profit more? More production and consumption. Greed. We are taught how to buy our happiness. Hence, the rubbish!

Do we blame the locals' lack of education for throwing all these 'introduced' rubbish to the sea? Do you mean education in terms of keeping up with the capitalist system and consumeristic society? Because we think that if they are not educated enough, then they will buy more stuff and just throw it all into the sea in the end. This type of education has only been introduced to favor the few. There has never been a need for education. People used to live off the grid. People used to be happy with what they have - they never have to keep up with the modern society. They are not used to 'feeling poor' and now they are compelled to have things because the materialistic society taught them to have more in order to be happy!

So before we go travel to the most touristic beaches in the world and whine about what the locals do to the sea, and before we put ourselves in that self-righteous whiner position - let's first analyze the root cause of this whole madness. Remember that we all put this shit upon ourselves. We are all responsible. Let's just do our part in easing the suffering of people and the planet.

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To anyone reading this comment, the action starts from you first, so don't wait for anyone else to start, otherwise we are all sitting ducks. We are doing our part, but we can do more. Small things like taking 'bags for life' to the supermarket counts a lot here in Thailand where they will double bag your pack of six toilet rolls (just because it's big in size and might break the first plastic bag...really?! it weighs nothing). Plastic straws are also heavily used here as it's a norm to keep things hygienic, yet straws are a one time use and takes ages to breakdown any plastics.
Educating others without being seen as a pushy "save the environment" person is the key. Address the issue and take part in any initiatives or challenges.

@vibeof100monkeys, firstly, great name! Secondly, we are glad that you agree :)

Thanks its the year of the 100 monkey too :). That why I love Steemit some many great minds :) 💯🐒

It was the year of the monkey when Steemit first started, but it's the year of the Rooster now. Next month we will go into the year of the Dog. ;) unless you weren't talking about the Chinese Zodiac calendar...then we wouldn't know what you are on about hahaha - explain more, we are intrigued :)

The 100th Monkey! I'll have do do a post about it soon! 💯🐒

You should ;) following to find out :) ✈️👫

Right on! Likewise. I'll have to go on it then :) 💯🐒

Share your opinion
When a person misses the value, meaning and importance of personal hygiene, he will inevitably miss it in public hygiene.
We are not only pointing the finger at the local citizen. There are visitors from different nationalities, but when the citizen is not a good example of the expatriate in maintaining the cleanliness of his country and the system and the laws do not blame the incoming.
In the first place, it is a social issue. If this reason is not available, it is necessary to enact laws that protect tourist places from tampering with the abusers regardless of the type and form of tampering.

Yes, it is a social issue.

it is necessary to enact laws that protect tourist places

Right!

I love your call to action. As you say, we all have a responsibility to protect our natural resources, whether we live in one place or another.

Blame doesn't solve problems. Action does.

Blame doesn't solve problems. Action does.

True!

I'm just a consumer. I'm innocent. It's all these corporations that I keep in business who are to blame! 😜😜

Ok, I believe you! lol.

Right on! Fit the best quote (cheesey, but very true) I have ever heard and sure you have. "Be come the change you want to see in the world" and when you have then you can consider whining!
When on walk I often see rubbish strewn over the idilic countryside, I should pick it up but do I? NO not all the time which makes me as guilty as the person who dropped it. And while were on it the dog owners who put the crap in a plastic bag and leave it MADNESS just leave the shit on the floor. Think people! And there we go whining we all do it ! 💯🐒

Lol not cheesy at all, truth be told. We need to inspect ourselves sometimes, action first!

I come to find it the most important quote i've heard but that's for my One one spiritual journey posts ... which I aim to do the next one this weekend! 💯🐒

Thanks for the awesome advice in your post about we analyzing the root cause of the madness as in the littering of rubbish on the beach before we start whining about stuff we do not know. By the way the water look beautiful and you equally look beautiful too. Thanks for sharing this with us. Am so grateful.

The citizen should be a good exmple for visitors, If the first one maintains cleanliness, the second will see the place clean and will not be able to distortion it

We should serve as good examples, right!

you raised a valid point, we are destroying this World ourself. In simple words we are not caring our future generation. It's our responsibility to give our new generation a good environment. Thanks for diverting our attention towards this issue. It's our responsibility to provide our next generation a good environment.

It's our responsibility to provide our next generation a good environment.

I agree! Thanks for reading @kamchore.

Big Gulp of straws edit.JPG

Thanks for sharing!

I have seen this trash issue here in Japan too. There is a beach area near Nagoya, and its sometimes dirty; the water and the sand. People need to think about what they are doing to dispose of their trash. Beach users sometimes leave cigarette butts or small items. Even one cigarette butt can do harm!
The dive shop, where I was first certified as a scuba diver, sponsors clean-up dives. I think its a terrific idea as a temporary solution. The long-term solution is for everyone to be aware of trash disposal.

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