I always thought folks who came out for Obama would have the "responsibility" or "decency" to take back with them the trash they brought in. Maybe all that eco-friendly talk is just hot-air, because in my book actions speak larger then words. Perhaps they didn't hear the speech. Looks like they just dropped it for someone else to pick-up... approximately 100 tons at the Mall and the White House, 130 tons reported so far. Also looks the grass has turned to a dust bowel of sorts.
Authored by: Maus Anon E on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 12:08 AM GMT+4
I know, my fingers fly all over the keyboard, conspiring to make me look silly by inserting random typos here and there, and misspelling the easiest words. Stupid fingers!
Authored by: Floyd on Thursday, January 22 2009 @ 08:27 PM GMT+4
I believe they are walking in the drained pools that are about a foot deep in the warmer months so the visitors can't be blamed for that as there was no grass to begin with.
Who knows if there were sufficient numbers of trash barrels there or not. It looks like there are some trash bags blowing around too so they may have come untied or something.
It's true folks shouldn't dump their trash, but this is hardly enough evidence to convince me that the Obama Administration and their supporters are hopeless merely because litter was blowing around on a windy day.
Can SJD provide figures for the past 12 inaugurations so we can compare how many litterbugs there were at Truman's, Reagan's or Eisenhower's?
When did litter actually start? before our consumer culture kicked in there would have been very little for folks to leave behind other than perhaps a newspaper, which seems to be a significant portion of what's blowing around in this example.
Authored by: SJD on Thursday, January 22 2009 @ 11:20 PM GMT+4
I'm sure our parents and grandparent's generations where a bit more tidy then current folks.. but with that said, think about it, isn't this the new movement of "change", stewards of the earth and eco friendly living. I don't understand how responsible folks who do wilderness hiking are very capable of bring back what they pack in. Having a lack of trash cans is not even an excuse to just drop it where you stand. They brought in, why not take it back. Very shameful!
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"Government's view of the economy: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan
Authored by: annikee on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 12:35 AM GMT+4
My grandmother talked about when she was a little girl and people dumped their potties on the streets in Boston in the morning. I don't think they were cleaner than us. Put any million people anywhere and there's gonna be a mess. Seen NYC?
Authored by: Floyd on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 02:32 AM GMT+4
>"isn't this the new movement of "change", stewards of the earth and eco friendly living."<
Well, some of them are certainly a part of Obama's base. Of course most of the ones who take environmental protection seriously enough probably stayed home.
>"I don't understand how responsible folks who do wilderness hiking are very capable of bring back what they pack in."<
Yes, hikers do it as a matter of course. But this was a diverse crowd of folks, many urban dwellers who are perhaps a bit too accustomed to seeing littered city streets. Doesn't make it right, but that is the reality of the city. It is one of many reasons I choose to live here instead of in a large city.
>"Having a lack of trash cans is not even an excuse to just drop it where you stand. They brought in, why not take it back. Very shameful!"<
I Agree. Humans in large numbers often make really bad decisions. There are many studies about human behavior concerning folks feeling anonymous in large groups or in their isolated vehicles which means they may litter or cut you off in traffic or they may dance like no one is watching.
Obama has his work cut out for him. He needs to help convince millions of Americans to change our attitudes and our habits on dozens of issues if we don't want to leave an absolute hellhole to our (great)grandchildren and their (great)grandchildren.
Not only is climate change a major issue, but humanity is causing a mass extinction event right now. This is the kind of thing that used to require to major volcanic eruptions or a comet or large asteroid smashing into the planet. Now one species is wiping out an untold number of our fellow inhabitants with nary a care.
The one we most recognize is what is called the Fifth Great Extinction which happened 65 million years ago (or a week ago last Thursday if you are a Creationist) and ended most of the dinosaurs in a relatively short period of time. We now live in the opening prelude of the Sixth Great Extinction which we are causing through our unsustainable cultural and lifestyle choices.
So, while that litter is definitely a big bummer, it is merely a symptom of a much larger problem with much more significant costs. We are making the surface of this planet into a rather inhospitable place for ourselves not to mention the flora and fauna we rely on to survive.
In the grand scheme of things, there will probably be another revival and spurt of new and interesting species in twenty or fifty million years. Of course that is probably long after what was variously referred to as the Human Race or "civilization" is a short footnote in this planet's history.
Authored by: SJD on Thursday, January 22 2009 @ 11:24 PM GMT+4
Opps.. one more brain fart; the Washington Post indicates 130 tons picked up thus far with 100 just around the mall and White House. That's a lot of newspapers. ummm
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"Government's view of the economy: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan
Authored by: spoon on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 01:00 AM GMT+4
There was a photo in one of the papers a few days ago with a caption stating that the activity being shown was a crew spreading mulch over the grass. If it wasn't the Reformer it was the Times or the Globe, both of which I read most days. Since I have not ever seen grass turn to dust within a few hours of trampling I would have to surmise there never was grass in the picture shown above. But the trash...that's shocking! This must have been the Stupid Bowl crowd practising because the only place I have heard of this proportion of trash per person is at the Stupid Bowl. It's clear what kind of person voted for Obama. They left their prints all over.
Authored by: pjmelton on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 01:32 AM GMT+4
The Mall almost never has a single blade of grass on it. People who want to pin things like that on Obama are going to torture themselves for four years.
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"Economic laws are not made by nature. They are made by human beings." -- FDR
Authored by: Christian Avard on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 01:20 AM GMT+4
I was there. It didn't dawn on me at the time to take a picture but I wish
I did. I saw this same amount of garbage all over the grounds at the
E.P.A. building. I couldn't believe it.
The whole place looked like a scene out of "WALL-E."
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"A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory." - Steven Wright, comedian
Authored by: pjmelton on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 02:42 AM GMT+4
It's always like that after protests too. Pretty revolting, but completely unsurprising. Volunteers would go around with trash bags cleaning it up.
If SJD is that worried about litter, he can come clean up my yard. He can spend the time that he's working on it trying to figure out some way in which Obama is responsible for the beer bottles on the bank of the Ames Hill Brook. I'm sure he'll come up with something!
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"Economic laws are not made by nature. They are made by human beings." -- FDR
DC Inauguration Trash(ers)---YAWN---Another non-story
Authored by: Mr. Buddy Love on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 02:40 AM GMT+4
This happens every time you get huge crowds on the Mall in D.C.
It's not just the Democratic Inauguration.
Anyone who has spent ANY time in D.C. for the Fourth of July
(Independence Day) Celebration would know this. But as someone who
worked for years in that city, I can assure you that the Republicans leave
just as much trash as the Democrats. It's a big public space, with few
trash bins. It can get very crowded, and often does.
Give this non-story a rest, and move on, there's nothing to see...
Authored by: SJD on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 01:19 PM GMT+4
True.. very true.. however, up to now, they never marched around with their heads cocked into the air crying "change", with environmentalism playing a major component of that change sold to 55 mm voters. I guess it's; -yes I can ( litter if a want) !
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"Government's view of the economy: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan
Authored by: SpudHill on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 01:31 PM GMT+4
Ahhh you guys are just jealous because so many people showed up. Of course your guy's crowds never left any mess at all but that's because only a few hundred bothered to show up! GET OVER IT.
Authored by: Mr. Buddy Love on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 01:59 PM GMT+4
Spudhill,
Actually the Republicans who showed up for 43's inaugurals left lots of
trash too. This isn't a partisan problem; it's a logistics problem of how
to handle millions of people. D.C. has a pretty good system for
dealing with trash on the Mall, and they get it cleaned up fairly quickly
afterward. I've seen this as my office once was one block away from
the Mall (near the Air and Space Museum). My van pool ride drove
right past it all each morning and evening, and we used to laugh about
it.
As for "commitment" I think when President Obama works with others
like Arnold Schwartzenegger and Professor Chu to get America off its
oil and coal addiction, he'll be doing far more for the environment
than any trash clean up from one day of celebration by millions on the
nation's Mall. Let's be honest here about the scale of things.
Authored by: Donnie on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 05:01 AM GMT+4
It is not just large crowds in a big city that drop trash as part of a crowd. I live on a rural dirt road with very few houses and very light traffic. As I walk the road, I am appalled at the daily accumulation of trash. Cans, bottles, cups, fast food takeout bags, etc. A few years back a landowner cleared a vacant shack from a piece of land and left a pristine lot behind. Trouble was, you could drive onto it. Wasn't long before furniture, appliances, and other large items started get dumped. Our recycling center charges for these items....."pay as you throw". The landowner had to re-clear the lot and drop logs between trees at the road edge to stop the dumping. How sad.
As far as those who call for better treatment of our planet.... that ends when it affects the individual in ways that are inconvenient. Just like the NIMBY response to anything in someone's neighborhood, town, state, region. People are mostly talk. I believe that action is much more important.
Authored by: annikee on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 05:43 AM GMT+4
Well, wait til the summer when PAYT comes to town, the tourists have no clue about this, the town sidewalk trash receptacles are mounded up and every dumpster is locked 23 1/2 hours a day. If the stink of August and the breeding vermin don't drive people away, are they gonna sell the bags at the Welcome Center?
Authored by: SpudHill on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 01:33 PM GMT+4
Well following SJD's reasoning you may not be able to track down these litterbugs but one thing you can be sure of ... they are all Democrats and voted for Obama.
Authored by: SkiDoc on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 02:05 PM GMT+4
These rationalizations and excuses are certain proof of the hypocrisy of the phony "green" left. These trashers were Obama's hard-core and they made a statement - as with everything else, let the government take care of it. Now, let's see, can we in some way blame George Bush for this?
Authored by: SpudHill on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 02:35 PM GMT+4
Oh boy, you all are really stretching here to find something negative. Let's talk about the fact that there were almost two million people and no one was injured, a few children were lost and then found, there were no protests and everyone left safe and sound. Of course Bush's inaugurations were perhaps tidier but that's because only a few hundred ever bothered to show up!
Authored by: pjmelton on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 02:52 PM GMT+4
I don't disagree with you and SJD about the trash. But I don't like the accusatory tone.
I think it's also worth noting that trash blowing around is nasty, but it's not going to cause environmental destruction. So the shrieking about hypocrisy is ridiculous. If they were burning coal on site in order to run the Jumbo-Trons, you might have something.
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"Economic laws are not made by nature. They are made by human beings." -- FDR
Authored by: Mr. Buddy Love on Friday, January 23 2009 @ 02:54 PM GMT+4
SkiDoc,
I wouldn't throw stones in glass houses if I were you, ha ha ha:
"Palin's "Donated" Clothes Stashed in Trash Bags at RNC
Friday, January 23, 2009 5:35 AM
Despite the Republican National Committee's promise to donate Sarah
Palin's $180,000 campaign wardrobe to charity, word has it the Alaska
governor's clothes remain stuffed in trash bags at RNC headquarters,
NewMajority has learned.
While Palin followed through on her promise to return her controversial
wardrobe after the election, it seems the RNC has not followed
through on its promise to give most of the clothes away.
Authored by: mr.mike on Sunday, January 25 2009 @ 01:27 AM GMT+4
I'm glad Mr. Buddy (Global Warming) Love chimed in here.
Did ya happen to see the carbon footprint from the inauguration? We're talkin' HUGE. 500 million pounds. WOW. Pretty good for an administration that's committed to global warming huh?
I kept looking for those hybrids someone here mentioned that he might drive down Pennsylvania avenue. I didn't see any did you? Maybe I missed them.
Anyways, take a look at how long it would take us peons to duplicate that carbon footprint.
Authored by: Mr. Buddy Love on Sunday, January 25 2009 @ 01:52 AM GMT+4
Change is coming, just as sure as Sarah Palin did NOT become Veep.
Obama picks global warming expert as science adviser
By Renee Schoof, McClatchy Newspapers – Fri Dec 19, 6:19 pm ET
WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama's choice of John P.
Holdren as his science adviser sends a strong signal that Obama sees
global warming as an urgent problem and wants bold suggestions for
action.
The Harvard University environmental policy professor has argued that
the world already is experiencing dangerous climate change as a result
of fossil fuel combustion. He's said there's still time to avert
catastrophe, but only with a strong and rapid global effort.
At a recent talk in Washington , Holdren boiled it down to this:
"Without energy there is no economy. Without climate there is no
environment. Without economy and environment there's no material
well-being, there's no civil society, there's no personal or national or
international security. And the problem is that the way we've been
getting the energy our economies need is wrecking the climate that
our environment needs. That is the essence of the problem."
He said at the time that he hoped that the next administration would
"really break its spear on the question of can we get a sensible
climate policy with the Congress and the public behind it" in time to
go to the final round of negotiations on a new international treaty late
next year "and finally have a voice that is respected by other
countries."
Hey mr. mike---Arnold Schwartzenegger is Serious About Global Warming
Authored by: Mr. Buddy Love on Sunday, January 25 2009 @ 02:03 AM GMT+4
You can watch an interview with him and hear how he wants to bring
discipline to California to get the citizens off their lazy oil and coal
addiction. It's all about getting pumped up about the science, and not
being a girly man, running away from the problem.
Authored by: mr.mike on Sunday, January 25 2009 @ 02:04 AM GMT+4
Arnold Shwartzenegger is not a Republican. And California is going broke due to it's environmental legislation. I see there's a real commitment though. All those hollywood elites that flew their private jets to the inauguration.
John McCain taking the GW approach was one reason he lost the election. He tried to walk the fence.
I'll let you know when I start seein' that change
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Vermont, where people are milked more than cows when it comes to taxes.
Authored by: Mr. Buddy Love on Sunday, January 25 2009 @ 02:26 AM GMT+4
Well, by YOUR limited neo-con definition of what a Republican is,
even the father of conservatism, Barry Goldwater, wouldn't make your
grade.
He criticized the religious right, and said:
Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the
[Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a
terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and
governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are
acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I
know, I've tried to deal with them.
-- Barry Goldwater, November, 1994, in John Dean, Conservatives
Without Conscience
Add the late William F. Buckley to your list too. He said that global
warming was a problem that had to be dealt with too.
Authored by: Mr. Buddy Love on Sunday, January 25 2009 @ 02:32 AM GMT+4
In fact, about the only people left in your denial camp are some
bought and paid for scientist dissenters (who get their shut up money
from Exxon-Mobil) and some stone age Bible Belt politicians from
Oklahoma, like Inhofe.
Face it---you belong now to the radical fringe. You're not even going
to be taken seriously, not at the Pentagon, not at CIA, not in any
think tank, not even in most of private industry. You can rant all you
want about how many of your own Republicans are joining the ranks
of the rational world, but ranting and sticking your head in the sand
won't change reality.
Aptly put! :-D
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We Rock!