What about Teens Protecting the Beach?
But you’re just a teen. What can you do? Teens protecting the beach? Really?
We’ve been getting that for a while. We could let it get to us. Or we can rise above it.
We choose to rise above it.
I mean, what else can we do? Hide. Put our heads in the sand. Like ostriches. Or burrow under the sand like the crabs at our local beach here in San Diego?
This is Kaila and Waian. We’re teens protecting the beach. We’re teens protecting the ocean. That’s us.
Why does the beach need protection?
This is the part where we can talk about coastal erosion or conservation or the environment or whatever…
But we’re going to take a little bit of a different tact to teens protecting the beach.
We need to protect the beach because no one else seems to be doing a very good job.
Our little beach is a great example. We live in a little beach town. All the kids hang out in a park, just above the beach. It’s a great park. It’s a great beach.
But guess what? Just below the park on the bluff wall, there is a sign warning about the contamination from sewage. Yep, sewage.
Specifically, e-coli. Which, in case you didn’t read the fine print is shit.
Yep. We have shit that flows into our ocean.
E-coli flowing onto our home beach
Don’t believe it? Here is a close-up…
You might be thinking, “It sucks to be you. But we don’t have shit flowing into the ocean at our beach. Bummer. Maybe you should move.”
Which, of course, not only misses the point but… it probably sucks at your beach also.
Most of us in Southern California grew up thinking that the only time that sewage flowed into the ocean was when it rains. You might think the same thing.
You would be wrong.
Sorry, to clue you in. But, that just ain’t so.
San Diego State Beach Sewage Study
Again, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, or more specifically shitty news. But, have you seen the sewage study by the scientists at San Diego State University?
How’s that? Old and leaky sewage pipes allow fecal matter (read: shit) to flow into San Diego’s rivers, creeks, and beach outfalls.
Do you think San Diego is the ONLY place in the country will hold and leaky sewage pipes? Really? You don’t think you have the same problem where you live? Don’t count on it.
So after this ground-breaking study, you would assume that the City of San Diego would be putting a top priority on replacing these old and leaky sewage pipes, right?
Since the new study on leaky sewage pipes came out, the City of San Diego hasn’t spent one dime, based upon our review of the City budget, on this environmental catastrophe.
Which, of course, is where The Original Surfers and teens protecting the beach come in.
Que the music and the lights.
If not us, then who? If not teens protecting the beach, then who is going to do this?
Ways teens can protect the beach
1. Join The Original Surfers
That’s right. Join us here. We’re teens protecting the beach.
2. Get Up Stand Up
Not to get all Bob Marley on you, but taking a stand for the beach is exactly what the beach needs from you.
Don’t be afraid to take action.
3. Be conscious of what affects the beach
You might have seen the stencils showing dolphins that live downstream, suggesting that people shouldn’t dump stuff in the sewer.
The fact is, anything you flush down the toilet or put down the drain, can end up in the ocean and contribute to its pollution. Use environmentally friendly products, like biodegradable soaps and detergents without phosphates.
4. Beach clean-ups – – Help Pick Up Trash at the beach
That’s right. Teens helping to clean the beach. We’re not dissing this. It helps. We do it too.
Especially plastic, which never truly breaks down.
5. Choose the right sunscreen
Most people don’t realize most commercial sunscreens are full of nutrients, like phosphates. These chemicals can negatively alter the ecosystem and promote algae growth. Instead, look for sunscreens that contain safer ingredients such as zinc and titanium. Or, in the alternative, is apply sunscreen an hour before so that it’s better absorbed.
6. Pick up your dog’s poop
Sound simple. Right? If you own a dog, then you have an obligation to pick up your dog’s poop. Otherwise, it washes right down to your local beach.
7. Recycle and Reuse
Recycle your waste, when possible. Reuse stuff again. It makes a difference.
8. Avoid single-use plastic
Use reusable water bottles. Fill them before you leave home.
Single-use plastics fill up our homes, streets, beaches, landfill sites, and the ocean. Plastic is toxic to marine life.
I read 12 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year. Have you heard about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
Don’t get us started about it…