Mama gnome vs. Plastic Bag Monster 2011

The ancient clock chimed and Mama gnome sat bolt upright in bed.

Her pointy hat fell off and landed in a bucket on the floor.

Mama gnome reached down to pick up her hat ignoring the pains in her joints.

She solemnly placed her pointy hat on her bedhead hair and thought,

"There will be a time for aches and pains later. Today, something else will get its come uppance."

For that fateful morning was not any other ordinary morning.

It was the dawn of Mama gnome versus Plastic Bag Monster, Battle 2011!

Every year in the month of September, the gnome family participates in the momentous Coastal Cleanup Day.

Mama gnome has battled against her nemesis, Plastic Bag Monster for years. And this time Mama gnome's army included not only young gnomelets (Mama gnome's secret weapons), Daddy gnome .... but also Auntie gnome!!!

(c) Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

At the behest of Mama gnome, Auntie gnome finally came out of her own burrow and joined in the battle against Plastic Bag Monster.

Mama gnome was delighted to find there were a few other humans participating on that brisk September morning.

In less than two hours, the gnome family had picked up over 200 cigarette butts in less than a mile of beach sand.

Over two hundred cigarettes picked up in less than two hours. It is mind boggling.

According to Ocean Conservancy, cigarettes/cigarette filters was the number one trash item picked up in 25 years of Coastal Cleanup Day.

Almost 53 million cigarettes/cigarette filters were picked up in 25 years.

Can you imagine?

53 million cigarettes dropped in the very sand where humans, gnomes, human babies, children played and walked.

And this is not even counting the countless cigarettes that have been washed into oceans, ingested by marine animals and birds.

Look at this photograph and see how toxic cigarettes can be mistaken for food by marine animals and seabirds.

(c) Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

Plastic minions (small pieces of plastic) are also killing the animals. See how plastic can look like dried up seaweed.

(c) Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

You can see the rest of the top ten items of trash picked up over 25 years of Ocean Conservancy's International Cleanup Day here.

Here are photos of some of the trash picked up by young gnomelets and the gnome family.











Mama gnome's spirit was lifted when she saw youngest gnomelet sitting and staring at the ocean.





Mama gnome will continue her fight against Plastic Bag Monster for the sake of young gnomelets and humans.

Please sit and stare at the ocean and imagine it free of plastic...and go green.

All photos copyright owned by Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

(c)Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

Mama gnome's Date for Coastal Cleanup Day 2011

Mama gnome tucked in the stray and somewhat grayish looking hair under her pointy hat.

She pinched her cheeks to give them color and batted her eyelashes.

Mama gnome would like to er...ask you...yes YOU...for a...date. Yes, a date!

She'd already picked out the place. She's already picked out the time. Yes!

A feisty old mother gnome knows her mind.

All you have to do is show up and BYOB.

No...no...no...not B of the alcoholic persuasion but B as in bucket.

Bring your own bucket because for this special date, you and Mama gnome will be picking up not seashells or driftwood but little minions of Mama gnome's nemesis, Plastic Bag Monster.

Please, do not leave the old mother gnome dateless on such a special day.

September 17, 2011 is the International Coastal Cleanup Day.

photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

According to Ocean Conservancy:

"Nearly nine million volunteers from 152 countries and locations have cleaned 145 million pounds of trash from the shores of lakes, streams, rivers, and the ocean on just one day each year."

International Coastal Cleanup Day started 25 years ago.

A Marine Debris Report was just published studying 25 years of debris collected.

According to the report, the number one culprit collected in 25 years is smoking related debris with almost 53 million collected!

These include filters, cigarette tips and wrappers.

You are probably wondering why plastic is still Mama gnome's nemesis?

True there are tons of cigarettes on our beaches and oceans.

But the numbers are misleading because the report has divided plastic minions into different categories.

But if you total them all up,

Plastic Bag Monster still stands out with its total coming to over 96 million!

These include plastic bags, plastic caps, lids, six pack rings, food containers, cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons, pulltabs, straws, stirrers!




video by: oceanconservancy

Please help stop Plastic Bag Monster from continuing to spawn.

Please be Mama gnome's date this Saturday, September 17, 2011.

Take a long walk on the beach with her, bring your own reusable gloves and buckets, and help clean up a patch of sandy beach, river, waterway, lake, pond, and even the sandy desert.

Please read up about this very romantic day which makes Mama gnome all hot and bothered at any of these sites:
Ocean Conservancy, Heal the Bay, lessismore.org, California Coastal Commission.

This is an international event and you can sign up anywhere in the world.

If there is no event conveniently close to you, you can start your own hot date with the bucket and register it online.

Please be Mama gnome's and the oceans' lifelong date. Make the commitment and go green.

(c) 2011 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Plastic Bag Monster Reckoning 2011

photo by: NOAA Marine Debris Program/Ocean Conservancy


If you have visited Mama gnome's garden before, you might have read about the old mother gnome's nemesis.

Yes...even the name itself fills Mama gnome's heart with dread and a good case of the heebie jeebies.

Mama gnome's nemesis is none other than...Plastic Bag Monster.

Here is one frightful portrait picture of a small fraction of its countless minions:
photo by: NOAA Marine Debris Program/Ocean Conservancy

Mama gnome has fought against the Plastic Bag Monster several times...on the beach(Mama gnome versus Plastic Bag Monster) and in the desert during the famous battle of Operation Desert Cleanup.

But alas...time and time again, Plastic Bag Monster regenerates and grows and meets with its allies: plastic bags, plastic cups, styrofoam cups, styrofoam plates, plastic forks, plastic spoons, plastic straws...and don't forget those soda lids, and fill in the blank plastic_______.

Together they multiply and multiply...disintegrating into tiny pieces... and swimming in their own pools of giant garbage patches...their own evil lairs.

One of the more famous ones is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

According to Ocean Conservancy:

"In 2009, 60 percent of the debris collected and cataloged consisted of single-use, disposable items. Volunteers picked up 1.1 million plastic bags. And enough cups, plates, knives, forks, and spoons for a picnic for 100,000 people."

It's not a picnic for our oceans to be choked up by our throw away plastic bags, spoons, forks, knives.

People have become so reliant on disposable, one time use plastic utensils, plastic bags, styrofoam take out containers...Mama gnome wonders how did humans ever survive without them. But the important question is: How can we survive with them?

Please save the date, September 17, 2011, Saturday, for the annual Coastal Cleanup Day.

Please visit these websites to read up about Plastic Bag Monster's heinous crimes and what gnomes and humans can do to fight back.

Ocean Conservancy

Heal the Bay

California Coastal Commission

Ocean Conservancy is an international organization that had 152 countries participating in last year's coastal cleanup day. So you can participate wherever you are.

You can even start your own cleanup project and register it on their website.

Please watch this video by Ocean Conservancy:


video by: oceanconservancy

Besides participating in the cleanup, let us defeat the Plastic Bag Monster by several easy strategies:

• Bring reusable bags to stores. If you forget your reusable bag, if you can, just handcarry your merchandise and make sure you have your receipt ready.
• Say no to disposable, one time use plastic frou frou: plastic utensils. Treat yourself and your family and use the real thing. How awesome is that?
• Say no to takeout boxes for leftovers at restaurants and bring your own. Impress your server by your ingenuity and scare the heck out of styrofoam little monster containers.
• Instead of using those tiny throwaway zipthingey bags, use reusable little containers.
• Instead of purchasing a small minion, i.e. a case of plastic water bottles, use that money to purchase reusable Bph free water bottles.
  
• Invest a few minutes to think about what you will need before you go out for a picnic or go to the store or to the restaurant, and see what reusable items you can bring (reusable bags, your own water bottles, your own reusable containers for leftovers, etc.), so you can avoid using throw away plastic frou frou. Just a few minutes of planning, will save our oceans and planet years of plastic minion trash.
  

Please become an ecowarrior. Help fight the Plastic Bag Monster.

Please be a supporter for planet earth and go green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Gnomemart Versus Plastic Bag Monster

Mama gnome will not forget the first time she brought reusable bags to gnomemart.

The gum-chewing cashier raised an eyebrow and gave Mama gnome a suspicious look.

She double checked Mama gnome's license.

That truly is Mama gnome's height...and weight.

But soon, Mama gnome will have the last laugh because gnomemart has joined the fight against the bane of her existence, Plastic Bag Monster.

photo from: plasticdebris.org

A couple of weeks ago, Mama gnome went to gnomemart and after she placed her reusable bags on the conveyor belt for the groceries, the cashier smiled at Mama gnome and said, "Ahhh...Smart gnome."

Mama gnome looked around and saw she was the only gnome standing amidst the humans and she asked, "Why do you say such mystical things human?"

Cashier said, "Because we're going to be charging for the plastic bags."

Mama gnome's vision turned hazy but she managed to mumble, "When?"

"Maybe next month."

Only because Mama gnome felt faintish, otherwise she would've been whooping and hollering.

Just in California alone, 19 billion plastic bags are used by humans every year and out of that 19 billion plastic bags a measly 5 percent gets recycled.

The other 95 percent of 19 billion become minions of Plastic Bag Monster where they lounge around in their not so secret lair, Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

photo from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/64/North_Pacific_Gyre_World_Map.png


So when Mama gnome heard the cashier's comment, she welcomes this new ally, this gnomemart.

Here is their battle plan against the fiendish beast.

They call it the Plastic Bag Initiative.

A worthy name for a worthy cause.

Their mission: "to eliminate more than 135 million pounds of plastic shopping bag waste globally"
and gnomemart gets the extra benefits of...

"...reduce our plastic bag waste by the equivalent of 9 billion bags, avoid producing 290,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases and prevent consuming the equivalent of 678,000 barrels of oil every year."

Mama gnome proudly presents her license to any gnomemart cashier.

Really, that is her height...and weight...

She'd gotten heavier with her heart so full, a heart gone green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Take That Plastic Bag Monster!

Mama gnome almost fell off her stoop when she read this

Los Angeles Times report:

"L.A. County Passes Sweeping Ban On Plastic Bags"


Please pardon Mama gnome while she whoops and hollers like a mad gnome.

"Wooohoooo! Woot! Woot! Woot! Woot! Take that Plastic Bag Monster!"

The bane of Mama gnome's existence is this wretched creature, Plastic Bag Monster.

It lives and grows in size in its evil lair, Great Pacific Garbage Patch, fed by its minions of trash monsters including plastic bottles, plastic caps, styrofoam monsters, disposable plastic cutleries, take out containers and by its most prolific minion...plastic bags...

"In Los Angeles County alone, 6 billion plastic bags are used each year, an average of 1,600 bags per household a year. Government figures show that only about 5% are recycled."

And for the whole state of California, 19 billion plastic bags a year. Nineteen Billion.


video from: Orbit26200


Last September, California was poised to pass a sweeping plastic bag ban.

Mama gnome was heartbroken when the bill failed.

It was killed by heavy advertising and lobbying by Plastic Bag Monster's creator: the plastic bag manufacturing industry.

So on that cold September day, Plastic Bag Monster laughed its evil laugh.

But today on this cold November day, Mama gnome laughs back at Plastic Bag Monster's face and she says, "Take that Plastic Bag Monster!"

Please bring your reusable bags everywhere: groceries, bookstores, department stores, farmer's markets...everywhere...so you'll always have one to use instead of taking a plastic bag.

Please bring your own reusable containers to restaurants for your left-overs instead of using take out styrofoam container monsters.

Please help Mama gnome defeat the Plastic Bag Monster and go green.

(c)2009-2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Plastic Bag Monster Reckoning 2012

Mama gnome waits with bated breath to see what will happen to Assembly Bill 1998 this Friday the 13th, August 13.

Friday the 13th could either be a lucky or unlucky day for the environment.

AB 1998, written by Julia Brownley, Democrat-Santa Monica, would make California the first state to ban single use plastic bags for grocers starting in 2012.

And this Friday, the bill must be approved or it will die and Plastic Bag Monster triumphs.

If the bill is approved and is signed by the governor, supermarkets and other large retailers are prohibited from using single use plastic bags starting in 2012.

In 2013, that ban would extend to smaller grocers and convenience stores using plastic bag minions as well.

Plastic Bag Monster is the bane of Mama gnome's existence. She has battled against this monster time and time again.

Perhaps one of the most memorable was the battle of 2009 when Mama gnome succored by her gnome family battled against the Plastic Bag Monster on a sandy beach.

The gnome family was overwhelmed by cigarette butt monster and other plastic bag minions including styrofoam cups and little pieces of unrecognizable plastic scrap minions.

Just how big is the Plastic Bag Monster?

A million bags?

No.

A hundred million bags?

No.

Okay, I'll try one billion.

Nope again.

Try NINETEEN BILLION.

Californians use 19 Billion plastic bags A YEAR!

And if we were thinking they were getting recycled, Plastic Bag Monster has pulled the plastic over our eyes, because only a small fraction of that 19 billion gets recycled.

Only 5 percent of those bags get recycled.

So 95 percent of 19 billion bags end up where?

In our waterways, in landfills, in our deserts, our rivers, our forests, inside marine animals, in our oceans, disintegrating...NOT BIODEGRADING. They've taken up to creating their own evil lairs. One of the more notorious one is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Plastic bag monster and his minions become tiny plastic pieces mistaken for food by birds and marine animals.

And guess who eats the marine animals? Humans.

Mama gnome's blog has a running counter of how many plastic bags are used every second in the world.

It's a scary counter. Think of how much plastic the fish eat. Think of how much plastic we eat.

Here's a video of a Plastic Bag Monster trying to weasel his way out of the ban.


video from: danegolden

2012 is Plastic Bag Monster's Reckoning.

But don't wait two more years for it. Start today and Go Greeen!

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Operation Desert Cleanup

(c) 2009 photo by Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

The gnome family bundled themselves up. They wore their warmest tunics, long pants, sturdy shoes and pointy hats.

"Where are we going, Mama?" asked baby gnomelet.

"We're going to help clean up the desert," said Mama gnome.

"Yehey!!!" The gnomelets shouted in unison while Daddy gnome tried to wrestle them into their special gnomelet seats.

By the by, Daddy gnome drove the gnome car to Prime Desert Woodland Preserve.

Mama gnome slumped in the passenger seat and sighed. The cold turned her breath into a miniature puffy cloud.

She'd seen low turnouts at the beach for Coastal Cleanup Day and at the park for the 350 International Day of Climate Action.

What would make this event any different?

She promised herself if more than a dozen humans showed up for Operation Desert Cleanup, a carrot cake baked from scratch would be the centerpiece for that night's supper.

After Mama gnome cleared her head of carrot cake imagery, an ugly picture replaced it, the bane of her existence.

Yes, Plastic Bag Monster.

Plastic Bag monster exists not just in our rivers and oceans but also in our parks, streets and even deserts. Plastic Bag Monster's-not-so-secret-headquarters is at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, joined by his minions of plastic bottle monsters, styrofoam monsters, bits and pieces of unrecognizable trash monsters.

The gnome car drove into the resting lot for cars at the Desert Woodland Preserve.

Mama gnome pulled down her pointy hat and sat up straight in her seat.

"You ready, Mama gnome?" Daddy gnome asked.

"Yes, let's do it."

Two human ladies waited for the gnome family.

Judy, one of Daddy gnome's colleague and friend, said, "I knew you'd come."

"Of course," said Daddy gnome.

"We have some gloves here for you. You'd probably want some for your young ones, " the other lady human said smiling at the gnomelets. The friendly human lady was a volunteer at the Woodland Reserve.

"Thank you. They have their own gloves," Mama gnome said.

"Very well. I'll show you where you can start."

The gnome family and Judy followed the lady.

Mama gnome admired the Joshua trees and beautiful desert landscape whilst keeping an eye on young gnomelets.

photo (c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

The lady stopped and said, "You can start cleaning over there, by the fence. You probably won't get a lot of trash. Be careful. Don't step into rabbit holes and there are coyotes here so keep your young ones close by."

"Coyotes?" Older gnomelet's voice went up.

Mama gnome watched her, afraid older gnomelet would be frightened at the thought of coyotes.

Older gnomelet threw back her head and said, "Coyotes howl like this, AWOOOOOOOOH!"

Soon baby gnomelet copied her big sister and the two gnomelets howled in unison.

"That's very clever. But now listen, remember the rules. Stay close to Mama gnome and watch where you step," said Mama gnome.

"Yes, Mama." The gnomelets said together.

It hadn't even been two minutes, when the first trash was picked up by guess who?

Yes, Mama gnome's secret weapon, ecowarrior, Older gnomelet.

"Look, Mama," she held up in her gloved hand a discarded cigarette end.

"Good job. Let's put it in the trash bag," Mama gnome said. Older gnomelet dropped the cigarette butt in the bag.

Mama gnome though to herself, "Cigarette and dry desert brush, so-dry-they'll-spark-if you-stare at-them-too-long-dry. Perfect deadly combination for wildfire. Some people are so thoughtful."

The gnome family "combed the desert" and within an hour found: countless pieces of broken glass from beer bottles, plastic bags stuck in thorny brush. Mama gnome yanked them out from their snares with long twigs she found on the ground. They also picked up a rusted spring, an old tab for a soda can Daddy gnome said was from the time when he was a gnomelet.

"Boy, that's really ol...um, let's keep going," Mama gnome said walking away from Daddy gnome.

Older gnomelet lived up to her name as ecowarrior and found styrofoam cups, old soda cans, bits of plastic remnants.

Baby gnomelet found a few pieces of trash and found a treasure in a long stick she'd picked up from the ground. She waved that thing for almost the whole time, creating good practice for Daddy and Mama gnome to duck out of harm's way.

After an hour, the gnome family, combed and rid the desert of these:

(c)2009 photo by Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Just when Mama gnome thought Daddy's bag was quite full and stretched thin,
older gnomelet pointed to something colorful and quite unnatural under a bramble.

Daddy gnome walked around the thorny bush and yanked out not just one, two or three but four blankets and sheets.

Daddy gnome hauled them out to a clearing. They were heavy, encrusted with dirt and mud.

"Great job, little one. You saw those blankets. Good eye!" Mama gnome said to older gnomelet.

Older gnomelet said, "Yes, Mama. But look there's lots of broken glass here." She was quite unfazed.

After two hours, the gnome family walked back to the car resting lot to meet up with the other volunteers.

Some of the odd trash found included:

• an old microwave
• two slides from a playground set
• a car muffler including the tailpipe
• one of those plastic cones used to cordon off for safety
• "at least thirty year" old rusted tin cans
• lots of metal scrap
• a spoon
• a disembodied hand from a doll

Mama gnome looked at all the trash collected by the volunteers. Operation Desert Cleanup's tally:

(c) 2009 photo by Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Though the total number of humans who volunteered on that day was less than carrot cake baked from scratch threshold, Mama gnome hugged Daddy gnome and gnomelets and said, "Great job everyone. I'm so proud of you."

Mama gnome said thank you to the kind human volunteers.

She walked back to the gnome car with an exhausted baby gnomelet in her arms, Ecowarrior older gnomelet by her side, and images of freshly baked, chocolatey fudge brownies danced in Mama gnome's head.

(c) 2009 photo by Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Please, keep thoughts of a beautiful clean planet Earth in your head and Go Green.


(c) 2009 all photos and post by Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mama gnome versus Plastic Bag Monster

Mama gnome woke up with a start. Daddy gnome was leaning over her.

He said, "It's time, dear." He straightened up. Daddy gnome was in full battle armor.

Mama gnome sat bolt upright. She remembered in a few hours she will face the bane of her existence, Plastic Bag Monster.

With a heart that raced full gallop, she dressed in her own armor and stepped out into the hall.

Four good-sized reusable bags filled with provisions the night before, waited in the hallway.

The gnomelets were still asleep.

"Let them sleep, they'll need their strength," Mama gnome thought to herself.

She double-checked the list: hats, sunblock, gloves for gnomelets and parent gnomes, waiver forms, copy of Coastal Cleanup Day pass for car resting lot. Everything looked fine.

While Mama gnome drank her cup of morning elixir (so vital for existence) and munched on her slice of toast with peanut butter, she mentally prepared herself.

'Do not underestimate the creature. Do not pity Plastic Bag Monster. For it does not pity you.'

A tiny voice piped in behind her.

"Mama, are we going to the beach?" Baby gnomelet asked.

"Yes, baby. Let's get ready. What do you want for breakfast?"

"Strawberry cream cheese toast."


By the by, the gnome family piled into the gnome car and drove on.


photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

They also drove by this: an eyesore for Mama gnome: more hillsides and mountainsides being carved out for urban development.

photo by: jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Elder gnomelet saw this, a flock of birds resting on a water tank.

photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mama gnome checked their bearings on the map. Though Mama gnome is a computer savant, she is quite proficient in map reading and navigation.

Finally, the gnome family saw this:

photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

They were minutes away.

Daddy gnome drove into the car resting lot and stopped at the other end, not in a resting space, but in the middle of the lane.

"Something's wrong. This can't be it. We're in the wrong place," Daddy gnome said.

"Why do you say that?" Mama gnome asked.

"There's no one here."

Mama gnome looked around. Indeed there were plenty of vacant spaces.

"But the meeting place is not here, it's over there, past the sand dune, past the humans playing volleyball," Mama gnome said. "Oh, look. There are two people picking up trash over there. Let's ask them where we sign up."

The gnome family got out of the car.

The gnomelets kept cheering, "Yehey! We're at the beach!"

Mama gnome called out to the humans, "Hello! Where do we sign up for Coastal Cleanup Day?"

The man and woman stopped and smiled back.

The human lady spoke first, "Over there." She pointed to the same spot Mama gnome told Daddy gnome.

"Oh good, we're not lost. Do you know how many people showed up already?" Mama gnome asked.

"About thirteen," said the woman.

"Really?" Mama gnome's heart sank. Has Plastic Bag Monster won already? How can only thirteen people be here?

"Well counting you that'll be fifteen. My goal is twenty."

"But how about my gnomelets? They're here to help too. I've filled out the waiver forms already and they've got their own gloves," Mama gnome said.

"Wow, really?" The woman smiled at the gnomelets.

"That's great." The man said.

Daddy gnome and gnomelets walked towards the beach while Mama gnome spoke with the humans about their battle strategy against Plastic Bag Monster.

It turns out the humans Mama gnome spotted were special humans.

They are Sarah Kern and Matt Stabile.



photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blogspot


Sarah Kern was the beach coordinator for that particular clean up site.

She is the Editorial Assistant for Self Enquiry Life Fellowship which is a Santa Barbara based non-profit group.

Mama gnome's heart swelled while she spoke with the kindly humans, clearly her strong allies against Plastic Bag Monster.

Sarah explained to Mama gnome the safety precautions and procedures for picking up trash or Plastic Bag Minions. She gave Mama gnome an orange bag for trash and a white bag for recyclables.

Mama gnome asked, "So plastic bags go into recyclables?"

Sarah said, "No."

Mama gnome shook her head, "No way."

"I'm sorry but no. Only water bottles, the thick plastic stuff, not the thin bags," explained Sarah.

It's true. According to Heal the Bay, "only 1% to 4% of plastic bags are recycled."

Mama gnome trudged towards the beach to search for her family.

Sad thoughts slowed down every step...Only thirteen people and four gnomes showed up...Can't recycle plastic bags...Only thirteen people and four gnomes showed up....Can't recycle plastic bags...We're doomed.

With the gnome family safely suited up with protective gloves, the battle began.

Guess who found and captured the first trash monster?

Older gnomelet.

It turns out older gnomelet's eyes were like hawk's eyes, quite adept at picking out unnatural things half-buried in the sand.

Baby gnomelet's eyes, on the other hand, were quite adept at finding drift wood, rocks and sea shells in the sand. For this Mama gnome was grateful.

After twenty minutes, the most abundant trash monster in the beach revealed itself...
Cigarette remains or as humans called them, cigarette butts.

In twenty minutes, the gnome family captured almost thirty cigarette butts.

In an hour and a half, they've captured almost one hundred and thirty cigarette monsters.

They were tricky. A lot of them hid in the sand. A lot of them had sloughed off their outer casings.

photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog
Cigarettes are not biodegradable. They have small plastic inserts that last forever or will over time become smaller and smaller plastic particles that become part of the ocean food web.

Besides the cigarette remains, the second most prolific trash monsters found were plastic bottle or soda cap monsters. Round plastic caps perfect for choking seabirds and other marine animals.

And guess who found the first recyclable material in the beach?

Yes, older gnomelet!

She unearthed a half-buried aluminum soda can. Mama gnome's so proud of her.

The time allotted for Coastal Cleanup Day was almost over. Yet Mama gnome had not even captured a single plastic bag. None. Plastic bags travel well because they are so light. They had now flown out into the oceans.

What Mama gnome found were countless small pieces, unrecognizable parts of something plastic.

At the end of almost three hours of battle, these are the trash monsters captured that morning.

photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog


I know. It looks like it's not much. But if you consider there are almost 800 pieces of cigarette monsters in there and countless small pieces of plastic monsters, they added up to quite a bit for a small group of humans and gnomes.

I tell you this, but Mama gnome's heart has been heavy for a few days now because she thought she would indeed battle with Plastic Bag Monster but he didn't even show up.

Instead he left in his wake, unrecognizable plastic monsters, styrofoam monsters, bottle cap monsters and cigarette monsters.

Mama gnome's heart grew heavier still at the thought of how small the group of people who showed up at that clean-up site.

But today, she read the report from the California Coastal Commission,
a preliminary press release for Coastal Cleanup Day 2009. Here's an excerpt:

With 65% of the cleanup sites reporting, the statewide count stands at 66,550 volunteers,
which should approach the event goal of 70,000 volunteers.

Those volunteers picked up 819,394 pounds of trash
and an additional 89,899 pounds of recyclable materials,
for a total of 909,294 pounds.

The Coastal Commission expects to exceed 1,000,000 pounds of trash when all the totals are in.

Over one million pounds of trash. Mama gnome's heart soared.

Mama gnome also found solace in Jane Goodall's words:

Jane Goodall said,

"It's easy to be apathetic and give up...We need people who can inspire us. One person can make a difference. The most important advice I can give you is to follow your dreams...Never give up. Remember each day differs. And here's advice my mother gave me, 'Your life matters and for each day, we can make the world a better place for all living things."

Mama gnome declares victory over Plastic Bag Monster on this momentous day, the battle of Coastal Cleanup Day.

photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog


But the war is not over. Plastic Bag Monster swirls in the depths of oceans and rivers, lurking and waiting for Mama gnome.

And Mama gnome is no longer afraid. For she has found another secret weapon.

Something Plastic Bag Monster would never expect.

Plastic Bag Monster prepare for your greatest enemy....

Older Gnomelet.
photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog


Yes, you should be afraid you foul beast. For she has hawk like eyes, boundless energy and indomitable spirit.

She is Eco-warrior.

Please join Mama gnome, be an ally against Plastic Bag Monster.

Arm yourselves with reusable bags and go green.

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blogspot.

Mama gnome takes on Plastic Bag Monster

Mama gnome takes a deep breath and braces herself.

For this coming Saturday, SEPTEMBER 19, 2009

a great, momentous battle awaits the mother gnome.

Her foe is a mighty beast, a heathen of a monster, not from this earth.

No it does not breath air nor possess a heart.

But it lives.

It is the Plastic Bag Monster, a creature that plagues our oceans, our lands, our children, our animals and plants.


photo from: plasticdebris.org

It is a monster who aims to destroy everything on its path to its home, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Or as Mama gnome calls it, the Great Pacific Garbage Monster.

There it will unite forces with other plastic bag monsters, soda can monsters, water bottle monsters, styrofoam monsters and other unnatural unliving creatures who claim dominion over our oceans, our land, our planet Earth.

What chance does Mama gnome have in defeating such an enemy?

Mama gnome sighs and bows her head. Yes, the chance is quite small. But it's all she's got.

And she'll take that tiny, sliver of a chance and run away with it,

for our planet's very existence is at stake.

If this Plastic Bag Monster triumphs and no one stands up to it, hundreds and thousands of marine animals and seabirds will continue to perish, be mutilated and die slow painful deaths.

If no one stands up to it, our oceans, rivers, the water that we drink to live, will continue to be mired with toxins and pollutants.

If no one stands up to it, our Earth, our beautiful planet Earth, would be left on her own, undefended.

So rally with me, fellow gnomes and humans, join me in this great battle, this momentous day on September 19, 2009.

Tis a memorable day dubbed forth by Earth's defenders as:

Coastal Cleanup Day

This is a worldwide event.

Visit Ocean Conservancy for clean up sites in the world.

Visit Heal the Bay or California Coastal Commission for clean up sites in California.

Just follow the links and type in the country, city you live in and it will show you the closest beach, river, park you can venture forth to battle against the Plastic Bag Monster.

United we will defeat this unnatural creature and we will set our planet free.

All you need is a staunch heart, maybe a couple of gloves and sunblock lotion in case it gets too hot.

And in the name of everything sustainable, do not bring water housed in plastic water bottles,
for the Plastic Bag Monster will see them as a sign of weakness and will call forth on its minions, i.e., the plastic water bottles you're hiding in your thin plastic bags.
Nay, do not falter my human friend.

To ensure our victory, here are other pre and post-battle strategies you can engage in everyday:

• When you go shopping and if they ask you paper or plastic, say 'neither' and hold up your own wonderful reusable bags.
• Limit or avoid using plastic water bottles. A lot of them end up in the ocean and the by-products of green house emissions from their production outweigh their value. Use your own glass or metal container which will last and hopefully not end up in our oceans.
• Use eco-friendly products especially for household cleaning, dish washing and laundry. Less contaminants will leach into the ground or go into runoffs that will end up in our oceans.
• Support sustainable fishing methods by checking where the fish you eat comes from.
• Support plastic bag bans. An average American uses 500 plastic bags annually. That's billions annually. Trillions worldwide. And according to Heal the Bay only a small percentage of plastic bags get recycled, only 1% to 4%. Mama gnome knows exactly where the 96-99% of plastic bags are hanging out. Cough. Great Pacific Garbage Patch!
• When you dine out, bring your own food containers for left overs. If you don't, you take the chance of bringing home styrofoam containers, ie. Plastic Bag Monster's allies.
  

Mama gnome has faith in you brave human. Together victory will be ours!

And to you Plastic Bag Monster,

Mama gnome says, "Come forth and face me for I have brought...it...on."

Go Green!

(c) 2009 Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

Romantic Long Walks at the Beach...

Mama gnome muses, "What can be more romantic than walking at the beach, the waves lapping at her gnome feet and the ocean breeze fanning Mama gnome's face?"

How about walking with a giant trash bag while Mama gnome participates in "what may be the largest volunteer day in the planet."

Yes, very romantic indeed.

Coastal Cleanup Day is coming up on September 19,2009.

In Southern California, it is coordinated by
Heal the Bay and the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.

Coastal Cleanup Day is an international event. Ocean Conservancy reports 60 countries have participated last year.

Please check with your local government where you can participate.

Please visit Heal the Bay or Ocean Conservancy for clean up sites, their rules for what to pick up and what to leave alone as well as how to safely pick up trash especially if your children will be going with you.

Here is an example of love gone awry.


video from: AnimalPlanetTV


Reusable bags are more romantic and cooler than those thin, plastic bags that end up in the oceans or in landfills or in our streets. And in that case, they all end up in the ocean anyway.

Mama gnome will never forget the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or as Mama gnome calls it on the blog The Great Pacific Garbage Monster, a self-made monstrous island of humankind's trash including tons of plastic bags, out in the Pacific Ocean.

That Monster breaks Mama gnome's heart, not to mention kill countless marine animals and seabirds.

Please help keep our oceans clean.

Be romantic all the time and stay green.

(c) 2009 Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

Prime Real Estate At Rock Bottom Price

The listing in the paper read:

360 degrees Ocean front view
Square footage: "It's bigger than Texas"
All plastic furnishings provided

"Huh?" Mama Gnome scratched her head. "Plastic?"
So she searched and researched. She couldn't believe what she'd found.

Ladies and Gentlemen and fellow Gnomes, I present:

THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/64/North_Pacific_Gyre_World_Map.png



Yes, my thoughts swirled like the arrows in the map.

I couldn't believe it.

But no.

It's all true.

Our trash literally have made their own island, albeit not quite solid island, in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean.

I'll give you a few moments to take that in.


The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is also known as the Eastern Garbage Patch or the Pacific Trash Vortex.
Its size is astonishing. No, its not just bigger than Texas.
This reports it to be two and a half times bigger than the United States.
It permeates deep beneath the ocean's surface.

I'd just like to call it the Pacific Ocean Trash Monster.

And off blog, I want to call it something else.

How did this Monster materialize?

Basically, experts say ocean currents shown by the arrows, created these areas where water was relatively stable and thus the debris/trash in the oceans were carried by the currents and accumulated in the North Pacific Gyre.

They say 80% of the trash came from land and 20% from ships.

Wasn't anybody watching out for this?

They knew this was going to happen. They predicted it and published a paper about it in 1988.

Why didn't they do anything about it then?

That's a really good question. I'd like to phone a friend for help.

Captain Charles Moore, an oceanographer and founder of Algalita Marine Research Foundation came upon this mess and wrote several articles about it. He helped bring scientific and media attention to this Ocean Monster.

He gives a powerful, informative speech in this video.

Young children need Parental guidance for some of the images.



video from http://www.ted.com/


What can we do about it?

According to this article, the Environmental Cleanup Coalition (ECC) has started the Gyre Cleanup Project.

This is a monumental endeavor and would require lots of manpower and funding.

Here is a link for ECC: http://gyrecleanup.org/

What else can we do?

• Seriously consider not using those plastic bags at grocery stores. Bring your own reusable bags. Please read my older post.
  
• Please use biodegradable products as much as possible. Plastic is not biodegradable.
  
• Please pick up your trash. And for trash pick up on garbage day, make sure your trash is contained and won't be flying off the minute the truck pulls away.
• Please support any measures or bills that would limit or ban plastic bags.
• Please don't litter at the beach or street corner or mall or forest or wherever. Come on now.
  
• Participate/volunteer in organizations such as ECC and Heal the Bay or clean up projects.
  
• Educate your family, friends, coworkers, strangers about these issues.
• REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE the heck out of everything...please!
  

Our oceans and lands are prime real estate. Please help stop our trash from taking over our planet.

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog